Fans from five African nations heading to the United States for the 2026 Fifa World Cup just got a potential $15,000 (£11,100) reprieve – provided they already have a match ticket for the finals.
Late on Wednesday, the Trump administration confirmed that ticket-holding supporters from Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia will be exempt from the requirement to post a visa deposit.
The five were among 50 countries swept up in the requirement, introduced last year, which is intended to reduce visa overstays and was part of a wider immigration crackdown by the White House.
With 78 of the 104 games at this year’s World Cup taking place on American soil, the climbdown matters.
But for Africans plotting a trip to a tournament spread across the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July, plenty of obstacles remain.
The sums required for a visa bond range from $5,000 (£3,700) to $15,000.
“We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets,” US assistant secretary of state for consular affairs Mora Namdar said in a statement to the BBC.
However, it comes with a caveat.
In order to have the bond requirement waived, ticket holders from affected countries must have registered with the online Fifa Pass system by 15 April.
That system, announced last November, is intended to help ticket-holders get expedited visa appointments.
