New $750 Fee Lets Travelers Jump the U.S. Visa Line
Photo Credit: President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida. January 3, 2026. Flickr
Skift Take
One immigration attorney calls the latest U.S. travel fee a step toward a two-tiered system: one path for the rich, another for everyone else.
Travelers to the United States will soon be able to skip the visa appointment line — as long as they’re willing to pay $750.
The State Department plans to test out a fee that lets visa applicants secure an interview appointment within 10 business days, according to a State Department rule available at the Federal Register and scheduled to be published Tuesday.
The pilot program, set to launch July 1, will be open to tourists and business travelers applying for B-1 and B-2 visas at select overseas posts. The State Department emphasized that the new fee does not guarantee visa issuance and “will not expedite any processing steps, including any time needed for administrative processing.”
“Applicants at identified posts will have a chance to move to the front of the appointment line by paying a $750 fee without providing a written justification,” says the rule.
The expedited appoin
