US visa expedited appointment pilot: $750 fee for faster B1/B2 interviews; Is India included in the list?

US Visa Expedited Appointment Pilot: What the $750 Fast-Track Fee Means — and Why India Is Left Out

India Is Not on the Participating List

Theindiapostdaily.com – As of the August 18, 2026 update, the US Department of State has confirmed that India does not feature among the countries where the paid-expedite option is operational. Indian B-visa seekers therefore cannot access the accelerated interview slot under this pilot. The State Department has noted, however, that further locations may be announced before the programme concludes on December 31, 2026, so the situation could shift.

Until any such expansion occurs, applicants based in India must continue relying on the standard scheduling process or, where applicable, existing emergency-appointment channels for genuinely urgent travel.

What the Pilot Actually Does

The Nonimmigrant Visa (NIV) Expedited Appointment Pilot Program lets qualifying B-1/B-2 visitors in designated posts pay an extra $750 — layered on top of the standard $185 Machine Readable Visa (MRV) charge — in exchange for an interview slot no later than 10 business days out, contingent on open expedited capacity.

The fee applies per applicant and per appointment. Crucially, it buys only an earlier seat in the interview queue. It does not accelerate adjudication, shorten security vetting, or tip the odds toward approval. The State Department made clear that every expedited applicant faces the identical eligibility and background checks applied to the general pool.

Who Qualifies and How the Process Works

The option targets eligible B-visa applicants — those travelling for tourism or business purposes. To trigger the expedite, an applicant must first:

Complete the full visa application, settle the $185 MRV fee, and book a conventional interview. Once logged into the appointment account, if the post supports the pilot and expedited slots remain open, the applicant navigates through “Continue” → “Request Expedite” → “Paid Expedite” and settles the additional $750 within a strict 10-minute window after selecting the accelerated slot.

The paid-expedite pathway surfaces only at participating locations and only while expedited inventory exists.

Where the Pilot Is Live

The following posts currently host the programme:

Canada (US Embassy and every consulate), Colombia (Embassy, Bogotá), Guatemala (Embassy, Guatemala City), Costa Rica (Embassy, San José), Honduras (Embassy, Tegucigalpa), and Mexico (Embassy and all consulates).

Mexico opened its expedite window on July 21, 2026; the remaining locations went live on August 18, 2026.

Fee Mechanics and Hard Limits

The $750 charge is non-refundable and non-transferable. A visa refusal does not trigger a rebate. Paid-expedite appointments also cannot be rescheduled: miss the slot or cancel it, and the fee is forfeited outright. Should the traveller later wish to attempt another expedited interview, the full $750 must be paid again.

Visa Renewals and the Interview Waiver

Applicants renewing a prior visa who qualify for the interview-waiver pathway are excluded from the paid-expedite option. The pilot is structured exclusively for those who already hold a scheduled interview and need to pull that date forward.

Bottom Line for Indian Applicants

No $750 fast-track interview exists for India under the current pilot configuration. The State Department retains the discretion to add new posts during the pilot’s remaining months, but until any such announcement lands, Indian B-visa holders must navigate the ordinary appointment calendar or invoke pre-existing urgent-travel procedures where their circumstances warrant.