Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Trump administration is suspending a requirement that would have required visitors from five World Cup-qualified countries to pay a bond of up to $15,000 in order to enter the United States for the tournament.
The US state department imposed the bond requirement last year for countries that it said had high rates of people overstaying their visas. Travellers to the US from 50 countries are required to pay the bond, and five of those countries have qualified for the World Cup – Algeria, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal and Tunisia.
However, fans from those countries have been granted a temporary reprieve if they hold a valid World Cup ticket. The waiver will ease travel burdens for at least some visitors to the US for the World Cup, which begins 11 June and is co-hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico.
Mora Namdar, the assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, told the Associated Press on May 13. “We are waiving visa bonds for qualified fans who bought World Cup tickets.” Fifa had requested the waiver, and the issue was the topic of discussion at multiple meetings.
