US responds with bold move after two countries announced travel ban on citizens

A tit-for-tat spat between a number of countries and the US State Department in the wake of President Trump's travel restrictions was ratcheted up a notch yesterday, with dozens of nations targeted by a new restriction.

The international fracas escalated in December 2025, when more countries were added to the now-expansive list of travel bans to the US, with travelers from 39 nations slapped with visa restrictions in just the first 12 months of Trump beginning his second term of presidency.

Mali and Burkina Faso hit back at their addition to the travel ban list at the end of 2025, imposing similar restrictions on any US citizen attempting to travel to their countries.

Leaders from both nations cited the 'principle of reciprocity' in implementing the ban.

But the State Department stepped up its measures against immigration from certain parts of the world this week, requiring residents from dozens of largely African nations to post a hefty bond in order to be allowed into the US.

Travelers from dozens of countries will have to pay a bond to enter the US from this month (Getty Stock Image)

The US' visa bonds explained

Nationalities from 38 countries will be required to post a bond of either $5,000, $10,000 or $15,000, depending on their entry interview, in order to enter the US, the State Department explains.

They must also enter through one of seven major US airports.

This large bond is forfeit if the traveler fails to leave the US by their visa departure date, or if they apply for asylum after entering under a travel visa. It is refunded once the traveler leaves within the rules of their visa.

The administration has implemented these restrictions with the stated aim of reducing illegal immigration from visa overstays, with the State Department claiming that each country is decided based on recorded violations of travel visas.

Of the 38 countries facing additional entry requirements, 24 are in Africa.

Officials have said that these additional travel rules can be waived on a case-by-case basis for applications from people who 'serve US interests.' This includes international diplomats and athletes travelling for sporting events.

Fiji is one of the countries whose citizens will now have to pay thousands to enter the US (Getty Stock Image)

Full list of countries subject to visa bonds

• Algeria
• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Bangladesh
• Benin
• Bhutan
• Botswana
• Burundi
• Cabo Verde
• Central African Republic
• Cote D’Ivorie
• Cuba
• Djibouti
• Dominica
• Fiji
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Guinea
• Guinea Bissau
• Kyrgyzstan
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Namibia
• Nepal
• Nigeria
• Sao Tome and Principe
• Senegal
• Tajikistan
• Tanzania
• Togo
• Tonga
• Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu
• Uganda
• Vanuatu
• Venezuela
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The administration has implemented these restrictions with the stated aim of reducing illegal immigration from visa overstays (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Full travel ban list

Residents from the following countries are subject to a full ban on immigrant and non-immigrant travel to the United States

• Afghanistan
• Burma (Myanmar)
• Chad
• The Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen
• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Burkina Faso
• Mali
• Niger
• South Sudan
• Syria

Other countries have hit back by putting their own travel restrictions in place against US citizens (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Partial travel ban list

Residents from the following countries are subject to partial visa restrictions on immigration to the United States.

• Angola
• Antigua and Barbuda
• Benin
• Cote d’Ivoire
• Dominica
• Gabon
• The Gambia
• Malawi
• Mauritania
• Nigeria
• Senegal
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe