The Trump administration has suspended the bond requirement for foreign ticket holders from World Cup countries, allowing easier entry into the U.S. for fans attending the tournament.
Key points
Trump administration suspends bond requirement for World Cup ticket holders
Foreign visitors previously faced up to $15,000 in bond fees
Suspension facilitates easier entry into the U.S. for fans
Aims to promote tourism during the World Cup
Applies to countries that qualified for the tournament
President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino talk during a FIFA task force meeting in the East Room of the White House, May 6, 2025, in Washington.
President Trump and FIFA President Gianni Infantino talk during a FIFA task force meeting in the East Room of the White House, May 6, 2025, in Washington.
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
Mark Schiefelbein/AP
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that foreign visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and have bought tickets for the soccer tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the United States, the State Department said Wednesday.
The department imposed the bond requirement last year for countries that it said had high rates of people overstaying their visas and other security issues as part of the Republican administration's broader crackdown on immigration.
Q&A
What is the bond requirement for World Cup ticket holders entering the U.S.?
Foreign ticket holders from World Cup countries were previously required to pay bonds of up to $15,000 to enter the U.S.
Why did the Trump administration suspend the bond requirement for World Cup visitors?
The suspension aims to facilitate entry for fans attending the World Cup and promote tourism during the event.
Which countries are affected by the suspension of the bond requirement?
The suspension applies to foreign visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and purchased tickets.
How will the suspension of the bond requirement impact World Cup tourism in the U.S.?
The suspension is expected to increase tourism and attendance at the World Cup by making it easier for international fans to enter the U.S.
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Travelers to the United States from 50 countries are required to pay the new bond, and five of those countries have qualified for the World Cup — Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.
Citizens from those five countries who have purchased tickets from FIFA are now exempt from the visa bond requirement. World Cup team players, coaches and some staff already had been exempt from the bond requirement as part of the administration's orders to prioritize the processing of visas for the tournament.
"The United States is excited to organize the biggest and best FIFA World Cup in history," Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said. "We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets" and opted in to the FIFA Pass system that allows expedited visa appointments as of April 15.
The waiver is a rare loosening of immigration requirements under the administration and will ease travel burdens for at least some visitors to the U.S. for the World Cup, which begins June 11 and is co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The administration has taken dramatic steps to restrict immigration in ways that critics say are incongruous with the type of unifying message that a global sporting event such as the World Cup is supposed to project.
For instance, the administration has barred travelers from Iran and Haiti, though World Cup players, coaches and other support personnel are exempt. Travelers from Ivory Coast and Senegal, face partial restrictions under an expanded version of that travel ban, even without the visa bond exemption.
Foreign travelers also had faced potential new requirements to submit their social media histories, although that policy from U.S. Customs and Border Protection had not gone into effect. Also, the administration had deployed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at airports recently when Transportation Security Administration personnel were not being paid during a partial federal shutdown.
Those measures prompted Amnesty International and dozens of U.S. civil and human rights groups to issue a "World Cup travel advisory" that warns travelers about the climate in the U.S.
In a report this month, the main advocacy group for U.S. hotels blamed visa barriers and other geopolitical issues for "significantly suppressing international demand," leading to hotel bookings for the soccer tournament that are far below what had initially been anticipated.
The American Hotel & Lodging Association said travelers are concerned about potentially lengthy visa wait times and increased fees, along with uncertainty about how they're being processed to enter the U.S.
The bond requirements are part of the administration's larger effort to clamp down on migrants who travel to the U.S. on temporary visas but then overstay them. Visa applicants from the affected countries are required to pay $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 in bonds, which will be refunded if the traveler complies with the terms of the visa or if the visa application is denied.
As of early April, the number of World Cup fans affected by the bond requirement was believed to be relatively small, perhaps only about 250 people, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. But they said that number was changing rapidly as more people buy tickets and some with tickets opt against traveling.
FIFA had requested the waiver, which had to be approved by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, and was the topic of discussion at multiple meetings at the White House and elsewhere in Washington for several months, the officials said.
