US expands $750 fast-track visa appointment pilot to five more countries

The US Department of State has expanded its $750 paid fast-track visa appointment pilot to five more countries, allowing eligible tourist and business visa applicants there to secure an interview within 10 business days, subject to availability. The programme, which first started in Mexico in July, is now also available in Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras.

The expansion took effect on August 18 at the US Embassy and all consulates in Canada, as well as the US embassies in Bogota, Guatemala City, San Jose and Tegucigalpa.

The programme had already been running in Mexico since July 21, covering the US Embassy and all US consulates in the country. The pilot is scheduled to continue through December 31, 2026, and the State Department said additional locations may be announced during this period.


India is not among the locations currently participating in the pilot.

What does the $750 fast-track offer?

Under the pilot, eligible applicants for B visas, which cover temporary business and tourist travel, can pay an additional $750 per appointment to schedule their visa interview within the next 10 business days.

The service only provides an earlier interview. It does not speed up subsequent visa processing or increase an applicant's chances of getting a visa.

Applicants using the programme undergo the same screening and vetting and must meet the same eligibility requirements as other visa applicants.

Applicants must first book a regular appointment

Applicants cannot directly purchase a fast-track interview.

They must first follow the regular visa application process, pay the $185 Machine Readable Visa, or MRV, fee and schedule an interview appointment. They can then sign in to their account, select "Request Expedite" and choose the "Paid Expedite" option.

The option will appear only if the service is available at that location, expedited appointments are available and the applicant meets the eligibility requirements.

Participating US embassies and consulates will allocate a limited number of appointments each day to the programme.

After selecting an expedited appointment date and time, applicants have 10 minutes to complete the $750 payment and secure the appointment.

Paying $750 does not guarantee a US visa

The State Department makes clear that paying the additional fee guarantees neither visa approval nor faster processing after the interview.

"Payment of the expedited appointment fee does not guarantee visa issuance or expedited processing, it only provides an earlier appointment."

The $750 fee is non-refundable and non-transferable. Applicants will not receive the money back even if their visa application is refused.

Those who pay for an expedited appointment can also choose one of the premium delivery options, where available, at no additional cost.

Who can use the paid expedite option?

The service is available to eligible B visa applicants with future interview appointments. It also covers applicants making new appointments or those holding existing appointments with unexpired MRV fee receipts.

Applicants whose regular emergency visitor appointment requests were denied may still use the paid expedite service if they meet the eligibility requirements.

However, applicants renewing a visa through the interview waiver process cannot pay $750 to speed up their applications. Only applicants with scheduled interviews qualify for the programme.

Families have to pay $750 for each applicant

The expedited fee is charged per applicant, not per family or group.

That means a family of four seeking expedited interviews for all members would have to pay $3,000 in expedited appointment fees, in addition to the regular visa application fees.

Applicants travelling as a group can, however, separate the group and purchase expedited appointments only for selected members.

What happens if you miss the appointment?

A paid expedited appointment cannot be rescheduled.

Applicants who miss or cancel their appointment will lose the $750 fee. If they want another paid expedited appointment, they will have to pay the fee again.

If their regular MRV fee was paid less than a year earlier, they may still be able to schedule another regular appointment without paying the application fee again.

The pilot now operates across six countries — Mexico, Canada, Colombia, Guatemala, Costa Rica and Honduras — with the State Department leaving open the possibility of adding more locations before the programme ends.