The US State Department will launch a pilot program on July 1, 2026, offering B1/B2 visa applicants the option to pay an additional $750 on top of the standard $185 application fee to secure an interview appointment within 10 business days at select US embassies and consulates [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The program aims to reduce severe visa interview backlogs and waits, which in some locations currently exceed 12 months [1, 2, 3, 5, 7]. The premium service only expedites appointment scheduling and does not speed up visa processing, background checks, or guarantee approval [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7].
The $750 fee will bring the total visa application cost for users of the premium service to $935 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The pilot is voluntary and has limited capacity, with consulates adjusting appointments to avoid harming regular applicants [1, 2, 3, 7]. Immigration attorney Adrian Pandev said, "$750 to make an important business meeting or conference instead of waiting months at a busy consulate? A lot of people will pay that without thinking twice" [4]. Steven Brown, another immigration attorney, noted, "Considering some folks need to travel on short notice, this isn’t a bad thing" [4].
The pilot will run through December 31, 2026, and its continuation will depend on demand and implementation results [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7]. The US State Department plans to announce the specific embassies and consulates participating before the launch [4, 6, 7].
The premium service targets B1/B2 business and tourist visa applicants amid ongoing long delays caused partly by stricter immigration policies from the Trump administration, which increased background information requirements and bonds up to $15,000 for applicants from some countries [1, 2, 4, 5, 6].
Upcoming major international events hosted by the US, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics, partly motivate the new expedited option [1, 2, 3, 5, 7]. Taiwanese nationals, who currently face waits of weeks or months for B1/B2 visas, are uncertain if the pilot will apply to them when the program begins [5, 7].
