A notice in the Federal Register indicates that the State Department intends to launch a six-month pilot program from July 1 to December 31 for applicants requesting B-1/B-2 business and tourist visas. This service will be available at selected overseas locations, though in limited quantities. The names of participating diplomatic missions have yet to be disclosed.
According to the proposal, qualified applicants could obtain a visa interview appointment within 10 business days by paying a non-refundable fee of $750 in addition to the regular non-immigrant visa application fee of $185. The premium service will be offered only at select posts and will depend on the availability of expedited appointments at those locations.
The State Department states that this service is being implemented as a proof-of-concept to gauge interest in expedited visa interview appointments and to assess applicants’ desire to avoid lengthy wait times.
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The additional fee aims to meet the demand for expedited non-immigrant visa appointments, especially in countries where interview wait times can extend for months or even exceed a year.
Once an expedited appointment is chosen, a temporary hold of 5–10 minutes will be placed on the slot while the applicant finalizes the $750 payment. If the payment is not completed within this timeframe, the appointment will be released for other applicants to access.
The program is directed at applicants from nations not included in the US Visa Waiver Program. While there has been no confirmation regarding the inclusion of US missions in India, a list of participating embassies and consulates is anticipated to be announced before the program commences.
All standard visa eligibility and processing requirements will still apply, including any necessary administrative processing. Paying the expedited fee does not guarantee visa issuance and does not speed up any processing steps beyond scheduling the visa interview appointment.
As noted in the Federal Register, the State Department anticipates approximately 25,705 annual applications through this service, potentially generating around $19.3 million in revenue. The pilot program may be extended after December 31 based on demand.
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