![\"FIFA](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/2023-05-18T193015Z_1434153170_RC2111A7YRBM_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-FIFA.jpg\" "\\"Mamdani")
\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
The New York\/New Jersey\u2019s FIFA World Cup 2026 logo is revealed during the kickoff event in Times Square in New York City, U.S., May 18, 2023. REUTERS\/Brendan McDermid<\/p>\n
Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s \u201cWorld Cup Czar,\u201d Maya Handa, has said that the city is \u201clooking into\u201d reports that fans of certain teams will be forced to pay up to $15,000 in bond payments just to obtain a tourist visa for the USA this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tunisia, Senegal, Cape Verde, and the Ivory Coast, which will all compete at the World Cup this summer, are among 50 designated countries where applicants for tourist and business visas are required to pay refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Trump administration, which introduced the policy, said the measure aims to curb visa overstays and targets nations with high overstay rates. The State Department says the bonds are fully refundable if a traveler departs the United States in compliance with their visa terms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
However, The Athletic reported<\/a> Wednesday morning that visa applicants from the five African nations competing in the World Cup will still be subject to the bond, including fans from Senegal, who will play both France and Norway at MetLife Stadium, and Cape Verde, a small African archipelago nation that has qualified for the World Cup for the very first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Athletic further reports that players and staff from the impacted nations may not be exempt from the bond requirement.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Handa, who was appointed in January as Mamdani\u2019s World Cup Czar to help the city prepare for the upcoming World Cup, told amNewYork on Wednesday that the Mamdani Administration is \u201clooking into\u201d the report.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the mayor\u2019s intention that New York, the world city, be able to welcome as many people as possible for the World Cup,\u201d Handa said Wednesday. \u201cThat\u2019s been his stance, so we\u2019re definitely looking into it. We really want to make sure that people are able to come and celebrate and spend their tourist dollars.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n FIFA has not yet responded to a request for comment, but the organization is reportedly seeking to waive bonds for players, coaches, and support staff, according to The Athletic. Immediate relatives of players or staff, however, may not be exempt.\u00a0<\/p>\n The State Department has also not returned a request for comment. However, the agency told The Athletic that all visa applicants from designated countries are subject to the same legal standards.\u00a0<\/p>\n The policy states<\/a> that consular officers have the authority to waive visa bonds in \u201cvery limited circumstances,\u201d including cases where an officer believes a waiver would advance a national or humanitarian interest. There is no procedure for visa applicants to apply for a waiver, and the decision is left to the discretion of individual consular officers.\u00a0<\/p>\n Iran and Haiti, which have both qualified for the tournament, are also subject to full travel bans, severely restricting residents from both countries from traveling to the USA. Senegal and the Ivory Coast are subject to partial travel bans.\u00a0<\/p>\n FIFA president Gianni Infantino has stated that he believes the upcoming tournament will be the \u201cmost inclusive\u201d World Cup of all time. Infantino previously asserted that the \u201cworld is welcome in America,\u201d after being questioned about President Donald Trump\u2019s immigration enforcement policy in May 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n The FIFA president previously gifted Trump a \u201cpeace prize\u201d last year<\/a> during the World Cup draw.\u00a0<\/p>\n But numerous groups have raised concerns about the tournament\u2019s accessibility, citing both visa issues and ticket prices.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n Handa said Mamdani has been in \u201cclose conversation\u201d with Infantino and is using \u201cevery tool\u201d at his disposal to lower the cost of the upcoming tickets.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n