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The original was posted on /r/soccer by /u/Sparky-moon on 2026-03-25 14:27:53+00:00.
Fans from several countries participating in this summer’s World Cup must deposit up to $15,000 in bond payments to be granted a tourist visa to enter the United States, while organizer FIFA is privately pressing the Trump administration to make exemptions for players.
The “Visa Bond Pilot Program” relates to 50 countries, five of which have qualified for the World Cup. The policy has impacted nationals from Algeria, Cape Verde, Senegal and the Ivory Coast since January 21 this year. Last week, World Cup participants Tunisia were among the countries added to the list, which comes into effect from April 2. Cape Verde — an archipelago of only 525,000 people — has qualified for the men’s World Cup for the first time in its history.
A U.S. State Department spokesperson told The Athletic that all applicants, regardless of age, are subject to the same legal standards and must demonstrate they qualify for and intend to comply with the terms of a visa. They added that those who depart the U.S. in a timely fashion before their visa expires will recover their money, while they also said the visa bond requirement is not retroactive and does not apply to holders of existing valid visas.