(UNITED STATES) — FIFA warned fans planning to attend the 2026 World Cup that “A match ticket does not guarantee admission to a host country,” as the Trump administration moved to pause immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 countries while keeping tourist and other temporary visas available for tournament travel.
The warning, issued on January 17, 2026, landed days after U.S. officials announced an indefinite freeze on immigrant visa processing and as FIFA and the U.S. government promoted a priority interview system aimed at helping ticket holders secure visa appointments ahead of kickoff.
Policy announcements and official statements
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem framed the immigrant-visa move in a January 14, 2026 statement. “The State Department will pause immigrant visa processing from 75 countries whose migrants take welfare from the American people at unacceptable rates,” Noem said. “The freeze will remain active until the U.S. can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people.”
A State Department spokesperson drew a bright line between permanent immigration and temporary travel in a January 19, 2026 statement carried by Gulf News and other outlets. “This action applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only, and does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families, and media professionals intending to travel for the World Cup.”
The administration set the immigrant-visa pause to take effect January 21, 2026, suspending immigrant visa processing for citizens of 75 nations. Officials described the step as indefinite, leaving families pursuing permanent immigration with stalled cases even as many World Cup travelers continue to use non-immigrant categories.
How immigrant and non-immigrant visas differ
The distinction matters because the World Cup will bring intense demand for consular services and border processing at the same time the U.S. tightens parts of its immigration system. An immigrant visa generally covers permanent residency pathways, while non-immigrant visas cover time-limited stays, including tourism, media trips, and other temporary travel tied to major events.
That means a supporter traveling to matches does not automatically fall under the immigrant-visa freeze simply because of nationality. Fans still must qualify for the visa category they seek, and the U.S. government has emphasized that eligibility and admissibility are assessed case by case.
Practical effects for applicants and families
In practice, an immigrant visa processing pause can halt case movement at U.S. embassies and consulates, including scheduling or completing interviews and issuing visas for applicants abroad. The people most directly hit are family- and employment-based immigrant visa applicants who must obtain visas outside the United States before moving permanently.
Immigrant families from the 75 affected countries face a different reality because the freeze targets permanent immigration processing. People who expected to complete immigrant visa steps and move to the United States before the tournament now confront stalled interviews and paused issuance with no endpoint described in the announcement.
The combined effect has created two tracks of uncertainty: appointment access for temporary visitors and halted movement for many permanent immigrants abroad. The policy split also means a household could see different outcomes depending on whether one member seeks a tourist trip for the World Cup while another seeks permanent relocation through an immigrant visa.
The 75-country immigrant visa pause: scope and examples
The pause affects citizens of 75 countries, and several World Cup-linked nations are included, such as Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan. The inclusion of those countries has drawn attention because it intersects with tournament planning, yet the policy targets immigrant visas rather than the tourist visas many fans use for short trips.
Fans from those countries who intend to travel temporarily still typically use non-immigrant categories like the B1/B2 visitor visa. However, local consular capacity, documentation requirements, and additional screening can affect timing and outcomes for applicants.
Because this section will include an interactive tool, the following prose explains the scope and examples clearly for that tool: the pause applies only to immigrant visa issuance, does not automatically bar temporary travel, and will leave ongoing immigrant cases stalled until further notice. The tool will later show country-by-country status, processing impacts, and examples for affected travelers.
Non-immigrant visas, FIFA PASS, and appointment access
For most ticket holders, the central visa route remains the B1/B2 visitor visa, a non-immigrant category used for tourism and short business travel. Even with non-immigrant categories still available, applicants can face security screening and social media vetting as part of the process, and they must show they qualify under U.S. law.
The State Department and FIFA have pushed a fast-track appointment approach aimed at the tournament surge. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the effort in a November 17, 2025 statement: “The United States is offering prioritized appointments so FIFA World Cup fans can complete their visa interviews and show they qualify. The kick-off is coming up, so now is the time to apply. We’re honored to host the greatest and safest World Cup in history.”
FIFA PASS, the Priority Appointment Scheduling System introduced in late 2025, is designed to let confirmed ticket holders move ahead of general visa interview queues. It relies on proof tied to attendance, including ticket confirmation, and it changes access to appointment slots rather than the standards used to approve or deny a visa.
