Mali has announced that U.S. nationals will now be required to post bonds of up to $10,000 for business and tourist visas, following Washington’s decision to impose similar conditions on Malian travellers.
The U.S. embassy in Bamako said on Friday that the bond requirement, part of a U.S. visa pilot programme, will take effect on 23 October. The funds are refundable if travellers leave the United States in compliance with their visa terms, according to a U.S. government notice.
In a statement on Sunday, Mali’s foreign ministry criticised what it described as a “unilateral decision” by the U.S. government, saying it undermines an earlier bilateral agreement on long-stay, multiple-entry visas.
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“In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, Mali has decided to introduce an identical visa programme, imposing the same conditions and requirements on U.S. nationals as those applied to Malian citizens,” the ministry said.
U.S. State Department data show that fewer than 3,000 non-immigrant visas are issued annually to Malian citizens, while figures for visas issued by Mali to Americans were not immediately available.
The Trump administration’s visa bond initiative targets countries whose citizens have high rates of overstaying visas in the United States. Under the scheme, applicants from several African nations, including Zambia and Malawi, are also required to post refundable bonds of up to $15,000.
