The US will offer you a visa interview within 10 days if you pay $750. Conditions apply
The US State Department will soon begin a pilot project to schedule an expedited appointment for a B1/B2 visa for a fee of $750. This will allow applicants to obtain an interview appointment for selected positions within 10 days.
The pilot project will run from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026.The $740 fee is in addition to the standard visa application fee of $185. This will only result in the visa applicant getting an expedited interview appointment, and will not speed up the visa processing process. Only B1/B2 visa applicants who wish to visit the United States for tourism or business purposes will be able to apply for this premium service.Typically, there are three ways for an applicant to request and obtain an expedited interview at no cost in exceptional circumstances.
In each of these cases, the applicant must still prove that he or she qualifies for the desired visa classification. All require personal intervention by consular officers and mission staff according to strict standards.
- A “referral” process where a senior U.S. government employee at the U.S. diplomatic mission in the country vouches for the applicant and certifies that his or her travel benefits U.S. interests.
- A “Priority Appointment Request” is where a U.S. government employee accredited to a U.S. diplomatic mission may request that the consular section provide an early appointment for a contact who advances the national interest of the United States.
- Urgent request from applicant: Applicants in extreme circumstances may request an urgent appointment to enable travel on humanitarian grounds or other specific criteria for urgent travel. Consular Directors subsequently review each of these applications.
But with the new fees, there will be no need to submit a written application.Experts said that for people who have urgent business meetings in the United States, this will be a useful measure. “$750 for an important business meeting or conference instead of waiting for months at a crowded consulate? A lot of people would pay that amount without thinking twice,” said immigration lawyer Adrian Pandev.
“Given that some people need to travel at short notice, that’s not a bad thing,” commented attorney Stephen Brown.Traveling to the United States has become more difficult under the Trump administration due to several new visa rules. While some countries are on the US travel ban list, some citizens must pay $15 million to obtain a B1 or B2 visa. Waiting times for visa appointments have also increased around the world.
