The wait time to obtain a US tourist visa now exceeds 12 months in several countries, after five years of delays due to the coronavirus pandemic. This situation has alerted the organizers of the 2026 World Cup – which will take place in June and July next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico – about how this delay would irreparably affect the plans of millions of foreigners who have already purchased tickets to attend the sporting event. In this sense, the Donald Trump government has announced that the country’s embassies and consulates will give priority to visa appointments for travelers who already have tickets for the event.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio was present at the presentation of the plan on Monday and clarified that it does not mean granting “automatic entry” to fans. They must go through the normal visa application process, and Washington will schedule interviews six to eight weeks after submitting the application. “Your ticket is not a visa. It does not guarantee entry into the United States. We will go through the same selection process as anyone else. The only difference is that we give them priority,” he stressed.
Foreigners should enter the FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System (called PASS) as soon as possible and enter their information to obtain a priority appointment at the State Department. The move is critical to the success of the World Cup because most of the matches will be played in the United States. FIFA President Gianni Infantino said more than 10 million visitors plan to visit the country during the competition.
The United States Travel Association also welcomed the government’s decision, which will facilitate the arrival of more tourists. Official data reflects a decline of one million travelers in the first half of this year due to the president’s immigration pressure. “This is the kind of practical measure that strengthens security, increases capacity and reduces wait times, better positioning the United States to welcome millions of visitors next year,” the organization said in a statement.
Countries classified for the World Cup, but with long waiting times
At some US consulates in Latin America, the average wait time for an interview for a tourist and business visa (B1/B2) is more than a year. In Colombia the average wait already exceeds 13 months. In Mexico the situation is not much different. In Hermosillo it’s almost two years and 22.5 months; in Guadalajara it is more than 11 months; and in Mexico City, 10 months. In Canada, non-citizen residents face wait times of up to 14 months for an appointment. If Washington had not intervened, thousands of fans would have had their visas approved or denied once the World Cup was over.
The president’s executive order banning citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States remains in effect, citing national security threats; and the new rules do not specify whether ticket holders from countries whose citizens are banned from traveling to the United States, in whole or in part, are eligible. One of them is Iran, whose team qualified for the World Cup, but Trump’s decree only allows athletes and coaching staff to enter the country to compete in the 2028 World Cup and Olympic Games.
The fans who have nothing to worry about are those who belong to the visa waiver program, which allows them a maximum stay of 90 days in the United States. This program covers much of Europe, including the UK, and other countries such as Japan and Australia.
