The United States government has urged foreigners planning to attend the 2026 FIFA World Cup to begin their visa applications.
In a statement on Wednesday, September 3, the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said embassies and consulates are working round-the-clock to ensure an efficient and smooth visa process.
"Foreign travelers planning to attend a 2026 World Cup match in the United States who need a U.S. visa should apply now.
"Our embassies and consulates are working diligently to ensure an efficient, smooth, and effective visa process that protects America’s security," the department said.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will be jointly hosted across three countries, the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
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Matches will be played in 16 cities, with 11 venues in the US, 3 in Mexico, and 2 in Canada.
Iconic stadiums such as the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, AT&T Stadium in Texas, and the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City will host key fixtures, including the final.
This comes barely a month after the US Embassy in Nairobi cautioned Kenyans seeking visas to be transparent about their social media accounts when submitting applications.
In a statement on Monday, August 4, the embassy warned that omitting social media information could lead to immediate disqualification and ineligibility.
"Did you know that omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas?" the statement read.
The embassy explained that the U.S. government has, since 2019, implemented a requirement for both immigrant and nonimmigrant visa applicants to provide their social media identifiers.
According to the embassy, the information is considered part of a broader vetting process aimed at safeguarding the United States.
"Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media identifiers on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms.
"We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security," the statement added.
Prior to that, on Friday, July 25, the embassy announced that Kenyans applying for visas will now be required to disclose all social media usernames.
It said applicants will have to list all the social media handles or usernames they have used in the past five years on the DS-160 visa application form.
The applicants must also certify that the information provided is true and accurate before signing and submitting the form.
“Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last 5 years on the DS-160 visa application form.
“Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit,” the statement read.
