State Department Announces Pilot Program for Expedited Visitor Visa Appointments

Limited Number of B1/B2 Visa Applicants Can Secure Visa Interview Within 10 Business Days

The U.S. Department of State (DOS) recently announced an amendment to its fee schedule, creating a $750 fee for expedited B1/B2 business and tourism nonimmigrant visa appointments. Effective July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2026, this service will allow applicants who pay the fee to secure a B1/B2 visa interview within 10 business days. Applicants must still pay the required $185 visa application fee in addition to the expedited fee. The pilot program will only be available at certain consular posts which have not yet been announced. As the fee was calculated based on a projected capacity of approximately 25,000 expedite requests, DOS has indicated that only a limited quantity of expedited B1/B2 visa appointments will be available under the pilot program.

This pilot program represents a significant advancement to the procedure for requesting an expedited B1/B2 visa appointment, as it removes the need for either a referral or priority appointment request from an authorized U.S. government employee or diplomatic mission. Absent either of these methods of intervention, an applicant could request an expedited visa appointment only under extreme circumstances, such as for humanitarian reasons. DOS has cited these methods, along with average visa appointment wait times of nearly 12 months or longer at certain consular posts, increased global demand in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympic Games, and strain on agency resources as reasons for testing this pilot program.

Applicants should be aware that the pilot program will not apply to visitors from countries that already participate in the visa waiver program, which permits citizens of 42 countries to enter the U.S. for tourism or business for 90 days or less without needing a visa. Additionally, as DOS previously announced that individuals applying for nonimmigrant visas must schedule their visa appointments at the U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence, access to expedited appointments will likely be very limited. For example, the option to expedite will not be available if the embassy or consulate located in the country where an applicant physically resides or holds citizenship does not participate in the pilot program.

B1/B2 visa applicants are advised to closely monitor the DOS website for additional updates regarding the list of consulates participating in the pilot program, which are likely to be announced in the coming weeks.