11/17/25 03:28:00
Printable Page
11/17 15:26 CST President Donald Trump unveils 'FIFA Pass' to help World Cup
travelers get their visas faster
President Donald Trump unveils 'FIFA Pass' to help World Cup travelers get
their visas faster
By SEUNG MIN KIM
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) --- The Trump administration is announcing a new initiative for
foreigners traveling to the U.S. for the World Cup next year that will allow
them to get interviews for visas more quickly.
Dubbed "FIFA Pass," it will allow those who have purchased World Cup tickets
through FIFA to get expedited visa appointments, as the administration
continues to balance President Donald Trump's tough-on-migration stance with an
influx of global travelers for the soccer tournament. The "pass" in the name
stands for "prioritized appointments scheduling system."
"If you have a ticket for the World Cup, you can have prioritized appointments
to get your visa," said FIFA President Gianni Infantino, who was in the Oval
Office with Trump on Monday to explain the new system. Turning to the U.S.
president, he added: "You said it the very first time we met, Mr. President,
America welcomes the world."
Trump said Monday that he "strongly" encourages World Cup travelers to the U.S.
to apply for their visas "right away."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the administration has dispatched more than
400 additional consular officers around the world to handle the demand for
visas, and that in about 80 percent of the globe, travelers to the U.S. 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" that would help get their visa
application and interview prioritized at the State Department. Rubio stressed
"We're going to do the same vetting as anybody else would get," Rubio said.
"The only difference here is, we're moving them up in the queue."
During next year's World Cup, 104 games will be played in Canada, Mexico and
the United States. Trump has made the success of the World Cup a top priority,
and Infantino has been a frequent visitor to the White House while FIFA
prepares for a Dec. 5 World Cup draw at the Kennedy Center, the arts
institution now led and managed by Trump loyalists.
Trump once again floated the prospect of moving World Cup games out of one of
its host cities if he deemed it to be unsafe, with the election of progressive
activist Katie Wilson as mayor of Seattle who has talked about Trump-proofing
the city and protecting its sanctuary city status for migrants. Seattle is one
of the 11 host cities in the U.S. next year.
"If we think there's gonna be sign of any trouble, I would ask Gianni to move
that to a different city," Trump said of Seattle. The FIFA president stepped
around the issue without committing to move host cities, noting that "I think
safety and security is the number one priority for a successful World Cup" and
that "we can see today that people have trust in the United States," noting the
number of tickets that have already been sold.
|
