Want A Faster US Visa Interview? The State Department Will Now Charge You $750 For It

Earlier this month, the United States government announced that, for $750, select travelers can expedite their visa interview wait times to potentially gain entry into the country. 

Offered by the State Department, the pilot program will be available as of July 1, allowing applicants interested in visiting the U.S. for business and leisure travel a bump in line ahead of those waiting to do their appointment interview for a B1 or B2 nonimmigrant visa. After paying their $750 fee, those applicants will be able to secure a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview within the following 10 business days. The reserved interview time slots for those who pay to be seen sooner are available in limited numbers and only at select overseas embassies and consulates.

The expedited timeframe compares with standard wait times and ultimately depends on the next available appointment at the location the applicant requested to be seen. Although average wait times vary, the State Department states on its website that, as of this reporting, the next available appointment for a B1 or B2 nonimmigrant visa interview is up to 21.5 months away. The listing of global visa wait times was last updated June 18 and is refreshed monthly.

Paying the expedite fee gives travelers some assurance about how soon they’ll be able to complete their interview. However, paying to have your visa interview within 10 days does not expedite the processing of your application, which depends on “the individual circumstances of each case.”

Before You Pay: What To Know About The Pilot Program

The $750 fee for an expedited visa interview is an additional cost that travelers must pay in addition to the required $185 application processing fee. 

In the Federal Register, the State Department specified that the expedite service “will be an optional premium addition to the standard NIV application fee and will be offered only to applicants at limited posts as published on travel.state.gov and in limited quantities.” Additionally, the agency shared that the service “is being offered as a proof-of-concept designed to assess demand from applicants for visas who seek to bypass longer wait times for visa interviews.”

The pilot’s end date is December 31. Following that, the State Department will assess the program’s success and determine whether to continue offering it.

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