$15,000 Visa Bond Deposit Blocks Algerian Fans Under Visa Bond Pilot Program

(UNITED STATES) — The U.S. government is requiring some visitors from Algeria and other countries to post visa bonds of up to $15,000 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a policy that could put travel to the tournament out of reach for many fans and families.

The Visa Bond Pilot Program, also referred to as the Visa Deposit Pilot Program, is in effect as of April 2, 2026, and allows consular officers to demand a refundable deposit from certain B-1 and B-2 visa applicants before they can travel.

For Algerian supporters hoping to attend matches in the United States, the sums are steep. A bond of $15,000 per person is about 2 million DZD, and because the charge applies to each traveler, a family of four could face up to $60,000 in deposits before paying for flights, hotels and tickets.

The policy took shape over several months. On August 5, 2025, the U.S. Department of State published a Temporary Final Rule in the Federal Register, listed as 90 FR 37378, creating a 12-month pilot program that authorizes a “Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond” for certain B-1 business and B-2 tourism visa applicants.

That rule gave consular officers the power to impose bond amounts of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 per person. Officers decide the amount during the visa interview.

On January 21, 2026, Algeria joined the list of countries subject to the bonds, along with Senegal, Cape Verde, and Ivory Coast. Then, on March 18, 2026, the State Department expanded the list to 50 countries, adding nations such as Tunisia, effective April 2, 2026, as well as Cambodia and Ethiopia.

The timing matters because five countries now subject to the bond program — Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde — have qualified for the 2026 World Cup. Fans from those countries can still apply, but some now face a deposit requirement that may exceed the rest of their travel budget combined.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in March 2026: “All applicants, regardless of age, are subject to the same legal standards and must demonstrate they qualify for and intend to comply with the terms of a visa. [Applications will be] adjudicated on a case-by-case basis.”

That standard applies to adults and children alike. Families traveling together can therefore see the cost multiply quickly.

Under the Temporary Final Rule, the government targets nationals of countries with high visa overstay rates, based on the DHS FY 2023 Overstay Report, or countries with what it calls deficient screening and vetting information. The program does not apply to every visitor worldwide, but it gives officers broad authority over applicants from designated countries.

The process begins only after a consular officer instructs the applicant to post the bond. Travelers then must complete Form I-352 and make payment through the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov portal.

The bond is refundable, but only if the traveler complies with the terms attached to the visa. Departure must occur on or before the end of the authorized stay, and the traveler must leave through a designated commercial airport so the government can record the exit for refund purposes.

The government forfeits the bond if a traveler overstays, violates status, or attempts to change legal status, including by applying for asylum. For fans planning a short World Cup trip, that makes the deposit less a fee than a financial guarantee tied to strict departure rules.

Those rules create a second barrier beyond the money itself. Travelers who must use designated commercial airports for refund tracking may have fewer routing options, a factor that can add time and cost to international travel.

For Algerian fans, the numbers stand out. A refundable deposit of $15,000 may still be impossible to lock up for months, even if the traveler intends to return home on time and recover every dollar. The requirement can consume savings that would otherwise cover airfare, accommodation and tickets.

The burden grows for families. Because the bond is assessed per person, a couple with two children could be asked to provide $60,000 before the trip even starts.

The program also leaves uncertainty around who might receive relief. Consular officers can waive the bond when doing so advances a significant national interest or humanitarian interest, but no formal fan-specific waiver process exists for the World Cup.

That means supporters hoping for a tournament exemption have no separate application channel tied to the event. Each case remains in the hands of a consular officer.

FIFA is lobbying the U.S. government for exemptions for official delegations such as players, coaches and staff. No official blanket waiver has been announced for fans.

The gap between treatment of delegations and treatment of spectators could become more visible as the tournament approaches. Official teams and support staff are central to the competition, but fans drive much of the atmosphere, travel demand and spending around a World Cup.

For now, the Visa Bond Pilot Program remains a live part of U.S. visa policy, not a proposal. The 12-month pilot was established by the State Department through the Temporary Final Rule published on August 5, 2025, and the list of countries subject to the requirement has continued to expand.

Algeria’s inclusion on January 21, 2026 placed one of Africa’s qualified World Cup teams inside the program months before kickoff. Tunisia’s addition, effective April 2, 2026, brought in another qualified side under the broadened list announced on March 18, 2026.

Senegal, Ivory Coast and Cape Verde were also among the countries already subject to the bond requirement and have also qualified for the tournament. That means fans from all five qualified countries must now plan around a system that can demand large deposits before travel.

The government has framed the program around compliance and screening. By tying a large refundable sum to departure, the Maintenance of Status and Departure Bond aims to reduce overstays and other status violations among travelers from selected countries.

For applicants, though, the immediate issue is practical. People who can prove the intent to visit for tourism still may need to produce thousands of dollars up front if a consular officer orders a bond.

The policy may reshape who can realistically attend matches in person. Wealthier fans may absorb the requirement as a temporary hold on funds, while others may find the deposit alone blocks the trip.

Even those who expect a full refund must consider how long the money will remain tied up and whether they can shoulder all the other expenses at the same time. World Cup travel already carries high costs, and the bond sits on top of them rather than replacing them.

Applicants looking to verify the rules can consult the Federal Register notice for 90 FR 37378, which established the pilot program. The State Department has also published a Travel.State.Gov page on countries subject to visa bonds, while U.S. Customs and Border Protection lists information on its CBP.gov page on visa bonds.

Those documents lay out the same structure: a pilot program, country-based eligibility criteria, three possible bond levels, a payment process through Form I-352 and Pay.gov, and automatic refund only when departure is timely and properly recorded. They also make clear that the bond is not universal and rests on consular discretion.

That discretion cuts both ways. A consular officer can decide whether to impose a bond and, if so, whether the amount should be $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000. The same officer can also waive the requirement in limited cases involving national or humanitarian interests.

Yet no formal waiver path has been created for ordinary supporters traveling to the 2026 World Cup. Fans from affected countries therefore face the same case-by-case system as other applicants, with no tournament carveout announced.

As the host country prepares for one of the biggest sporting events in the world, the visa bond policy is already shaping who may be able to cross the border to watch it. For supporters from Algeria and other qualified countries on the list, the road to the World Cup may now begin not at the stadium gate, but at a visa window where the price of entry can be $15,000 a person.