United States Creates FIFA Pass to Streamline World Cup Ticket Holder’s Visa Applications

With FIFA president Gianni Infantino by his side, President Donald Trump announced the creation of the FIFA Prioritized Appointments Scheduling System (PASS). This FIFA Pass will expedite the process for international visitors seeking visas to attend World Cup games in 2026. A separate FIFA portal will be created for ticket holders to have the interview portion of their application prioritized.

They will not be guaranteed a visa, but they will have priority status. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated, "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.” Secretary Rubio also mentioned that the State Department has added 400 additional counselor offices around the globe to quicken the visa process. Rubio estimated that the average wait times will hopefully be between six and eight weeks. However, not all fans need to apply for visas to attend the matches. Most spectators can enter the country visa free for up to 90 days. 

This initiative will not simply help fans but assist national teams who have been waiting months for interviews after applying for visas. In Colombia, for example, citizens requesting U.S. visas can expect a wait time of around 11 months. If these queue times continue, teams who have qualified for the games will not be able to participate. 

North American World Cup

The World Cup is set to take place between June 11 and July 19, 2026. This is the first year that the international sport spectacle will be held in three different countries: the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The United States will host games in 11 different cities across the country. The draw for which teams will play in which group stage will take place on December 5th at the Kennedy Center - a cultural location in the heart of D.C., where President Trump serves as chairman.

Trump Administration Influence

President Trump has expressed his unwavering commitment to making the World Cup games in America a resounding success. In his announcement of the FIFA Pass, he claimed that the World Cup could generate $30 billion and create 200,000 jobs. President Trump also emphasized his dedication to keeping spectators, especially visitors from other countries, safe. He advocated for the Games to be moved out of American cities he felt were dangerous, such as Seattle, and commented that he would be willing to send in the National Guard if the Games became unruly.

Another international component is the inclusion of World Cup visitors from countries that President Trump banned travel from in June. In the proclamation, President Trump stated that the athletes, coaches, and their immediate families would all qualify for visas, but it is unclear if their fans will be able to. Iran, for example, was granted an exemption for its national teams to participate in the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but their fans may not be able to cheer them on.

The World Cup is a global festival that will bring millions of visitors to the United States, and Trump’s embrace of this influx stands in sharp contrast to his broader anti-immigration policies. This FIFA pass, designed to streamline visa access for teams and ticket holders of permitted countries, highlights this tension and raises important legal questions about how sporting events intersect with U.S. immigration law.