United States | Pilot program for paid expedited B visa interviews launched July 21 in Mexico

The State Department has launched a pilot program allowing eligible B-1/B-2 visa applicants applying at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico to pay an additional fee for an expedited interview appointment to be scheduled within 10 business days, subject to availability. The pilot program launched on July 21, 2026, at the U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico.

Key takeaways:

Pilot program is limited to B visas and is voluntary. The program is available only to applicants seeking B-1/B-2 visitor visas who are making new appointments or hold existing appointments with unexpired MRV (machine readable visa) fee receipts. Payment of the expedite fee allows applicants to receive an earlier appointment, subject to availability. Applicants applying for visas under interview waiver processing are not eligible to use the expedited appointment option.

Fee payment secures interview appointment within 10 days. For those who opt in to paying the $750 expedite fee, and subject to availability, appointments may be secured within 10 business days. The $750 fee payment must be completed within 10 minutes of appointment selection to secure the appointment. Once made, an expedited appointment date and time cannot be changed. The expedited appointment fee is nonrefundable and nontransferable, and missed appointments will result in forfeiture of the fee.

Completion of standard appointment scheduling required. Applicants must first complete the standard appointment scheduling process and pay the standard MRV processing fee before they can access the paid expedited appointment option. Once a regular appointment is scheduled, applicants have the option to request an expedited or emergency appointment on the relevant scheduling website and can opt in to the “paid expedite” appointment option and pay the $750 expedite fee.

Mission Mexico first program participant. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico are participating in the pilot as of July 21, 2026. Additional participants may be announced during the pilot program period.

Emergency appointment requests may still be eligible. Applicants whose emergency appointment requests were previously denied may still qualify for a paid expedited appointment.

Additional information: The paid expedite pilot program was first announced on June 9, 2026, and is in place from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2026. Participation does not guarantee visa issuance or expedited adjudication. All applicants are still subject to standard screening and eligibility requirements. FAQs with more details about the program can be found here. Mission Mexico-specific FAQs on paid expedite appointments can be found here. Non-fee-based expedites are still available but may be limited to medical emergencies and other urgent humanitarian travel.

This alert has been provided by the BAL U.S. Practice Group.

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