State Department Launches Optional $750 Premium Service to Cut Visa Interview Waits to 10 Days
A new pilot program will let visa applicants outside the Visa Waiver Program schedule interviews at select U.S. embassies and consulates within 10 days. The service adds a $750 fee to the standard $185 application cost and runs from July 1 to Dec. 31.
The HillU.S. travel or business visas schedule an interview appointment within 10 days of paying an optional $750 fee. Applicants will still pay the standard $185 visa application fee.
The premium service will operate at select embassies and consulates that the department plans to name before the start date. Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press describe the program. A Federal Register notice scheduled for release this week will formally announce it.
A State Department official told the AP that the pilot will run through Dec. 31 and may be extended if demand is high. The same official said further details, including eligibility rules, will be issued before the program begins.
The expedited service does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. It is meant to shorten waits that now stretch for months for applicants from countries outside the Visa Waiver Program. The premium option follows earlier administration steps that tightened entry requirements.
Last year the department began requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for visitors from countries with high overstay rates. The administration also directed applicants to provide years of personal history, including social media accounts.
