US Visa Bond Program Could Affect World Cup Fans from African Nations
The United States is considering implementing a policy that could require football supporters from five African countries to pay a visa bond of up to $15,000 for entry into the country to attend the upcoming World Cup tournament. This refundable deposit, ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, would be an additional requirement on top of the necessary tourist visas, and would be reimbursed upon the travelers' return to their home countries.
This initiative is part of a pilot "Visa Bonds" program launched by the U.S. Department, which mandates the bond for travelers applying for certain B1/B2 visas (issued for business or tourism). Should a visitor fail to depart on time or violate the terms of their visa, the deposit would be forfeited.
As of April 2, the visa bond program has been expanded to include several nations, such as Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia, among a longer list of countries.
Notably, five of these nations, all from Africa – Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia – have qualified for the next World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada next June. Consequently, fans hoping to travel to the U.S. to support their national teams may be faced with a significant upfront payment. While the bond is refundable, its substantial amount could render attending the tournament prohibitively expensive for many supporters.
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