Salone SPEED

𝗦𝗶𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝘀 $𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 $𝟭𝟬,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗮𝗻𝗱 $𝟭𝟱,𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗮 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀

Sierra Leone has been excluded from a new stringent United States visa bond pilot program that requires travelers from over 30 nations—including many West African neighbors – to pay up to $15,000 to secure a visitor visa.

The exclusion, however, appears to be a formality rather than a reprieve, as it coincides with the implementation of a separate, more severe total visa suspension for Sierra Leonean nationals.

On Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of State released a list of countries whose nationals will now be required to post a bond of $5,000, $10,000, or $15,000 as a condition for receiving a B1/B2 (tourist/business) visa.

The policy targets countries with high visa overstay rates. Travelers from these nations must pay the bond via pay.gov/public before their visa is issued. The money is forfeited if they fail to depart the U.S. on time or attempt to adjust their status, such as claiming asylum.
✅While the list includes regional neighbors such as Guinea, Nigeria, Senegal, The Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Liberia. Sierra Leone is notably absent from the list!

Immigration analysts suggest Sierra Leone’s absence from the bond list is likely because the country is already subject to a far stricter sanction: a full visa ban.
✅Effective January 1, 2026, the White House implemented a full suspension of entry for Sierra Leonean nationals under Presidential Proclamation 10998. The administration cited “persistent and severe deficiencies” in Sierra Leone’s identity-management protocols and a lack of cooperation on deportations as grounds for the blanket ban.

𝗔 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 🇸🇱

There is no place like home for the holidays! We are pleased to share that His Excellency President Dr. Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Maada Bio have arrived safely in the beautiful coastal district of Bonthe.

Away from the busy atmosphere of the capital, the First Couple has returned to their roots to celebrate the joys of Christmas with family, friends, and the local community. Their arrival has brought an extra spark of festive cheer to the island, reminding us all that the heart of the season lies in togetherness and tradition.

𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩, 𝙬𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙁𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮—𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪—𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

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It’s official, and the energy is unmatched! Chief Sam Sumana has finally cleared the path to lead as the FLAGBEARER for the 2028 election.

There is a deep sense of justice in the air today. For many, especially the people of Kono, this isn’t just about politics—it’s about identity and respect. You simply cannot take away what belongs to a Kono man; the resilience is in the DNA. The sentiment across the board is clear: Chief Sam Sumana deserves to lead this nation. Many believe that only by seeing him in the presidency will the heart of the nation truly find peace and "cold" from the tensions of the past.

Huge congratulations to the Chief on this milestone! The journey to 2028 just got a lot more interesting.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀

🔹​A Massive Win for Kono: This marks a pivotal moment for regional representation and the recognition of Kono’s influence in the national landscape.

🔹A "Full Circle" Moment: After the challenges of the past, this qualification feels like a restoration of status for the former Vice President.

🔹National Stability: Many supporters feel his leadership is the missing piece to bringing long-term calm and reconciliation to Sierra Leonean politics.

​"𝙆𝙤𝙣𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙔𝙪𝙪 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙢." — 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙥𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙤𝙛𝙛.

Congratulations once again, Chief Sam Sumana! 🇸🇱🎉

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