As the United States prepares to host soccer’s World Cup matches next month, President Donald Trump’s administration has suspended the requirement that international visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and bought tickets to the soccer tournament pay up to $15,000 in bonds to enter the country, the State Department said on Wednesday (local time).
The department introduced the bond requirement last year for countries it said had high rates of overstaying in the U.S. and other security concerns as part of a broader crackdown on immigration by the Republican administration, the AP reported.
Under the previous requirement, travelers from at least 50 countries were required to pay a deposit, and at least five of those countries qualified for the World Cup – Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia.
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The U.S. State Department is suspending passenger bond fees
Citizens of Algeria, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia who have purchased tickets to the FIFA World Cup are now exempt from visa requirements. Earlier, the ministry announced that World Cup team players, coaches and some staff had already been exempted from bail as part of the administration’s orders to prioritize visa processing for the tournament.
Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said, “The United States is thrilled to host the biggest and best soccer World Cup in history,” adding, “We are waiving the visa requirement for qualified fans who have purchased World Cup tickets” and opted for the FIFA Pass system, which allows expedited visa processing starting April 15.
The Trump administration is offering an exemption to World Cup visitors
The recent waiver announcement is a rare relaxation of immigration requirements under the Trump administration. Plus, it will make it easier for at least some visitors to Washington to travel to the World Cup, which begins June 11 and is co-hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Citing U.S. officials, the report noted that while those affected by the visa requirement were a relatively small group in April, just 250 people, the number was changing rapidly as more people bought tickets and some ticket holders chose not to travel.
The officials added that FIFA requested the exemption, which had to be approved by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and was the subject of discussions at several meetings at the White House and elsewhere in Washington over several months.
The Trump administration has announced dramatic steps to curb immigration
Separately, the administration has taken drastic steps to limit immigration in ways that critics say run counter to the unifying message that a global sporting event like the World Cup is supposed to project.
For example, travelers from Iran and Haiti were banned from entering the country. However, World Cup players, coaches and other support staff are exempt. In addition, travelers from Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal face partial restrictions under an extended version of this travel ban, even without visa exemptions.
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International travelers also face new requirements to submit their social media history, while the administration recently deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to airports when Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees went unpaid.
Such measures prompted Amnesty International and several other US civil and human rights groups to issue a “World Cup travel advisory” warning travelers about Washington’s climate.
An advocacy group for American hotels blames the restrictions on lower demand
Earlier this month, the American Hotel & Lodging Association, the country’s main hotel advocacy group, blamed visa restrictions and other geopolitical issues for “significantly dampening international demand,” leading to much lower-than-expected hotel bookings for the soccer tournament.
The group said travelers have expressed concerns about potentially long visa wait times and increased fees, along with uncertainty about how they are being processed to enter the country.
It remains to be seen whether the Trump administration will implement any additional measures to curb immigration into the country during the World Cup.
Key things
- The visa suspension reflects a rare relaxation of immigration rules under the Trump administration.
- Concerns over visa processing and restrictions have affected international demand for hotel bookings during the World Cup.
- The decision to drop the bond requirement was influenced by FIFA and is aimed at making travel easier for fans.
