According to a notice published in the Federal Register, the State Department plans to introduce a six-month pilot programme from July 1 to December 31 for applicants seeking B-1/B-2 tourist and business visas. The service would be available at selected overseas posts, and in limited quantities. The list of participating diplomatic missions has not yet been announced.
Under the proposal, eligible applicants would be able to secure a visa interview appointment within 10 business days by paying a non-refundable $750 fee on top of the standard non-immigrant visa application fee of $185. The premium service would be offered only at limited posts and subject to availability of expedited appointments at the selected location.
The State Department said the service is being introduced as a proof-of-concept to assess demand for expedited visa interview appointments and to test demand from applicants seeking to bypass longer wait times.
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The additional fee is intended to address demand for expedited non-immigrant visa appointments, particularly in countries where visa interview wait times can stretch for months or even exceed a year.
Once an expedited appointment is selected, a 5–10 minute hold will be placed on the slot while the applicant completes payment of the $750 fee. If payment is not completed within this time, the appointment will be released and made available to other applicants.
The proposed programme is aimed at applicants from countries that are not part of the US Visa Waiver Program. While there has been no announcement on whether US missions in India will be included, the list of participating embassies and consulates is expected to be released before the programme takes effect.
Applicants will still be subject to all standard visa eligibility and processing requirements, including any administrative processing deemed necessary. Payment of the expedite fee does not guarantee visa issuance and does not expedite any processing steps beyond scheduling the visa interview appointment.
According to the Federal Register notice, the State Department expects around 25,705 applications annually through the service, generating an estimated $19.3 million in revenue. The pilot programme may be extended after December 31 depending on demand.
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