People travelling to the United States for the football World Cup next year will be able to get interviews for visas more quickly, Donald Trump has announced.
The US president announced the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System, or FIFA PASS, in a news conference in the Oval Office.
“I’ve directed my administration to do everything within their power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success,” he said.
Trump latest: President threatens strikes on World Cup co-host to stop drugs
The pass will allow those with World Cup tickets purchased through FIFA to get expedited visa appointments.
Speaking alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, Mr Trump said he “strongly” encourages World Cup travellers to the US to apply for their visas “right away”.
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.”
Read more from Sky News:
US aircraft carrier arrives close to Venezuela amid military build-up
Trump ally ‘open to moving forward’ after row with US president
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.”
He added: “The United States is set to welcome fans from around the world on an unprecedented scale, and we are preparing to ensure that football unites the world when the tournament kicks off in North America next June.”
Be the first to get Breaking News
Install the Sky News app for free
Over six million tickets will be available for the 104 World Cup games, which will be held across 16 host cities in Canada, Mexico as well as the United States.
Follow our channel and never miss an update
It has been easier for fans to travel to recent men’s World Cups.
In 2018, the visa process could be circumvented, with Russia requiring only fan IDs gained by submitting a photo, passport data and other personal information along with a match ticket reference.
Instead of visas for Qatar 2022, fans only had to obtain a Hayya Card through a website in order to enter the Gulf nation.
