New Delhi, May 15 -- As the United States gears up to host FIFA World Cup matches next month, President Donald Trump's administration has suspended a requirement that international visitors from countries that have qualified for the World Cup and have bought tickets for the soccer tournament pay as much as $15,000 in bonds to enter the country, the State Department said Wednesday (local time).

The department introduced the bond requirement last year for countries it said had high rates of US visa overstays and other security concerns, as part of the Republican administration's broader immigration crackdown, AP reported.

According to the previous requirement, travellers from at least 50 countries were mandated to pay the bond, and at lea...