The U.S. Department of State (DOS) has issued a Temporary Final Rule (TFR) that introduces a $750 fee to secure an expedited appointment for a B1/ B2 Visitor for Business or Pleasure nonimmigrant visa interview. Payment of the new fee will allow B1/B2 visa applicants to obtain an appointment at “selected” U.S. consulates within ten (10) business days. The consulates that will participate in this expedited appointment program should soon be disclosed on the State Department website. The expedite service will be an optional addition to the standard nonimmigrant visa application fee of $185 and will be offered only in limited quantities.
The TFR will be effective on July 1, 2026, and will expire on December 31, 2026. DOS notes that the service is being offered as a “proof-of-concept” designed to assess demand from visa applicants that wish to avoid longer wait times for visa interviews. Such wait times currently exceed one year at a number of consulates. If the demand for this service is substantial enough, the service may be extended for a further period or made permanent. It is also possible that DOS will choose to increase the fee for this service and/or possibly to make it available for other nonimmigrant visa categories, although this is not stated in the TFR. The TFR states that the expedited B-1/B-2 visa program will run in advance of the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and it is possible that the program has been introduced in part to ease the application process for persons attending or participating in these events, as well as to raise revenues.
The TFR states that all B-1/B-2 visa applications that receive expedited appointments will continue to be subject to standard nonimmigrant visa processing, including interviews by consular officers, and will have to undergo standard vetting procedures. These standard procedures include a review of the applicant’s social media activity. DOS also notes that payment of the $750 fee does not entitle the applicant to any other expedited processing beyond scheduling of the visa interview appointment and return of the applicant’s passport with the stamped visa. It is therefore possible that significant wait times will continue to occur between the conclusion of the interview and the issuance of the visa and there is certainly no guarantee that a visa application submitted through the expedited process will not ultimately be denied.
To obtain an expedited appointment, B-1/B-2 visa applicants should first schedule a regular appointment. They should then indicate that they wish to schedule an expedited appointment and will then be informed of the available expedited appointments within the next ten business days. Upon choosing one of these appointments, a 5 -10-minute hold will be placed on the appointment while the applicant pays the $750 expedite fee. If the fee is not paid within this time frame, the hold will be removed and the expedited appointment made available to other applicants.
