ToplineThe State Department is creating a new fast pass for tourists and business travelers willing to fork over $750 to bypass the line for a visa interview—but with no guarantee of securing a visa.International travelers can soon spend $750 to skip to the front of the visa interview queue.gettyKey FactsUnder the six-month pilot program, foreign visitors will have the option of paying $750 for “an expedited B1/ B2, business and tourism, nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview appointment,” according to a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register.The new service is “an optional premium addition” to the $185 standard application fee and will be “offered only to applicants at limited posts … and in limited quantities.”An expedited appointment time will be held for five to 10 minutes, but if the applicant fails to pay the non-refundable $750 fee within that period, “he or she will lose the hold, and the expedited appointment will be reopened to other applicants.”The wait time for a visa interview can exceed 12 months in certain embassies and consulates around the world, “making it difficult for some applicants to apply for visas for urgent or last-minute travel,” the notice explains, adding “in any given year, the United States hosts special events that draw significant last-minute visitors, including professional sporting events, major concerts, festivals, etc.”The pilot program will run from July 1 to Dec. 31, according to the notice, and “comes way too late” to help foreign soccer fans requiring visas to enter the U.S. for the World Cup, Alan Fyall, associate dean at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, told Forbes.According to the notice, the State Department expects 25,705 applications annually, which would generate $19.3 million.Key FactsUnder the six-month pilot program, foreign visitors will have the option of paying $750 for “an expedited B1/ B2, business and tourism, nonimmigrant visa (NIV) interview appointment,” according to a notice published Tuesday in the Federal Register.The new service is “an optional premium addition” to the $185 standard application fee and will be “offered only to applicants at limited posts … and in limited quantities.”An expedited appointment time will be held for five to 10 minutes, but if the applicant fails to pay the non-refundable $750 fee within that period, “he or she will lose the hold, and the expedited appointment will be reopened to other applicants.”The wait time for a visa interview can exceed 12 months in certain embassies and consulates around the world, “making it difficult for some applicants to apply for visas for urgent or last-minute travel,” the notice explains, adding “in any given year, the United States hosts special events that draw significant last-minute visitors, including professional sporting events, major concerts, festivals, etc.”The pilot program will run from July 1 to Dec. 31, according to the notice, and “comes way too late” to help foreign soccer fans requiring visas to enter the U.S. for the World Cup, Alan Fyall, associate dean at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management, told Forbes.According to the notice, the State Department expects 25,705 applications annually, which would generate $19.3 million.Trump’s Whirlwind Of Changes For International Travelers Since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025, his administration has introduced many new initiatives targeting inbound tourists. Last May, Republican lawmakers added 22 immigration fees to Trump’s signature “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act” with the stated intention “to encourage lawful conduct among foreign nationals visiting the United States.” One of the most criticized of these initiatives was a $250 visa integrity fee that was supposed to take effect in 2026 but has yet to be implemented after receiving pushback from U.S. tourism officials. In August, the State Department announced it would require tourists and business travelers from some countries to provide a bond of up to $15,000 to guarantee they will not overstay their visas—and later expanded the plan to 50 countries. In September 2025, the State Department announced international travelers seeking tourist visas should schedule an interview at their local U.S. embassy, adding “applicants must be able to demonstrate residence in the country where they are applying”—a new hurdle that presumably makes already-long visa wait times even longer. And in December, the U.S. Customs and Border Control announced it would subject international visitors from 42 countries to five years of social media history screening—another initiative that has yet to be implemented due to blowback from the travel industry. “Tourism runs on stability and security, and if you lose one of those, then you have a problem,” Fyall told Forbes, noting the new expedited service is “yet another thing that’s being thrown out there, so it just creates even more uncertainty. It might be well intentioned, but it’s all a bit random.” The idea of a nation asking tourists to pay to jump the queue is highly unusual. “It’s not really normal at all, and this is the challenge,” Fyall said. “Most countries around the world that you would want to visit just don’t do this.”How Do Long Visa Wait Times Hurt U.S. Tourism?The U.S. tourism industry has complained for years about the State Department’s long visa wait times. Geoff Freeman, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association (USTA), told Forbes in 2023 that long visa wait times create an unnecessary friction that makes the country less competitive as a destination. “We need to look at travel as a path of least resistance. That’s what travelers tend to follow: Who makes it easy? Who makes it comfortable?” Freeman said at the time. Further ReadingStruggling U.S. Tourism Takes Another Hit: New Visa Requirement For Foreign Visitors (Forbes)