The U.S. State Department is set to begin a trial program on July 1 that allows travelers to pay an extra $750 for faster B-1 and B-2 visa interview slots, as detailed in a Federal Register notice published June 9. This initiative will remain active until December 31, 2026, and is limited solely to B-1 business and B-2 tourist visa types.
This $750 fee is added to the usual $185 nonimmigrant visa application cost. In return, applicants receive a consular interview appointment within ten business days. According to the State Department, standard wait times at numerous embassies and consulates currently exceed several months or more.
An expedited appointment does not accelerate background checks, bypass administrative processing, or increase the likelihood of visa approval. All standard eligibility criteria still apply. The fee cannot be refunded, even if the visa is denied.
Not all consular offices will offer this service. The State Department has indicated it will publish a list of participating locations closer to the program's start date. The pilot is limited to roughly 25,000 fast-tracked appointments in total. Emergency and humanitarian requests for faster processing, which are decided by consular officers on a case-by-case basis, continue to be free of charge.
The launch coincides with rising travel demand. The 2026 FIFA World Cup is taking place, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are approaching, both of which are increasing the number of visa interview requests.
For Russian applicants, this new option introduces additional uncertainty. U.S. consulates within Russia halted visa processing years ago, requiring Russian citizens to apply at third-country missions, such as those in Astana, Warsaw, and Belgrade. Whether these posts will be part of the pilot has not yet been confirmed. That decision will determine if the program is available to those seeking to bring relatives from Russia and other former Soviet nations to the United States.
Informational content only, not legal advice. Consult a licensed immigration attorney.