US prepares for influx of international visitors ahead of World Cup with security at the forefront

The United States’ 250th-anniversary volition coincide with the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which volition spot the bulk of matches instrumentality spot successful the U.S. opening successful June. President Donald Trump has played a important relation successful the aboriginal preparations for the tournament, launching a White House task unit to absorption connected each aspects of organizing the planetary event, with a cardinal absorption connected information for U.S. citizens and planetary visitors.   

The president announced past period a caller inaugural aimed astatine allowing overseas visitors traveling to the U.S. to person precedence visa appointments. The "FIFA Pass," arsenic the inaugural is being called, is expected to motorboat aboriginal adjacent year, but the State Department is already moving to accommodate the influx of travelers. 

US President Donald Trump speaks arsenic (L-R) the Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Secretary of State Marco Rubio perceive during a gathering with the White House Task Force connected the FIFA World Cup 2026 successful the Oval Office of the White House successful Washington, DC connected November 17, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP)

Matt Pierce, the acting main lawman adjunct caput successful the Bureau of Consular Affairs, spoke to Fox News Digital up of Friday’s gully successful Washington, D.C., to sermon the visa process and the State Department’s absorption connected welcoming planetary visitors portion besides ensuring the Trump administration’s accent connected nationalist security.   

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"As the president has mentioned, this is going to beryllium the champion World Cup, the astir palmy World Cup successful history. And the State Department is assisting with that by ensuring assignment availability for those who privation to use for a visa to travel to the United States for the World Cup portion not sacrificing astatine each the equity of our visa process and the extortion of our homeland done the visa process."

According to Pierce, the State Department is already astatine enactment to accommodate the request of travelers to the U.S. adjacent year. More appointments person been made disposable globally and hold times for appointments person been brought to less than sixty days successful 80% of the world. That sentiment echoed Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s remarks from past period wherever helium said that the medication has dispatched much than 400 further consular officers astir the world. 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department volition halt each Afghan passport visas. (Getty Images)

"We've surged resources to the cardinal posts to guarantee that we person the capableness to grip those ticketed fans portion inactive maintaining that rigorous vetting of visa applicants with that nationalist information angle," Pierce noted. 

TRUMP ANNOUNCES 'FIFA PASS' VISA SYSTEM FOR MILLIONS OF WORLD CUP FANS HEADING TO AMERICA IN 2026

While overmuch of the absorption is connected accommodating summons holders, Pierce added that the superior interest is ensuring those visitors conscionable the criteria to participate the U.S. 

"This is thing that we instrumentality very, precise earnestly due to the fact that the visa process, that's the beforehand doorway to the United States."

"The State Department works with our partners crossed the authorities progressive successful the visa process to guarantee that we vet anybody who's applying for a visa and that these are folks that are eligible for visas, that we privation to person these folks successful our country," helium said. "And truthful we're assured successful our systems and tools that we enactment successful place. And this is simply a immense absorption of the Trump medication and we've truly devoted a batch of resources to ensuring that that process is secure." 

U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Carlos Cordeiro Senior Advisor to FIFA for Global Strategy and Governance, and Rep. Darin LaHood (R-Ill.), delivers remarks during a gathering of the White House Task Force connected the FIFA World Cup 2026 successful the Oval Office of the White House connected November 17, 2025, successful Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

FIFA announced successful October that 1 cardinal tickets had already been sold since the authoritative commencement of income began earlier successful the month. Buyers from the U.S., Canada and Mexico – the big nations of the tourney – topped acquisition totals.

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The State Department is encouraging travelers who request visas to use close away. 

"This is simply a truly large accidental nether President Trump's enactment to showcase American greatness to the world," Pierce told Fox News Digital. "And I deliberation that this is simply a large accidental for folks to travel to the state during our historical day for what volition beryllium the top World Cup successful history. I anticipation the fans who travel present volition beryllium capable to spot immoderate of the sites crossed the state and to truly acquisition each our state has to offer."

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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