The Trump administration proposes a $1,000 expedited visa processing fee

Travellers planning to obtain a US visa may encounter an initiative from the administration of President Donald Trump: the introduction of a new expedited processing service for tourist and other non-immigrant visas, which does not currently exist. The standard fee for regular processing of a visa application is $185 (about €162).

Under Trump's proposal, applicants would need to pay $1,000 (about €875) for the new expedited processing service — 440% more than the current fee.

This initiative is in line with President Trump's overall migration policy, which has repeatedly stressed the importance of protecting the interests of America's working class and strengthening the country's borders. However, he has also faced criticism for granting access to himself to wealthy individuals for money. For example, it was recently reported that virtual meetings with the president were being sold in exchange for large purchases of his $TRUMP cryptocurrency, as well as $200,000 memberships to his private Mar-a-Lago club, which allowed for in-person meetings with him.

Similar proposals are also currently under discussion, such as the "gold card" programme, which would effectively allow wealthy individuals to purchase American citizenship through a $5 million (about €4.3 million) investment. This simplified path to permanent residency and citizenship is aimed at attracting wealthy investors to strengthen the American economy. During an Oval Office briefing, Trump noted that such a programme provides "the privileges of a green card and a route to citizenship."

Returning to the matter of increased fees for expedited visas, an internal State Department document suggests that the new system could begin operating on a trial basis as early as December 2025. However, the fee increase has not yet been finally approved. US government lawyers have expressed doubts about the legality of such a move, pointing to a high risk that the initiative could be blocked by the White House Office of Management and Budget or challenged in court. In the lawyers' view, a court could reject the proposal, since it involves charging visa processing fees that exceed the administration's actual costs.

A State Department spokesperson declined to comment on internal documents and correspondence, but confirmed that the department is continuously working to improve the visa interview scheduling procedure for non-immigrant visas worldwide.