The United States has removed Mali from its list of countries whose citizens were required to pay visa bonds of up to $10,000 when applying for U.S. tourist or business visas.
The policy dispute began in early October, when Washington included Mali in its visa bond pilot programme, set to take effect on October 23, 2025. In response, the Malian government imposed a reciprocal measure, demanding the same bond from U.S. citizens seeking entry into Mali.
However, in a revised list released by the U.S. on October 23, Mali was no longer among the countries subject to the bond requirement. As of now, Bamako has not officially responded, and its visa bond rule for American travelers remains in place.
The updated U.S. list still includes several African nations whose citizens must post visa bonds beginning on the specified implementation dates:
- Mauritania – October 23, 2025
- São Tomé and Príncipe – October 23, 2025
- Tanzania – October 23, 2025
- The Gambia – October 11, 2025
- Malawi – August 20, 2025
- Zambia – August 20, 2025
In recent months, Washington has increasingly used visa policies as a diplomatic tool, including temporary visa suspensions for Zimbabwean citizens and a halt to visa processing in Burkina Faso after the country refused to accept deportees from the United States.
