US Removes Mandatory Bond Requirements For World Cup Ticket Holders

A U.S. State Department official said on Wednesday that the Trump administration will not ask World Cup ticket holders from countries with high visa overstay rates to pay costly bonds before entering the United States.

Last year, the administration introduced a rule that required visitors from certain countries to pay bonds of up to $15,000 when applying for U.S. tourist visas. Officials said the measure was introduced to reduce the number of people staying in the country after their visas expired. The bond policy currently applies to 50 countries and was expanded earlier this year.

Among the nations affected by the visa bond policy, five have secured places in the FIFA World Cup 2026 including Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.

Mora Namdar, who is a senior official in the State Department’s consular affairs division, said the U.S. will not ask for the bond from fans with World Cup tickets who have already signed up through a special system set up to speed up visa processing. She also added that players and team staff who qualify will not need to pay the bond either.

"We remain committed to strengthening U.S. national security priorities while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup tournament," said Mora Namdar.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to start from June this year and will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Concerns around the tournament have grown because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tough immigration measures, with questions also being raised about possible activity from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

Last year, federal agents in masks carried out operations in various U.S. cities to track down people breaking immigration rules, and some tourists were held at airports.

In late April, Human Rights Watch urged FIFA to ask the U.S. government for an “ICE Truce” during the World Cup. The idea was to make sure immigration raids or enforcement actions would not take place at stadiums or during matches, with a public assurance from the authorities.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said at the time that foreign visitors coming for the tournament “have nothing to worry about” as long as they have legal immigration status.

Now, as the tournament is about to start, it would be interesting to see what measures the DHS would take to ensure the security of the cities where the matches will be held. It is expected that the US will remain on high alert throughout the tournament, as thousands of football fans from around the world would be arriving in the country to watch the event.