The White House on Tuesday, January 21, announced that World Cup ticket holders can now access the priority visa appointments to travel to the United States.

This forms part of the US government’s efforts to help ticket holders secure priority visa appointment dates, as citizens of some qualified countries may otherwise be unable to obtain visas in time for the 2026 World Cup.

The FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System (FIFA PASS) is a special visa‑interview scheduling program created by the U.S. government and FIFA for the 2026 World Cup. It gives ticket holders priority access to U.S. visa appointments, ensuring fans can travel to matches in North America despite existing visa backlogs.

Speaking during a joint press briefing with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House in Washington, D.C., on 17 November,last year President Donald Trump mentioned that “I’ve directed my administration to do everything within their power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success.”

The WhiteHouse however, warned that, a ticket isn’t a visa. Detailing how the ‘World’ will gain access into the US, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that, ticket-holders for the tournament, set for next June and July in the US, Canada and Mexico, will not be automatically granted a tourist visa.

But foreign nationals with tickets to World Cup football matches could get an interview at an embassy or consulate within six to eight weeks of applying, Rubio said.

“Your ticket is not a visa; it doesn’t guarantee admission to the US. 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,” the Secretary noted the first time the FIFA pass was announced in last year.

Roll out of the FIFA pass

The U.S. Department of State formally rolled out the system in January 2026, announcing its launch in Washington, D.C., and later detailed by the U.S. Department of State and FIFA.

US State Department has stressed that a Fifa Pass appointment does not guarantee a visa will be approved, with all ticket holders having to “undergo thorough security screening and vetting”.

Most citizens of countries under the US visa waiver programme, which covers much of Europe, including the UK, along with Japan, Australia and others, can ordinarily travel visa-free for up to 90 days, so do not need to use the Fifa Pass. Travellers from those countries would need to apply instead for an Esta – an Electronic System for Travel Authorisation.

A senior State Department official said the new Fifa Pass system will cut wait times, with applicants in “over 80%” of countries now able to schedule a visa appointment in “less than 60 days”.

It added: “At the visa appointment, the applicant must show they qualify for the visa and plan to follow our laws and leave at the end of the tournament. America’s safety and the security of our borders will always come first.”

What about countries affected by immigrant visa suspension?

Several concerns were raised, especially for countries affected by the US government’s suspension of immigrant visa issuance weeks ago. However, the WhiteHouse has clarified that football fans in countries affected will still be able to apply to travel to the country for this year’s World Cup.

The US said last Wednesday it will pause processing immigrant visas from 75 countries, 15 of which have qualified for the World Cup, including five-time winners Brazil.

A further seven nations on the list are still in contention to qualify for this year’s tournament, which will take place in the US, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July.

The State Department confirmed on Tuesday that the pause “applies to the issuance of immigrant visas only” and “does not apply to non-immigrant visas, such as those for tourists, athletes and their families, and media professionals”.

Qualified nations on the list of 75 countries: Algeria, Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, Egypt, Ghana, Haiti, Iran, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Morocco, Senegal, Tunisia, Uruguay, Uzbekistan.

Nations still in qualification contention on the list: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, DR Congo, Iraq, Jamaica, Kosovo, North Macedonia.

​​​​​​​What about countries on travel ban list?

The order to indefinitely pause the processing of immigrant visa applications from those 75 countries will take effect on Wednesday, 21 January.

Before this move, Trump expanded a travel ban that came into force on 1 January, which bars nationals of countries on that list from entering the US.

Haiti and Iran, who have both qualified for the 2026 World Cup, are on the list of countries with full restrictions.

Ivory Coast and Senegal, who have also qualified, are on the list of countries with partial restrictions.

The State Department said a Fifa Pass appointment does not allow people “who are otherwise not eligible” to be issued a visa, meaning fans from those four countries appear unlikely to be able to travel to the US for this summer’s tournament.

Guidance from the State Department specified there are exceptions for “any athlete or member of an athletic team, including coaches, persons performing a necessary support role, and immediate relatives” to the travel ban for the World Cup.

However, it added “the exception does not apply to fans or spectators”. They can still submit visa applications, but “they may be ineligible for visa issuance or admission to the United States”.

The US will host 78 of the 104 total matches at the World Cup, across 11 cities, including the final.