USA Introducing Paid Expedited Interview for Tourist Visas: What Changes from July 1

The USA is preparing a new paid mechanism for some applicants for tourist and business visas B-1/B-2: for an additional fee of 750 dollars, it will be possible to obtain an interview at the consulate within 10 business days. According to Bloomberg Law, the rule is set to take effect from July 1, 2026, but initially only in a limited number of consular posts. For travelers, this could become an important tool before trips to the USA, especially against the backdrop of increased demand due to the FIFA World Cup 2026, however, an expedited interview does not mean an automatic visa issuance.

The news is important not only for those who are already planning a vacation in New York, Los Angeles, Miami or Chicago. It shows a broader shift in US visa policy: access to faster review can become a separate paid service for applicants who do not want or cannot wait months for a standard slot. For the tourism market, this is a particularly sensitive topic, as long queues for visa interviews often affect the sale of air tickets, hotel bookings, tours, event attendance and business trips.

What Exactly Will Change

This concerns applicants for categories B-1 and B-2. B-1 is used for temporary business trips, including negotiations, conferences or meetings with partners. B-2 covers tourism, vacation, visiting friends or relatives, as well as some other short-term personal trips. In practice, many applicants are issued a combined B-1/B-2 visa if they meet the requirements.

According to a Bloomberg Law report from June 8, 2026, the US Department of State plans to offer paid expedited interviews for applicants for these visas. The additional fee will be 750 dollars. After payment, the applicant will be able to obtain an interview within 10 business days at those consular posts where this option will be available. It is expected that the list of posts will be published separately on the State Department website.

This differs fundamentally from the usual procedure, where the applicant fills out form DS-160, pays the standard consular fee, schedules an appointment for the first available date and subsequently checks for closer slots. The official State Department page regarding wait times explicitly explains that consulates regularly add new slots, but the listed times do not guarantee a specific interview date. In some cities, the wait for B-1/B-2 can be measured in months, so any predictable mechanism for a faster interview immediately becomes noticeable to the travel market.

How Much the Trip Will Cost at the Visa Stage

It is important to distinguish between the standard fee and the new acceleration fee. On the official State Department page about visa fees for non-immigrant visas, it is stated that the base fee for non-petition categories, including B-visas for business, tourism and medical treatment, is 185 dollars. The new fee of 750 dollars, if the rule works in the stated format, will be an additional payment specifically for faster access to the interview, not a replacement for the main fee.

For some tourists, this will make the trip to the USA more expensive even before buying a ticket. In a family scenario, the amount can quickly grow: if acceleration is needed for several family members, additional costs may exceed the cost of a domestic flight or several nights in a hotel. Therefore, the new service will most likely be interesting primarily to those whose travel date is tied to an event, cruise, conference, sports match, wedding or an already paid itinerary.

For the average tourist who plans the trip in advance and has flexible dates, the more practical approach remains the old one: apply earlier, check wait times at the required consulate, do not buy non-refundable tickets before receiving the visa and allow time for possible administrative processing after the interview.

Why This News Appeared Now

The launch is tied to the moment when the USA enters a period of very high international demand. The FIFA World Cup 2026 will take place in the USA, Canada and Mexico, and American cities will host a significant part of the matches. This means an additional flow of fans, event participants, business representatives, media and tourists who want to combine matches with trips across the country.

For airlines, hotels and city tourism offices, visa queues have a direct economic dimension. If a potential traveler cannot get an interview in time, they postpone the purchase of a ticket, change the route or choose another country. For events with fixed dates, this is especially critical: a match, conference or concert will not wait until a convenient slot appears in the consular calendar.

That is why paid acceleration can be seen as an attempt to relieve some of the peak pressure from the most urgent applicants. But the effect will depend on two practical details: in which countries and cities this option will appear and how many real slots will be available daily. If the list of consulates is narrow, the new service will help only a part of the market.

What This Means for Ukrainian and European Travelers

For Ukrainian applicants and travelers from other countries who apply for a US visa not in their country of residence, the main question will be the availability of a specific consular post. Official US rules allow scheduling an interview at an embassy or consulate not only at the place of permanent residence, but warn that in such a case it may be more difficult to prove ties to the country of residence or other circumstances of the applicant.

This means that an expedited slot does not cancel the essence of the visa decision. The consular officer will still evaluate the purpose of the trip, financial capability, intent to return after the visit and the applicant's compliance with US law. Paying for a faster interview should not be perceived as buying a positive decision. It is only buying faster access to the stage where the decision is still being made.

Practically, this is important for those planning trips to major American hubs. If the route starts via New York JFK airport, Los Angeles LAX airport, Miami MIA airport or Chicago O'Hare airport, the traveler should first resolve the visa issue and then fix the complex logistics within the USA. For long-haul trips, it is also worth checking hotels near JFK, transfers from LAX or car rental at Miami airport in advance, but these bookings should be made with flexible conditions until the visa is issued.

Who Can Benefit from Acceleration

The most obvious audience for the new option is applicants with urgent but not extraordinary trips. These could be tourists who have obtained tickets for a sporting event, participants of exhibitions and conferences, families with an already agreed itinerary or travelers who have a complex connection with a cruise, tour or group program. For them, 10 business days to an interview may have more value than an additional 750 dollars.

At the same time, the service is unlikely to become a universal solution for all. First, it will be available not everywhere. Second, after the interview, additional administrative processing may be possible, which does not fit into the simple logic of "interview today — passport tomorrow". Third, in case of refusal, the standard visa fee is usually not refunded, and the conditions for refunding the acceleration fee will need to be checked in the final text of the rule and instructions of the specific post.

Therefore, paid acceleration should be viewed as a time risk management tool, not as a guarantee of travel. It can reduce uncertainty regarding the interview date, but it does not remove the risk of refusal, request for additional documents or passport delay.

How Travelers Should Act Now

Until the State Department has published the full list of consular posts and technical rules for scheduling, the best strategy is not to rush with expensive non-refundable bookings. If a trip to the USA is planned for the second half of summer or autumn 2026, it is worth checking the current wait times on the official Global Visa Wait Times page, preparing form DS-160, gathering documents regarding the purpose of the trip and finances, and following the instructions of the specific embassy or consulate where the interview is planned.

If the expedited option appears in the required city, the decision to pay should be made after comparing three factors: how close the travel date is, whether there is an opportunity to move the route without great losses, and whether the visa application itself is sufficiently prepared. A rushed interview with incomplete documents can be worse than a later, but qualitatively prepared appointment.

Conclusion

Paid acceleration of the interview for B-1/B-2 can become one of the most noticeable visa changes of the summer of 2026 for trips to the USA. It potentially helps tourists and business travelers who need to get an interview faster, especially against the backdrop of the World Cup 2026 and increased demand for American routes. But the main rule remains unchanged: a faster slot does not guarantee a visa, and a visa does not guarantee entry to the USA. For travelers, the smartest tactic is to plan early, check official instructions, keep bookings flexible and use acceleration only when it truly reduces the risk of a failed trip.