- The U.S. Department of State expanded the B-1/B-2 appointment pilot to five new posts on August 18.
- Eligible applicants may pay a $750 fee to request an interview within 10 business days, if slots remain.
- The pilot runs through December 31, 2026 and does not speed visa adjudication or screening.
The U.S. Department of State expanded its fee-based B-1/B-2 visitor visa appointment pilot on August 18, adding Mission Canada, Bogotá, Guatemala City, San José, and Tegucigalpa to the program that began in Mexico. Eligible applicants can pay a $750 fee to request an interview within 10 business days, subject to availability, and the payment comes on top of the normal visa charge. The line moved again.
The pilot first launched in Mission Mexico on July 21, 2026. The department set it to run through December 31, 2026. The calendar is already ticking.
Free toolDS-160 Form Filling Online Helper Tool
That extra payment only changes the interview date. It does not speed adjudication, security screening, administrative processing, passport return, or visa issuance, so the rest of the case keeps its own timing. The fast lane stops there.
Applicants still must pay the regular fee and finish the standard DS-160 and scheduling steps before the paid option appears. The charge sits on top of the $185 MRV fee. Group members do not share one payment.
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Oct 15, 2022 | Jul 01, 2023 | Current |
| EB-2 | Unavailable | Sep 01, 2021 | Current |
| EB-3 | Jan 01, 2014 | Jan 01, 2022 | Sep 01, 2024 |
| F-1 | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d | Jan 22, 2020 ▲403d |
| F-2A | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d | Aug 22, 2026 ▲31d |
The program is voluntary and capacity-limited. It applies only to B visa applicants, and it does not cover renewal cases that qualify for an interview waiver. The department described it as a temporary final rule tied to the 2026 pilot period.
Six locations now sit inside the pilot
Six locations now participate.
| Location | Effective date | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Mission Mexico | July 21, 2026 | U.S. Embassy Mexico City and all U.S. consulates in Mexico |
| Mission Canada | August 18, 2026 | U.S. Embassy and all consulates in Canada |
| Embassy Bogotá | August 18, 2026 | U.S. post in Colombia |
| Embassy Guatemala City | August 18, 2026 | U.S. post in Guatemala |
| Embassy San José | August 18, 2026 | U.S. post in Costa Rica |
| Embassy Tegucigalpa | August 18, 2026 | U.S. post in Honduras |
The department kept the faster lane narrow
Mission Mexico covers the embassy in Mexico City and all U.S. consulates in Mexico. Mission Canada covers the embassy and all consulates in Canada. The other four posts are individual embassy locations. That keeps the pilot tightly clustered.
After payment, applicants must hold a future appointment and choose the 'Paid Expedite' option if it appears and slots remain. No slot, no purchase. The extra fee buys a scheduling choice, not a guarantee.
Each person in a group application must pay separately if seeking the faster interview. That keeps the charge attached to one applicant, not one family booking. Renewal applicants who qualify for an interview waiver do not fit the pilot.
The department said the pilot tests premium scheduling while maintaining "the highest standards of security vetting and screening." It built the program around a narrow class of travelers, not a broad rewrite of visa law. The guardrails stay in place.
The pilot is scheduled to run through December 31, 2026, and the department said additional locations may be added during that period. The list is still open.
