The Trump administration is announcing a new initiative for foreigners traveling to the US for the World Cup next year that will allow them to get interviews for visas more quickly, the AP reports. 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 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 US 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 US 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% of the globe, travelers 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" that would help get their visa application and interview prioritized at the State Department. "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 staunch Trump ally 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.
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
