By Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA, on Immigration Updates
The Trump administration announced a fast-track visa system for the 2026 World Cup, prioritizing appointment scheduling for ticketholders while maintaining strict vetting standards. Secretary of State Marco Rubio clarified that World Cup tickets do not guarantee entry, only expedited visa interviews with the same security screening applied to all applicants. The State Department has deployed over 400 additional consular officers worldwide, reducing visa wait times from up to a year to 60 days or less in approximately 80% of countries. FIFA expects between five and 10 million international visitors, with tickets already purchased by people from 212 different countries and territories.
President Trump also leveraged the World Cup announcement to threaten relocating matches from host cities he deemed problematic, specifically targeting Seattle due to its recently elected democratic socialist mayor, while offering to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles to address crime concerns. Trump characterized the 2026 tournament, which will expand to 48 teams for the first time, as a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" for the country, marking the first World Cup hosted in the United States since 1994.
For more information on this, and other immigration matters, contact the attorneys at Prime Path Immigration Law Firm Limited USA today.
Reference:
Joseph Gedeon, US Unveils World Cup Visa System but Warns Fans Could Still Be Denied Entry, THE GUARDIAN (Nov. 17, 2025, 4:20 PM EST), https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/nov/17/us-world-cup-visa-tickets.
