Nearly 2.06 million visitors from India travelled to the United States in 2025 alone, as per the US travel and tourism stats. This lot included business travelers, tourists, family visitors, and parents of graduating students. Despite an approximate 6% drop from the 2024 numbers of Indian visitors to the US, India is the fourth largest source of international visitors to America. Evidently, B1/B2 Visa is on high demand across India.
US visa interview appointment delays and visa processing backlogs in India are among the reasons for the 6% low in 2025 from 2024 when 2.19 million Indians visited the United States. To fill in the gap and cash in on the demand for the visitor visa, the US State Department is offering to expedite B1/B2 visa interview appointments for a premium fee of $750 per applicant, in addition to the standard visa fee.
The Trump administration announced a pilot program, from July 1 through December 2026, for expedited visa interviews at select US embassies and consulates worldwide. During the pilot program, you (among eligible applicants) can secure a US visitor visa interview appointment within 10 business days at an additional cost of $750.
Expedited B1/B2 Visa Interview Scheduling: Pros and Cons
The $750 expedited service for US visitor visa interview scheduling should not be mistaken for premium visa processing service. Apparently, it has limited benefits. The objective is to quicken the availability of B1/B2 visa interview slots at select US missions and for eligible applicants. The Department of State made it clear that the additional fee does neither impact the visa processing timeline nor guarantee visa approval. Precisely, it won’t influence your chances of visa approval.
An expedited appointment should not be construed as exemption from the existing eligibility requirements, or a relief from social media vetting for a B1/B2 visitor visa applicant. Even if you get a fast-tracked appointment for an additional $750, staffing shortage, administrative issues, secondary inspection, system glitches, inadequate documentation, social media vetting…may delay visa processing and approval.
“Though the new premium service offers to cut US visa interview wait times to 10 days, the overall cost increases for those having visa urgency. Reasonably, it may find a few takers in India. One good thing for sure is that those paying the premium fee could expect visa approval earlier than those stuck amid appointment delays. The former can book their flight tickets to USA with peace of mind,” said Dheeraj Duvvuru, CEO of IndianEagle.com, a leading air-ticketing partner of major international airlines.
