US President Donald Trump has announced that football fans traveling to the US for the World Cup next year will be able to get interviews for visas faster.
Trump announced the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System, or FIFA PASS, in a news conference in the Oval Office after a meeting between him, the White House Task Force, and FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“I’ve directed my administration to do everything within their power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success,” he said.
Hr also “strongly” encourages World Cup travellers to the US to apply for their visas “right away”.
The FIFA Priority Appointment Scheduling System, or FIFA PASS, is meant to help the Trump administration balance a strict immigration system while ensuring that visitors for the global soccer tournament can enter the United States without issue.
Eleven U.S. cities will host 78 matches during the 48-team tournament, while three cities in Mexico and two in Canada will also host games.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration had added 400 consular officers around the world to deal with increased demand for visas.
He said in about 80% of the globe, travellers to the US can get a visa appointment within 60 days.
Under the new system, those who have bought tickets through FIFA will be allowed to go through a “FIFA portal” to help get their visa application and interview prioritised at the State Department, Mr Rubio said.
“We’re going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get,” he added. “The only difference here is, we’re moving them up in the queue.”
After the announcement, Mr Infantino said: “America welcomes the world. We have always said that this will be the greatest and most inclusive FIFA World Cup in history – and the FIFA PASS service is a very concrete example of that.”
