The U.S. State Department on Tuesday activated the FIFA Pass system, a priority visa appointment program for all those who have already purchased tickets to watch World Cup matches being held in the country this year.
As part of this program, Washington will deploy more than 500 additional consular officials to process visa applications for the World Cup, which will also be held in Mexico and Canada between June 11 and July 19, a State Department official confirmed to EFE.
World Cup visa program begins
Great news for FIFA World Cup 2026™ ticket holders who will travel to the United States this year – we’re giving you prioritized access to U.S. visa appointments! If you bought a ticket directly from FIFA, you can now opt in for FIFA PASS on https://t.co/Xmb89itp7Y! This will… pic.twitter.com/OEeyU4jTqO
– TravelGov (@TravelGov) January 20, 2026
In the run-up to the World Cup, the White House task force for the organization of the tournament has insisted that more than 80% of the countries have been reducing waiting times for visa applicants.
At the appointment to obtain permission to visit the U.S., “the applicant must demonstrate that he/she meets the requirements to obtain the visa and that he/she plans to respect our laws and leave the country at the end of the tournament.”
“The security of the United States and the protection of our borders will always be our priority,” the official explained.
The director of the White House task force, Andrew Giuliani, has already emphasized that for the U.S. Executive “every visa decision is a national security decision”.
In a press conference held before the draw, Giulani did not want to rule out the possibility of raids and arrests of immigrants in line with the tough immigration policies of the Donald Trump administration.
At the end of the year, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said that more than 150 million requests had been received for tickets to watch World Cup matches, a demand some 30 times greater than the available supply.
Filed under: World Cup Visas
With information from EFE
