CSOs Urge President Trump to Scrap $15,000 U.S. Visa Bond for Malawians
Published on August 21, 2025 at 4:30 PM by Edgar Naitha
Some civil society organisations in the country have formally asked U.S. President Donald Trump to remove new travel procedures that require Malawians to pay up to $15 000 (about K25 million) as a visa bond to travel to the United States.
They argue that the policy is unfair and too harsh for people from a very poor country like Malawi.
The letter dated August 20, 2025, signed by Youth and Society executive director Charles Kajoloweka and National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe, describes the policy as a “de facto visa ban”, saying it blocks students, businesspeople and families from visiting the U.S., while government officials can still travel using public funds.
The bond requirement, which took effect on August 20, 2025, is part of a 12-month pilot programme announced by the U.S. State Department targeting countries with high visa overstay rates. Malawi and Zambia are the first countries subjected to the new financial requirement.
The appeal letter challenges the justification for targeting Malawi, noting that according to U.S. data, only about 250 Malawians have overstayed their visas in recent years—a figure described as “negligible” compared to other countries that have not been subjected to such restrictions.
Reads the letter in part: “We therefore urge your administration to reconsider and rescind these restrictions. A more balanced approach such as case-by-case vetting, targeted measures against actual offenders, or enhanced bilateral cooperation on migration issues, would address U.S. security concerns without closing off opportunities for the vast majority of law-abiding Malawians.”
Source: Nation Publications Limited
