With visa wait-times still stretching well past one year at many consulates, the U.S. State Department has unveiled a six-month experiment that lets business and tourist travelers buy their way to the front of the line. A Temporary Final Rule published June 9—and highlighted in press coverage on June 13—creates an optional US$750 fee that allows B-1/B-2 applicants to book an interview within ten business days at participating posts overseas. The pilot will run from July 1 through December 31, 2026, covering the peak of the FIFA World Cup, the July 4 Semiquincentennial and the year-end holiday rush.
![State Department Launches US$750 ‘Premium’ Interview Pilot for B-1/B-2 Visitors]()
For travelers wondering whether to take advantage of this premium option, VisaHQ offers hands-on assistance. The firm’s visa experts monitor appointment availability in real time, help complete the DS-160 accurately, and coordinate document delivery for U.S. B-1/B-2 applications—streamlining a process that can feel overwhelming. Details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Applicants must still pay the standard US$185 Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee and complete form DS-160 before opting into the premium slot. The department says it expects 25,700 travelers to use the service, generating roughly US$19 million in revenue and providing data on demand for future capacity-management tools. Industry groups have long urged faster appointment mechanisms, warning that protracted waits could divert tens of billions in visitor spending to competitor markets. The U.S. Travel Association’s May report projected a loss of 39 million visitors over the next decade if backlogs persist. For corporate mobility teams, the pilot offers a stop-gap option for executive visits, plant shutdowns, and time-sensitive client meetings—but at a steep per-person cost and with no guarantee of visa issuance. Companies should build the new fee into travel budgets, verify whether local posts are participating, and continue to pursue no-fee expedite requests where humanitarian or national-interest criteria apply.
For travelers wondering whether to take advantage of this premium option, VisaHQ offers hands-on assistance. The firm’s visa experts monitor appointment availability in real time, help complete the DS-160 accurately, and coordinate document delivery for U.S. B-1/B-2 applications—streamlining a process that can feel overwhelming. Details are available at https://www.visahq.com/united-states/
Applicants must still pay the standard US$185 Machine-Readable Visa (MRV) fee and complete form DS-160 before opting into the premium slot. The department says it expects 25,700 travelers to use the service, generating roughly US$19 million in revenue and providing data on demand for future capacity-management tools. Industry groups have long urged faster appointment mechanisms, warning that protracted waits could divert tens of billions in visitor spending to competitor markets. The U.S. Travel Association’s May report projected a loss of 39 million visitors over the next decade if backlogs persist. For corporate mobility teams, the pilot offers a stop-gap option for executive visits, plant shutdowns, and time-sensitive client meetings—but at a steep per-person cost and with no guarantee of visa issuance. Companies should build the new fee into travel budgets, verify whether local posts are participating, and continue to pursue no-fee expedite requests where humanitarian or national-interest criteria apply.
