Overview

• The administration is considering a $1,000 premium fee to move non-immigrant visa applicants to the front of the interview queue beyond the current $185 processing charge.
• An internal memo reviewed by Reuters says the expedited service could launch as a pilot program by December 2025.
• State Department legal advisers flagged a high risk that the fee proposal could be rejected by the White House budget office or struck down in U.S. courts.
• The visa fee plan forms part of President Donald Trump’s broader “gold card” concept, which would offer U.S. citizenship for $5 million with priority services.
• The proposal comes after the department issued 10.4 million non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2023, including 5.9 million tourist visas, and as U.S. travel spending is forecast to fall about 7% in 2025.