US Widens Fast-Track Visa Route as Five More Countries Get 10-Day Interview Option

The United States has expanded its new paid visa-expedite pilot programme to five additional countries, giving eligible business and tourist visa applicants the option of paying an extra $750 to secure an interview appointment within 10 business days, subject to availability.

The expansion, effective August 18, 2026, adds Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Honduras to a programme that began in July across US diplomatic missions in Mexico. The US State Department says additional locations could still be added before the pilot ends on December 31.

The programme applies specifically to B-1 and B-2 visas, which cover temporary business and tourism travel. Applicants must first complete the normal application process and pay the standard $185 visa application fee before they can access the paid-expedite option where it is available. The additional $750 charge is per applicant.

But there is an important distinction for travellers: the programme does not mean the US will process or approve a visa within 10 days. The payment only provides access to an earlier interview slot. Applicants must still meet all normal eligibility requirements and undergo the same security screening as everyone else. Any administrative processing after the interview can still take additional time.

The State Department says the initiative is intended to give travellers with urgent plans another option for securing an interview when regular appointment queues are lengthy. The timing is also significant, coming shortly after the huge travel demand associated with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic and Paralympic Games, when US consular posts are expected to face continued pressure.

The pilot effectively creates another tier within the US visa appointment system: applicants who can afford the additional fee may have an opportunity to move their interview forward, while others remain in the standard queue. The State Department says expedited appointments will be limited and offered according to the capacity of individual posts, meaning paying the fee does not automatically guarantee that a 10-business-day appointment will be available.

There are also strict conditions attached to the service. Once an expedited appointment is selected, applicants must complete payment within 10 minutes to secure the slot. The appointment cannot be rescheduled, and the $750 fee is non-refundable if the applicant cancels or misses the appointment.

The expansion is likely to attract attention among travellers from countries still dealing with long US visa queues. However, the fact that the programme is currently limited to selected diplomatic posts means it is not a worldwide fast-track service, and applicants cannot simply choose another country to obtain the benefit without considering the rules governing where they may apply.

For Nigerians and other travellers whose local US consular posts are not participating, the development therefore does not yet create a 10-day interview option. The State Department has said additional locations may be announced during the pilot, making the programme one worth watching as Washington assesses whether there is sufficient demand to continue or expand the paid service.

The experiment also raises a broader question about the future of visa processing: whether governments can use premium services to manage extraordinary demand without creating a system in which speed increasingly depends on an applicant's ability to pay.

For now, the message from Washington is clear: the US is opening another lane for travellers in a hurry, but the $750 ticket buys a faster interview, not a guaranteed visa.