In the face of criticism, Donald Trump announced a relaxation of the rules targeting foreigners holding a ticket to attend a World Cup match. Algerians, Tunisians, and Senegalese were among those specifically affected.
The United States announced on Wednesday an easing of their bank guarantee system for tourist visa applications, seen as exorbitant for supporters from several countries wishing to attend the World Cup.
As part of President Donald Trump’s restrictive immigration policy, the United States required nationals from 50 developing countries to provide a guarantee of $5,000 to $15,000 (€4,250 to €12,800) to obtain a visa, refundable upon their return to their country.
The State Department stated that this guarantee no longer applied to team members participating in World Cup matches on US soil and supporters from competing countries already holding tickets and registered with the “FIFA Fan ID,” the priority system created for visa issuance.
Algeria, Tunisia, and Senegal specifically targeted
According to the State Department, only 14,000 ticket holders had chosen the priority option by early May.
“We remain committed to strengthening US priorities in national security while facilitating legitimate travel for the upcoming World Cup,” said Mora Namdar, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs.
Five countries qualified for the World Cup are among those whose nationals are required to pay guarantees: Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and Tunisia. At least two other qualified countries are subject to almost total entry bans: Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, and Iran, targeted by Israeli-American airstrikes on February 28 that escalated regional conflict.
The Trump administration has also significantly increased controls on nationals of friendly Western countries, demanding access to their social media posts.
According to a study by the American law firm Mendoza, the Haitian Grenadiers could play their group stage matches (in Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta) without any supporters from Haiti. The study indicates that in the five qualified and targeted countries affected by guarantees, $15,000 on average is equivalent to three years of income.
