State Department Launches Premium Expedited Visa Interview Service for $750
The U.S. State Department is launching a six-month pilot program beginning July 1, 2026, allowing B1/B2 tourist and business visa applicants to pay an additional $750 fee on top of the standard $185 to secure an interview appointment within 10 business days at select embassies and consulates. The program, published in the Federal Register, is timed around the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, as visa interview wait times at some posts currently exceed 12 months. The initiative tests demand for a paid fast-track model but does not guarantee visa approval, does not increase overall consular capacity, and the $750 fee is non-refundable.
The State Department announced a pilot 'premium' expedited visa interview service running from July 1 through December 31, 2026, under which B1/B2 visa applicants — those seeking entry for tourism, business, or medical treatment — can pay a non-refundable $750 fee in addition to the standard $185 application fee to schedule an interview within 10 business days at participating U.S. embassies and consulates. The specific locations will be announced before the July 1 launch, and expedited appointment slots will be capped as a percentage of each post's overall capacity to avoid significantly worsening wait times for standard applicants. The State Department projects approximately 25,705 expedited appointments annually, generating roughly $19.3 million in fees, and will evaluate whether to make the program permanent at the end of the pilot. Officials cited the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics as key drivers for the timing, though at least one expert noted the program launches too late to meaningfully help fans still seeking visas for the World Cup, which begins this month. The program comes amid a broader tightening of U.S. visa policy under the Trump administration, including $5,000–$15,000 bond requirements for applicants from 50 countries, expanded travel bans covering 39 nations, and new social media disclosure requirements — all of which have contributed to lengthening global wait times. Paying the expedited fee only accelerates the interview scheduling stage; applicants still undergo all standard eligibility checks, background vetting, and administrative processing, and approval is not guaranteed. Free humanitarian expedite pathways remain available for urgent cases such as medical emergencies.
What's missing
It is not yet clear which specific embassies and consulates will participate in the pilot, or how the per-post cap on expedited slots will be set.
How coverage differed
Left-leaning outlets like The Independent emphasized the program as a response to backlogs created by the Trump administration's own restrictive immigration policies, framing it as a consequence of prior crackdowns. Right-leaning outlets like the Washington Examiner and Washington Times presented it more neutrally as a practical service innovation timed to major sporting events, with less emphasis on the administration's role in creating the underlying delays.
What different sources said
- The HillCenter
Trump administration offering 'premium' expedited visa interviews for $750
- The IndependentLeft
Trump administration to sell faster visa interviews for $750 in new pilot program
- Fox NewsRight
Trump administration to offer 'premium' expedited visa interviews for $750
- Washington TimesRight
State Dept. offers $750 expedited visa interview
- NewsweekCenter
US Visa Applicants Can Now Pay $750 To Fast-Track Requests—What To Know
- Washington ExaminerRight
State Department rolls out additional $750 fee to fast-track visa interviews
- Times of IndiaCenter
US visa interview in 10 days if you pay extra $750: All you need to know
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