The U.S. Department of State is creating a new expedited visa interview option for certain B1/B2 visitor visa applicants who are willing to pay an additional $750 fee to obtain a faster interview appointment.
B1/B2 visas are used for temporary visits to the United States for business, tourism, family visits, medical treatment, and other short-term purposes. For many applicants around the world, the hardest part of the process is not only proving eligibility, but also getting an interview appointment in the first place. In some countries, applicants wait months or even longer just to appear before a U.S. consular officer.
For many travelers, especially business visitors, the $750 fee may be worth it. A last-minute business opportunity, family emergency, medical appointment, major event, or important conference in the United States can make timing extremely important. When international airfare alone can cost more than $1,000, and hotels in cities like New York can cost hundreds of dollars per night, paying $750 to obtain a much faster interview may be reasonable for some applicants.
This new option may be especially helpful for people from countries that do not qualify for the Visa Waiver Program. Citizens of Visa Waiver Program countries can often travel to the United States through ESTA without applying for a B1/B2 visa at a U.S. consulate. However, applicants from non-waiver countries must usually go through the full visa process, including completing the DS-160, paying the visa application fee, scheduling an interview, and proving eligibility to a consular officer. For these travelers, long wait times can interfere with business plans, family visits, tourism, and urgent travel.
However, it is very important to understand what this fee does and does not do.
The $750 fee helps applicants obtain a faster interview appointment. It does not guarantee that the visa will be approved. It also does not guarantee that the visa will be issued quickly after the interview.
A U.S. consular officer can still deny the visa after the interview. A common reason for B1/B2 visa denial is failure to overcome the presumption of immigrant intent under section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. In simple terms, the applicant must convince the officer that they truly intend to visit the United States temporarily and return home afterward.
To approve a tourist or business visa, the officer usually wants to see strong ties to the applicant’s home country. These may include stable employment, business ownership, family obligations, property, financial stability, prior international travel, and a clear reason for the U.S. visit. If the officer believes the applicant may stay in the United States permanently, work without authorization, or remain beyond the permitted period of stay, the visa may be denied.
Applicants should also understand that having relatives in the United States can sometimes make the case harder, depending on the facts. A U.S. citizen or green card holder spouse, child, parent, sibling, fiancé, or other close relative in the United States may cause the officer to question whether the applicant truly intends to return home. This does not mean that people with U.S. relatives cannot get tourist visas. Many can and do. But the application must be carefully prepared, and the applicant must be ready to clearly explain their temporary purpose of travel and their strong reasons to return home.
Another important issue is administrative processing. Even after a successful interview, the consulate may require additional review, background checks, or documents before making a final decision. This process can take weeks, months, or in some cases much longer. Paying the $750 expedited interview fee does not prevent administrative processing and does not force the consulate to issue the visa faster after the interview.
From an immigration lawyer’s perspective, this new expedited interview option is a positive development, but it should be viewed with caution. It may be very useful for applicants who have a strong case and a legitimate need to travel soon. It may also benefit business travelers, conference attendees, people traveling for major events, and applicants from countries where interview wait times are extremely long.
At the same time, $750 is not a small amount of money, especially for applicants from countries with lower average incomes. Some people may feel pressure to pay the fee because they are desperate for an earlier appointment, even if their case is weak. Applicants should not assume that paying more money makes the government more likely to approve the visa. It does not.
Before paying for an expedited appointment, B1/B2 applicants should carefully evaluate the strength of their case. They should be prepared to show why they are traveling, how long they plan to stay, how they will pay for the trip, and why they will return to their home country. The interview may be faster to obtain, but the legal standard remains the same.
In summary, we are cautiously optimistic about this new $750 expedited interview option. For many travelers, especially those with urgent business or personal reasons to visit the United States, it may be a worthwhile tool. But it is only a fast pass to the interview, not a fast pass to visa approval.
If you are applying for a B1/B2 visitor visa and are concerned about prior denials, weak ties to your home country, family members in the United States, past overstays, or possible immigrant intent issues, it is best to consult with an experienced immigration attorney before applying or paying for an expedited appointment.
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