Press Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in Accra, Matthew Asada, says a new initiative known as the FIFA PASS will make it easier for Ghanaian football fans to secure U.S. visas ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
According to him, the FIFA PASS officially called the FIFA Prioritised Appointment Scheduling System will allow non-immigrant visa applicants who are verified FIFA World Cup ticket holders to access priority visa interview appointments before the tournament begins.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Citi FM on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, Asada said the Embassy is committed to ensuring that fans who wish to travel to watch the tournament can do so with minimal stress.
“This will ensure that any non-immigrant visa applicant who is a vetted FIFA 2026 World Cup ticket holder is able to get an appointment before the World Cup itself,” he explained.
Although the system is yet to be fully rolled out, Asada said more details will be announced in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, he disclosed that the U.S. Embassy in Accra has already opened thousands of additional non-immigrant visa appointment slots, with availability beginning this week. This follows the deployment of additional consular officers to help meet rising demand.
“We’ve already released visa appointments for this week and next week, and we’ll continue releasing them in batches. This is part of our commitment to ensuring a successful tournament,” he added.
Asada also encouraged applicants with existing long-dated appointments to regularly check the visa scheduling system, noting that earlier dates may become available.
