On July 22, 2026, the Department of State (DOS) announced that it is testing a voluntary, optional nonimmigrant visa expedited appointment program for B visas at select U.S. embassies and consulates through December 31, 2026, starting with Mission Mexico (embassy and all consulates).
Under the pilot program, eligible applicants for B visas—those making new appointments or holding existing appointments with unexpired machine-readable visa (MRV) fee receipts—may pay a $750 fee per appointment to schedule a visa interview within 10 business days (subject to availability). Applicants must first follow the usual process to pay the $185 MRV fee and schedule an interview appointment. If expedited appointments are available, these appointments will be visible for applicants to select when scheduling their appointments, DOS said. After an applicant selects an expedited appointment date and time, the $750 fee payment must be completed within 10 minutes to secure the appointment.
DOS noted that additional pilot locations may be announced throughout the pilot period.
