00:01A priority visa appointment system for people hoping to travel to the United States to watch the 2026 FIFA World Cup has gone live.
00:09Announced by US President Donald Trump in November, it aims to smooth travel to the sporting event even as the White House tightens immigration rules.
00:17FIFA Pass was introduced in part because citizens of some countries whose teams have qualified for the tournament may not otherwise receive appointments in time.
00:25But doubts remain as to whether fans from all of them will be able to enter the country.
00:30The US State Department says having an appointment does not guarantee visa approval and that all ticket holders will undergo thorough security screening and vetting.
00:39It adds that a visa processing pause for 75 countries, 15 of which are qualified for the tournament, does not apply to non-immigrant visas like those required by tourists, athletes and the media.
00:51However, fans from Ivory Coast and Senegal, both under a partial visa ban, appear unlikely to be able to travel to the US.
01:00The US State Department says the first half of the country's
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