- Wait times vary sharply by consular post; in high-demand locations like Colombia or Mexico, wait times can exceed 300 days.
- FIFA PASS aims to reduce typical wait times to around 6–8 weeks for prioritized applicants.
- Priority scheduling shortens the line but does not remove the interview requirement or guarantee approval.
Border entry restrictions and exemptions
Separate from visa processing, a different layer of restriction can affect whether someone can fly to the United States or be admitted at the border. A separate executive order from June 2025 continues to restrict entry for citizens of approximately 12–19 countries, including Iran and Haiti.
Those entry restrictions operate differently from an immigrant-visa processing pause. Even with a valid visa, a traveler can still face barriers if entry restrictions apply, because the authority to board and admit travelers can hinge on eligibility under those rules and on inspection at the port of entry.
Exemptions can also differ by traveler type. Athletes and coaches are generally exempt under the June 2025 order, a distinction that can separate teams and staff from ordinary supporters who want to attend matches or visit family members during the tournament.
Screening, admissibility, and the port-of-entry question
FIFA and U.S. officials have tried to separate the visa pathway from the right to enter the country, emphasizing that airline boarding decisions and inspections at U.S. ports of entry can still turn on individual admissibility determinations. That messaging, paired with the immigrant-visa pause, has pushed more fans to look closely at timing, documentation, and local consular capacity before booking travel.
The scrutiny question reaches the port of entry, where admissibility determinations can factor in security and other checks. Officials have signaled that screening can intensify around major events, and the World Cup brings the kind of surge that can sharpen enforcement attention at multiple points in the travel chain.
Context and significance for teams, fans, and the World Cup
The scale of the tournament adds another layer of pressure to consular and border systems. FIFA’s warning and U.S. messaging come as the World Cup approaches amid record-breaking ticket demand, creating a rush for interviews in cities where appointment calendars already stretch far into the future.
Fifteen of the 48 qualified teams come from countries currently impacted by either the immigrant visa pause or existing travel restrictions, putting added attention on how policy choices can shape who shows up in stadiums and who stays home. While athletes may qualify for exemptions or different travel arrangements, supporters and extended family members often rely on standard tourist visa channels.
Because this section will connect to an interactive tool, the prose here sets up the context: the tool will illustrate how team nationality, fan travel, exemptions, and policy interactions can affect attendance and logistics across venues. It will help users explore scenarios without creating static comparison tables in the article body.
Guidance for travelers and next steps
For individual travelers, the path can look different depending on whether the goal is a short visit for matches or permanent relocation. Temporary visitors typically focus on securing a non-immigrant visa, while immigrant visa applicants in the affected group face an indefinite freeze that can stall interviews and issuance even when a case was already moving forward.
Most fans seeking to attend matches start by choosing the correct visa category, then checking local wait times, and then seeking priority scheduling if it is available to them as ticket holders. The process still includes attending an interview when required, and many travelers build plans around the timing of that appointment rather than around match schedules.
- Check visa category: Confirm whether you need a non-immigrant (e.g., B1/B2) or immigrant visa.
- Review local wait times: Consult your embassy/consulate for current appointment calendars.
- Use priority scheduling if eligible: FIFA PASS requires proof of ticket confirmation but does not guarantee approval.
- Consider entry restrictions: Verify whether any separate executive orders or country-specific rules apply to your travel.
Official resources
For travelers looking for official guidance, the State Department has promoted a World Cup guidance page and broader visa information through its public site, including the U.S. Department of State – FIFA World Cup 2026 Guidance. The State Department also directs applicants to local embassy and consulate procedures and general wait time information via U.S. Embassy & Consulates (Visa Wait Times).
FIFA has directed ticket holders to its official channels for tournament instructions, including PASS information where applicable, through the Official FIFA 2026 World Cup Portal. DHS public updates remain available through the DHS Official Newsroom, as travelers and teams track the entry rules that can operate separately from consular visa decisions.
“A match ticket does not guarantee admission to a host country.”
FIFA’s January 17, 2026 statement has remained the simplest summary of the stakes for fans trying to plan: the match ticket is not the same as guaranteed entry, and travelers should prepare for visa and admissibility processes separately.
