The United States (U.S) Department of State has officially announced a new expedited visa interviews initiative aimed at slashing long wait times for international travelers.
Under the temporary final rule, the expedited visa interviews at selected U.S embassies will require an additional $750 fee on top of the initial fee of $185, allowing eligible business and leisure travelers to bypass months of backlogs.
This “premium add-on” service is specifically designed for B1/B2 (tourism and business) visa applicants who need to secure an interview on short notice.
Key Highlights of the Program
Launch Date: July 1, 2026, running through December 31, 2026.
The Turnaround: Guarantees an interview slot within 10 business days of payment.
The Cost: $750 USD, which must be paid in addition to the standard $185 Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee.
Scope: Limited exclusively to B1 (Business) and B2 (Tourism) non-immigrant applicants at participating global consulates.
As the U.S. begins expedited visa interviews across select global posts, immigration experts view the decision as a response to severe operational bottlenecks.
Under the current administration of U.S President Donald Trump, stringent vetting protocols—including deep dives into years of social media history and massive visa bonds for certain nations—have pushed appointment wait times past the 12-month mark at several heavily crowded consulates.
By testing a fee-based fast track, the State Department aims to alleviate the immense strain on consular staff who are manually processing humanitarian expedited requests.
For travelers wondering how to access the fast track, the State Department will publish the definitive list of participating embassies on its official portal (travel.state.gov) before July 1.
The agency emphasizes that these premium slots will be strictly capped to prevent standard, non-paid appointment queues from falling further behind.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that this development comes after the U.S. government slashed the number of visa processing embassies in Africa to 20 from 50.
The development had led to travel cost for African immigrants as they travel long distances to conduct visa interviews.
