Visa Question of the Month - Expedited interview appointments for B visas for an additional fee

We need a B-1 visa for an employee. Unfortunately, the next available interview dates at the U.S. consulates in Germany aren't for another few weeks. We've heard about a new option—for a fee—that allows for a faster interview date I heard that. Can we use it already?

Availability for B-1/B-2 Visas Unfortunately, the situation at U.S. consulates in Germany remains tense. Applicants—especially those planning business trips on short notice—should currently expect to wait several weeks for the next available interview appointment.

As of July 1, 2026, the U.S. State Department has launched a new pilot program. Under this program, applicants for B-1/B-2 Visas For an additional fee of 750 U.S. dollars (plus the regular visa fee), you can receive an expedited interview appointment within ten business days. However, the additional fee only expedites the scheduling of the appointment. It does not affect the processing of the visa application or the decision on whether to grant the visa.

This option is not currently available for other categories; therefore, it will initially be reserved exclusively for applicants for visitor visas.

At present, however, this option cannot yet be used in practice. Although the pilot program took effect on July 1, 2026, the U.S. State Department has not yet announced which U.S. embassies or consulates will participate in it, nor has it provided specific details on how to schedule an expedited interview appointment.

All that is known so far is that the payment will be processed through pay.gov. The list of participating consular offices worldwide, as announced on travel.state.gov, has not yet been published, nor has any related information been posted on the websites of the individual U.S. consulates.

The pilot program is initially scheduled to run through the end of 2026. After that, the U.S. State Department plans to evaluate whether to make the service permanent.

There are currently many indications that the pilot program will initially be offered primarily at U.S. consulates with particularly long wait times for available B-visa appointments. This is the case, for example, in countries such as India and Canada, where interview appointments are sometimes not available for six to twelve months—or even longer.

It is still unclear whether U.S. consulates in Germany will be among the participating locations. The pilot program is not currently expected to be implemented at U.S. consulates in Visa Waiver Program countries, such as Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.

Our practical tip: Until the pilot program is implemented, it is advisable, in the case of particularly urgent business trips, to first consider the possibility of a Emergency Appointment Request (Expedited/Emergency Appointment Request) through the personal appointment profile. This option will remain available. The decision on whether to approve such a request is made by the relevant U.S. consulate on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, we recommend checking your appointment schedule regularly. From time to time, earlier interview slots become available at the last minute due to cancellations, and you can reschedule them right away.

Last but not least, you should check whether a B-1 visa is even required for the planned business trip or whether visa-free entry is possible under the Visa Waiver Program (ESTA) would be possible. Of course, this is contingent on all requirements for visa-free entry being met.