The wait time for U.S. visa appointments in Morocco has dropped sharply from 10 months to just 2 months, ahead of the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The announcement was made on Wednesday by Andrew Giuliani, Executive Director of the White House Task Force for the FIFA World Cup 2026, during a briefing in Washington. This represents an over 80% reduction compared to November 2024 wait times for Moroccans applying for U.S. visas. Giuliani highlighted the development during a press conference held on the eve of the World Cup draw, scheduled for Friday in the U.S. capital. With Morocco preparing to co-host the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Spain, Giuliani expressed satisfaction with the shorter processing times, which will benefit Moroccan fans planning to travel to the United States next summer to support the national team. He noted that the measure complements the recently introduced priority visa interview slots for 2026 FIFA World Cup ticket holders (FIFA Pass), an initiative announced by President Donald Trump. Giuliani also revealed that the U.S. Department of State has hired more than 450 additional staff to accelerate visa processing, particularly for citizens of countries qualified for the 2026 World Cup, described as the largest sporting event ever hosted in the United States. Roughly 300,000 additional visa appointment slots have already been released for these qualified nations, with expectations to expand to several million slots by early next year. The U.S. is preparing to welcome between 5 and 7 million international visitors during the tournament, which runs from 11 June to 19 July 2026 across the United States, Mexico, and Canada.
