Washington is once again treating its partners poorly — even those it has placed in its inner circle. After imposing 30% tariffs on Algerian products, after a 127% anti-dumping duty and the forced departure of a friend of Algeria, Ambassador Elisabeth Moore Aubin, comes another “friendly fire” measure on highly unclear grounds.
It is very bad news for Algerians planning to travel to the United States on a temporary visa (B1 or B2) — whether to attend the 2026 World Cup or for professional or personal reasons. They will be required to pay a bond that can rise to $15,000, or 3.57 million dinars at the current greenback rate on Algeria’s black-market currency exchange ( $1 = 238 dinars ). A sizeable sum.
The Donald Trump administration has placed Algerian visitors on a lengthy list of nationalities deemed at high risk of overstaying their visas, according to an updated US State Department notice issued on Tuesday, January 6.
This means Algerians applying for a B1 or B2 visa (tourists and business travelers) will be required, from January 21, 2026, to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 in order to obtain the visa — a threshold that makes tourist travel and work-related trips far more difficult.
But it is above all supporters of the “Fennecs” who are likely to be hit hardest. Mass, traditional travel to attend World Cup matches may have to be ruled out. This year, football’s flagship tournament will be hosted in the United States, Canada and Mexico — and Washington is dampening the occasion with this tightening. It is worth recalling that Algeria will play its first-round matches in the United States, under Trump.
While the bond is refundable under certain conditions, the reality is that it adds to an already high budget due to match tickets, air travel and on-site expenses (hotel, food and local transport). To make it to the 2026 World Cup, fans will need a significant financial cushion.
There is also the question of how the bond amount is set. The State Department notes in its statement that the sum is determined during the visa interview and that all applicants will have to pay it, regardless of where the application is filed.
Visa applicants must first complete form I-352, accept the payment terms and wait for a consular officer to send them a payment link via the Pay.Gov platform. Any payment made through another platform — or before the consular officer’s approval — voids the process, Marco Rubio’s office warns.
In addition, “posting a bond does not guarantee that a visa will be issued, and fees paid without consular authorization will not be refundable (…) The bond will be canceled and the funds refunded automatically” if the traveler leaves US territory before the visa expires, cancels the trip, or is refused entry at the border, the same source says.
This means holding a visa does not guarantee admission to the United States. One need only recall the ordeal of a French researcher who was turned back at the airport in March 2025 after agents found anti-Trump content on his computer and smartphone.
Conversely, if a traveler leaves the United States after the visa’s expiration date — or remains in the country beyond the authorized stay — they automatically forfeit the bond. The same applies to a visitor seeking to regularize their non-immigrant status, even if they submit a properly filed asylum application.
It should be noted that, besides Algeria, 37 other countries in Africa, Asia or Latin America are on the list of nationalities subject to a steep bond when applying for a B1 or B2 visa. Algerians are the only Maghreb nationals affected by this measure: neither Moroccans nor Tunisians are targeted.
What's happening in Tunisia?
Subscribe to our Youtube channel for updates.
