Trump Waives Up to $15,000 Visa Bonds for 5 World Cup Nations' Fans

14 articles · Updated · ESPN · May 13

Five World Cup-qualified countries — Algeria, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Senegal and Tunisia — will have visa bond rules lifted for fans who bought FIFA tickets and enrolled in the FIFA Pass expedited-appointment system.
The waiver suspends a policy imposed last year on travelers from 50 countries, who otherwise faced refundable bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000 over visa-overstay and security concerns.
FIFA pushed for the change in months of talks involving the State Department, Homeland Security and the White House, as the June 11 tournament nears and hotel groups warn visa barriers are suppressing international demand.
The move is a rare easing of Trump-era immigration controls, which still include travel bans affecting Iran and Haiti, partial restrictions on Ivory Coast and Senegal, and a broader climate that prompted a World Cup travel advisory.

A World Cup visa bond is waived, but travel bans remain. Can fans from some qualifying nations even enter the United States?

Why waive a visa bond for fans while broader travel bans for the same countries remain in effect?