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The Trump administration on Wednesday announced the first country to benefit from expedited tourist visa appointments, touting the pilot program as a way to better manage visitor visa processing.
Mexico‘s U.S. embassy and consulates will be the first to participate in the $750 speedy appointment program, running initially through the end of the year, with only a select number of daily appointments, the State Department said in an announcement. Applicants would be able to secure an appointment within 10 days.
The program applies to B visas, which are temporary, nonimmigrant approvals usually for those visiting the U.S. as tourists or on business.
“Every U.S. visa applicant undergoes thorough screening and vetting, and we do not issue a visa until an applicant has demonstrated to the consular officer that he or she is eligible to receive a visa under U.S. law,” the department said.
While further countries may be added to the program, selecting Mexico as the first to benefit from the pilot comes at a time when relations between the two countries have been strained over U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum raising concerns around the treatment of Mexican nationals by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
What Is the B Visa Program?
The B-1/B-2 border crossing card is among the most heavily used U.S. visa documents in the world. Issued primarily to Mexican nationals, it facilitates millions of business, tourism and family visits each year and serves as a cornerstone of the economic relationship between the two countries.
State Department data shows Mexican nationals received nearly 1.94 million B-category travel documents in fiscal year 2024. The overwhelming majority—about 1.87 million—were Border Crossing Cards, a special form of B-1/B-2 visitor document used by Mexican nationals for temporary business and leisure travel.
Traditional B-1 and B-1/B-2 visitor visas accounted for less than 25,000 issuances, underscoring the central role played by the Border Crossing Card.
Expedited Appointment Program: What To Know
The State Department announced the plan for the pilot program in early June, saying it would run for six months—from July 1 through December 31.
Officials described it as a “premium” option, offering quicker access to interview slots without changing the underlying visa decision.
“This program provides the Department of State with another tool to efficiently manage processing of visa applications for individuals with urgent travel needs, while maintaining the highest standards of security vetting and screening,” the department said Wednesday.
Applicants have to pay the usual $185 application fee and schedule an appointment, but they can then pay $750 to seek an expedited slot at a participating embassy or consulate.
The department said only a limited number of expedited appointments will be available, and once a slot is allocated, the applicant will have 10 minutes to pay the fee. Missed appointments will not lead to a refund, the department said.
Vetting will still be strict, and if applicants are found ineligible, they will be denied a visa, the department added.
August 2026 Family Visa Priority Dates
The scale of temporary travel from Mexico to the U.S. stands in sharp contrast to the much slower-moving green card system highlighted in the State Department’s latest Visa Bulletin.
The latest Visa Bulletin pointed to continued—if uneven—movement in several family-sponsored green card categories, advancing priority dates for some applicants and allowing more people who have already been waiting in the backlog to move forward in the process.
The bulletin underscored both the demand for family-based immigration and the persistent delays that many applicants face, with visa availability still constrained by annual numerical limits and per-country caps.
For Mexican families in particular, the bulletin serves as a reminder that obtaining permanent residence through a family-sponsored visa is often a yearslong process, even as temporary travel between the two countries remains extensive. While the August bulletin brought incremental progress for some applicants, backlogs continue to shape the pace at which many families can reunite permanently in the U.S.
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