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The State Department will begin offering a “premium” expedited service allowing foreign business and tourist visa applicants to come to the U.S. to secure interview appointments within 10 days at select U.S. embassies and consulates for an additional $750 fee.
The department will unveil a pilot program that will allow applicants to pay the $750 fee on top of the standard $185 visa application fee to schedule an interview at select embassies and consulates within 10 days of payment, according to a notice set to be published in the Federal Register this week, The Associated Press reported.
The program will run from July 1 to Dec. 31 but could be extended depending on demand, according to the outlet.
STATE DEPARTMENT TO ASK FOR BONDS OF UP TO $15,000 FOR VISA APPLICATION FROM A DOZEN MORE COUNTRIES
The embassies and consulates participating in the program are expected to be announced before July 1.
The new expedited service could help reduce visa interview wait times amid broader Trump administration changes to visa screening and compliance rules.
FOREIGN TRAVELERS SOON TO PAY ‘VISA INTEGRITY FEE’ TO VISIT US COSTING $250
The federal government has expanded several visa screening and compliance measures, including requiring bonds of up to $15,000 for visa processing in some countries it says have high overstay rates and requiring years of personal history information, such as social media accounts, to be disclosed.
Those new requirements have contributed to delays in visa processing for foreigners in countries around the world.
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The fee for the expedited service does not guarantee that a person will receive a visa, but it could cut down on wait times for visa interviews for people in countries that are not part of the Visa Waiver Program, which can be at least several months.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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