Trump could force fans from five World Cup countries to pay a $15,000 deposit to enter USA

United States is considering asking fans from five African countries to pay a bond of up to $15,000 in order to enter the country to watch the tournament. In addition to the visas required to enter the country for tourism, these travellers would have to pay a deposit, ranging between $5,000 and $15,000, that would be refunded when they return to their country.

These Visa Bonds are a pilot programme launched late 2025 by the US department, which are mandatory for travellers that ask for certain B1/B2 visas (those required for business or tourism). If the visitor doesn't depart on time or violates visa conditions, the deposit is forfeited.

On April 2, the visa bonds program extends to Cambodia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Grenada, Lesotho, Mauritius, Mongolia, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, and Tunisia; the full list is long.

As reported by The Guardian, five of those countries qualified for World Cup, co-hosted between USA, Mexico, and Canada next June, all of them from Africa: Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Senegal, and Tunisia. This means that fans wanting to travel to the US to follow their national team would have to pay a huge deposit, that even though is refundable, may be prohibitive for most fans.