2026 World Cup in the United States: what visitors need to know about the new and stricter U.S. immigration landscape

Attorney Renata Castro, a global mobility specialist, analyzes the recent visa restrictions and warns about the importance of strategic legal planning ahead of the World Cup.

With the 2026 World Cup approaching, the United States is preparing to receive an unprecedented influx of visitors, but the path to crossing the border has become significantly more complex. Since early 2025, the U.S. immigration system has undergone profound changes that directly affect fans, investors, and families planning to experience the event. Under this new landscape, travel planning now goes far beyond purchasing tickets and booking hotels, requiring close attention to recently tightened entry regulations.

Attorney Renata Castro, founder of USA4ALL and a specialist with more than two decades of experience in immigration law, notes that this is a moment of heightened vigilance. According to her, legal practice today extends far beyond filling out forms. It involves anticipating regulatory changes and translating them into clear strategies so that the dream of attending the World Cup is not interrupted at customs. Castro points out that while the event brings an atmosphere of celebration, security requirements have never been higher, including proposed reviews of social media history and elevated financial bonds for specific visa categories.

One of the main concerns for travelers is the temporary suspension of certain immigration applications for citizens of multiple nationalities, along with stricter processing of tourist and business visas. Renata Castro emphasizes that her work focuses on simplifying these complex processes, ensuring that investors and fans have the legal certainty needed to move between countries. In her view, immigration law has become an essential pillar of the modern international experience, directly shaping global mobility in a year when the world’s eyes will be on American stadiums.

Public support for legal immigration in the United States reached record levels in 2025. However, this social acceptance goes hand in hand with relentless technical scrutiny. For this reason, Castro’s guidance is clear: anticipation is the most effective tool for navigating bureaucratic backlogs and potential barriers. By connecting the law with the real experiences of those seeking global opportunities, the specialist underscores that the success of an international journey in the context of the World Cup now depends, more than ever, on a solid and up-to-date legal strategy.