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ARTICLE · 31 JULY 2026

Department Of State Launches $750 Paid Expedite Pilot Program For B-1/B-2 Visa Interview Appointments

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As previously reported on Greenberg Traurig’s Inside Business Immigration blog, the Department of State (DOS) established a temporary Paid Expedite pilot program allowing certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants to pay an additional fee for expedited visa interview scheduling.

MexicoImmigration
Kate Kalmykov
Kate Kalmykov

As previously reported on Greenberg Traurig’s Inside Business Immigration blog, the Department of State (DOS) established a temporary Paid Expedite pilot program allowing certain B-1/B-2 visa applicants to pay an additional fee for expedited visa interview scheduling. DOS has now launched the pilot program, providing eligible applicants at designated U.S. consular posts with the opportunity to obtain earlier visa interview appointments.

The pilot program began on July 21, 2026, at Mission Mexico, which includes all U.S. consulates in Mexico. DOS has indicated that additional participating consular posts may be announced before the pilot concludes on Dec. 31, 2026.

Under the program, eligible applicants may pay an additional $750 fee, in addition to the standard $185 Machine Readable Visa (MRV) fee, to obtain a visa interview appointment within 10 business days, subject to availability.

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