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The New $750 Expedited B1/B2 Visa Fee: What Travelers Need to Know Before July 2026
The single greatest obstacle standing between a hopeful traveler and a US visitor visa has never been eligibility: it has been the calendar. Interview wait times at some consulates have stretched past twelve months, and often turned a simple business trip or family visit into a logistical gamble. Now, the US Department of State is testing a new solution, and it comes with a price tag: $750.
On June 9, 2026, the State Department published a temporary final rule in the Federal Register introducing a first-of-its-kind pilot program. It is a paid, “front-of-the-line” appointment service for B1/B2 visitor visa applicants. Starting July 1, 2026, and running through December 31, 2026, eligible applicants at select consular posts will be able to pay an additional $750 to secure a visa interview within 10 business days, instead of waiting out the standard queue.
Is this new policy really convenient and effective for all B-1/B-2 visitors? Here, our eb1a consultants have presented a detailed breakdown of this law.
How the expedited fee actually works
It is important to note that the process of paying a fee is not a shortcut around the existing system. Instead, it is an add-on layered on top of it. Applicants must still complete the standard steps: filing the DS-160 nonimmigrant visa application and paying the existing $185 MRV (machine-readable visa) fee. Only after scheduling a regular, non-expedited appointment can an applicant choose to view available expedited slots within the next 10 business days.
Once a slot is selected, the system holds it for roughly five to ten minutes while the applicant completes the $750 payment online. Miss that window, and the appointment releases back into the pool. Combined with the standard visa fee, an applicant using this option should budget around $935 in government fees alone, before factoring in attorney costs, courier charges, or post-specific reciprocity fees.
Most importantly, this expedited appointment is capped in volume and will only be offered at a limited number of overseas posts, expected to be announced on travel.state.gov. The State Department has framed the initiative as a “proof-of-concept” designed to gauge demand. Interestingly, its timing lines up with two massive global events: the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, both of which are expected to drive a surge in visitor visa applications.
What the fee does and doesn’t guarantee
This is the detail that trips up the most applicants: paying $750 buys you a faster seat at the interview table, nothing more. It does not increase your odds of approval, and does not bypass administrative processing under Section 221(g). Moreover, it also does not accelerate anything that happens after the interview, including passport return or additional security screening. If your case is flagged for further review, you will wait through that process exactly like every other applicant.
The fee is also not a replacement for existing no-cost expedite options. Consular officers can still grant free expedited appointments for humanitarian emergencies or urgent, US-interest travel, and that channel remains untouched. The State Department has also emphasized that because expedited slots are capped as a percentage of each post’s total interview capacity, the program is not expected to meaningfully slow down wait times for standard applicants or for other visa categories like H-1B, L-1, or F-1.
Who should actually consider paying the fee
The standard process remains perfectly sufficient for most travelers with flexible plans. But the expedited option could be worth the cost for a specific set of circumstances, for instance:
- A business traveler with a fixed, unmovable conference date;
- A family facing a medical emergency, birth, or wedding abroad;
- Sports fans hoping to attend World Cup matches; or
- Applicants stationed at historically high-wait-time posts in countries like India, Brazil, Mexico, or the Philippines, where a two-week appointment window could otherwise be worth months of savings.
One further catch worth noting in this case: the $750 fee is non-refundable. If you miss your interview, cancel, or most painfully, are denied the visa outright, the money is gone. There is no guarantee your local post will even participate in the pilot at all.
The bigger picture
Whether this pilot becomes a permanent fixture of the US visa system depends entirely on what happens between now and December 2026. The State Department has said it will evaluate demand and operational impact before deciding whether to extend, or expand it to other visa categories. For now, it is a limited, six-month experiment. However, it signals a broader shift toward fee-based, tiered service options from first-come-first-served processing.
At GCEB1, our eb1a experts are staying eagle eyed on all the latest updates and developments in the U.S. immigration landscape. Stay tuned to our blog section to read all the latest analysis and insights into the immigration landscape.
Frequently asked questions
1. When does the $750 expedited B1/B2 visa fee take effect?
The pilot program begins July 1, 2026, and is scheduled to run through December 31, 2026, per the Department of State’s temporary final rule.
2. Does the $750 fee replace the standard visa application fee?
No. It’s an additional charge on top of the existing $185 MRV fee that all B1/B2 applicants already pay, bringing the total to roughly $935 in combined government fees.
3. Will paying the fee guarantee my visa gets approved?
No. The fee only secures a faster interview appointment. It has no effect on visa eligibility, adjudication standards, or the likelihood of approval.
4. Is the expedited option available at every US consulate?
No. It will only be offered at a limited number of “selected” posts, which the State Department plans to publish on travel.state.gov once finalized.
5. What happens if I pay the fee and then miss my interview?
The $750 fee is forfeited. The same applies if you cancel your expedited appointment or fail to complete payment within the holding window.
6. Does this affect wait times for other visa categories, like H-1B or F-1?
The State Department has stated that expedited slots will be capped as a percentage of each post’s capacity and are not expected to meaningfully affect wait times for other nonimmigrant visa categories.
7. Is this the same as USCIS premium processing?
No. USCIS premium processing speeds up petition adjudication for certain employment-based filings. This State Department program only affects how quickly you can get a visa interview appointment: it doesn’t touch the substantive review of your case.
Sources & further readings
- U.S. Department of State. Schedule of Fees for Consular Services, Department of State and Overseas Embassies and Consulates. Federal Register, June 9, 2026. Accessed July 13, 2026. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/06/09/2026-11513/schedule-of-fees-for-consular-services-department-of-state-and-overseas-embassies-and.
- U.S. Department of State. Visitor Visas (B-1/B-2 Visa). Accessed July 13, 2026. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/tourism-visit/visitor.html.
- U.S. Department of State. Visa Appointment Wait Times. Accessed July 13, 2026. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html.
- U.S. Department of State. Nonimmigrant Visa Fees. Accessed July 13, 2026. https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/fees/fees-visa-services.html.
- BAL – Pilot Program for Expedited B-1/B-2 Visa Interview Fee Launches July 1. Accessed July 13, 2026.
