President Donald Trump has unveiled a new system. It prioritizes visa interview appointments for foreign fans. These fans hold tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This applies to United States embassies.

Speaking at the White House on Monday, Mr. Trump announced the “FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System” (Pass). This system will allow supporters with long wait times to request earlier visa interviews. The major football tournament will take place next June and July. It will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Mr. Trump stated the goal is to help fans secure interview dates. This ensures they make it in time for the event. Routine vetting procedures will still be maintained. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified, “Your ticket is not a visa; it doesn’t guarantee admission to the US.” He added, “We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get. The only difference here is we’re moving them up in the queue.”

Mr. Rubio confirmed that ticket-holders could expect interview appointments within six to eight weeks of applying. This marks a significant change for fans in countries. Currently, backlogs can stretch to a year or even more.

Current wait times show significant delays. For example, applicants in Colombia wait about 11 months for appointments. In Mexico City, the wait is approximately nine and a half months. Some non-Canadian residents in Toronto face waits of up to 14 months.

FIFA President Hails New Visa System

FIFA President Gianni Infantino joined President Trump and Secretary Rubio in the Oval Office. He stated the new system would simplify entry for genuine fans. Mr. Infantino remarked, “With this FIFA Pass, we can ensure those who buy a ticket, who are legitimate football fans, can come and attend the World Cup in the best conditions, starting from getting their visa.”

Mr. Infantino projected between five and ten million visitors could travel to the United States for matches. FIFA has already sold over one million tickets. These were purchased by fans from 212 countries worldwide.

The US Travel Association applauded this initiative. They described the updated process as a “needed efficiency.” This will help the country manage the expected surge in visitors. CEO Geoff Freeman stated the measure “strengthens security, increases capacity, and cuts wait times.”

Concerns and Economic Impact

However, questions remain about how the new system will apply. This concerns nationals from countries affected by Mr. Trump’s June executive order. That order blocked citizens from 12 countries from entering the United States. Iran, which has qualified for the World Cup, is on this list. The order exempts athletes and coaching staff. It does not extend this exemption to supporters.

The State Department has not yet commented on whether these restrictions will remain for fans. This applies even to those who have purchased tickets.

President Trump mentioned his administration had already reduced visa wait times. For most countries, these are now 60 days or less. He estimated the World Cup could generate around 30 billion dollars for the US economy. It could also create 200,000 jobs. Mr. Rubio added that 400 additional consular officers have been deployed globally. This is to handle the anticipated increased demand.

Fans from countries under the US visa waiver programme will not require visas. Travellers from much of Europe, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Australia, among others, can visit for up to 90 days without applying for one.

Unlike Russia and Qatar, which issued fan identification cards that served as entry documents, the United States will use its existing visa process. However, it will offer ticket-holders a faster route to securing interview appointments.