Published: 3 October 2026. If you are planning a US trip, here is the number that matters most right now: the wait for a B1/B2 visa interview appointment in India stretches up to 12 months, depending on which city you apply from. The interview itself still takes only a few minutes — getting the slot is the real bottleneck. Here is the fresh city-wise picture of US visa interview wait times, based on US State Department data updated in mid-September 2026.
The Headline Numbers: US Visa Interview Wait Times by City
For visitor visas (B1/B2) — the category used for tourism, family visits and short business trips — the next-available appointment waits looked like this in the latest State Department release:
| US post in India | B1/B2 next-available wait (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Hyderabad | 12 months |
| Mumbai | 11.5 months |
| New Delhi | 10 months |
| Chennai | 7.5 months |
| Kolkata | 6.5 months |
These figures move constantly with workload and staffing, so treat them as a snapshot, not a promise. Always check the State Department’s official Global Visa Wait Times page before fixing travel dates. The same data release also gave average waits (used when the next slot is over three months out): roughly 11.5 months in Hyderabad, 11 in Mumbai, 7.5 in New Delhi, 7 in Chennai and 6 in Kolkata.
Why US Visa Interview Wait Times Are So Long
The delay is not about slow decisions — it is about demand for slots. Two factors have piled pressure on the system. First, interview-waiver eligibility was tightened from October 2025, so most nonimmigrant applicants who earlier skipped the interview must now appear in person. Second, travel demand from India has stayed strong, and the same five posts serve the entire country. The result: the appointment queue, not the interview, became the hardest part of the whole process. For the full B1/B2 process, read our USA B1/B2 visa guide for Indians.
Student and Work Visas Move Faster
The long wait is concentrated in the visitor category. The same September data showed much shorter queues elsewhere: student and exchange (F/M/J) appointments were available in roughly 1.5–2.5 months across posts, since the US deliberately fast-tracks these around the academic year, and petition-based work visas (H/L/O/P/Q) ranged from about 1 to 5.5 months depending on the city. If your travel purpose fits a different category, your timeline could look very different — apply in the right category rather than forcing a B1/B2.
Smart Ways to Plan Around the Wait
- Apply early, not perfectly. File the DS-160 and book the earliest slot you can; you can refine travel plans later.
- Check all five posts. Wait times differ sharply by city — Kolkata and Chennai have recently been the fastest for B1/B2.
- Do not pay “slot agents.” Anyone selling guaranteed early appointments is either scamming you or misusing the system; both can harm your application.
- Expedited appointments exist for genuine emergencies (medical, funerals, urgent business) — request them only if you truly qualify.
- Keep documents ready now. When your slot finally arrives, a weak file wastes a year of waiting. Prepare bank statements, employment proof and a clear itinerary in advance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. How often do US visa wait times change?
The State Department updates the data regularly — sometimes weekly. A city’s queue can shorten or lengthen noticeably between updates, so recheck close to your planning date.
Q2. Can I choose a different city to get an earlier slot?
Indian applicants can generally book at any of the five posts, and many do pick faster cities. Factor in travel and stay costs for the interview trip before deciding.
Q3. Does paying the visa fee earlier get me a faster slot?
No. The fee must be paid before booking, but it does not influence your position in the queue. Slots are released per post capacity.
Q4. Are interview-waiver (dropbox) appointments faster?
Historically yes, but waiver eligibility was tightened in late 2025, so fewer applicants qualify now. Check current eligibility on the official scheduling website.
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