US visa wait times: Indians benefit as Delhi and Chennai speeds rise

Several Indian cities are reporting shorter US visa wait times this month, with faster movement in student and visitor categories, even as some global posts continue to see long delays

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Applying for a US visa? There is some good news for Indian applicants this month, with several cities reporting shorter wait times for key categories. New Delhi, Chennai and other posts have seen noticeable changes in next available appointments, even as some global locations continue to face long queues.

 

Appointment wait times

 

According to the US State Department, New Delhi recorded a sharp drop in next available appointment wait times for F, M and J visas, falling from two months to half a month.

 

Shanghai saw next available appointments for H, L, O, P and Q visas nearly triple from under half a month to three months when compared with the October global visa wait time report.

 

Chennai’s interview-required B-1/B-2 average wait times moved from five months to “N/A”, while next available interview-required appointments shortened from a five-month wait to a three-month wait compared with the October report.

 

In New Delhi, B-1/B-2 interview-required wait times halved from 6.5 months to 3.5 months compared with the October update.

 

The cities or posts with the longest average waits for B-1/B-2 interview-required visas remain Toronto (16.5 months), San Jose (13 months), Lagos (12.5 months), Merida (11.5 months) and Ottawa (11 months).

 

Indian cities: US visa wait times (latest update)

 

New Delhi

B-1/B-2 average wait time: 3.5 months

B-1/B-2 next available appointment: 10 months

F, M, J next available appointment: 0.5 months

H, L, O, P, Q next available appointment: NA

 

Chennai

B-1/B-2 average wait time: NA

B-1/B-2 next available appointment: 3 months

F, M, J next available appointment: 2 months

H, L, O, P, Q next available appointment: 1 month

 

Kolkata

B-1/B-2 average wait time: 4.5 months

B-1/B-2 next available appointment: 5 months

F, M, J next available appointment: 2.5 months

H, L, O, P, Q next available appointment: NA

 

Hyderabad

B-1/B-2 average wait time: 4 months

B-1/B-2 next available appointment: 5 months

F, M, J next available appointment: 2.5 months

H, L, O, P, Q next available appointment: 2 months

 

Mumbai

B-1/B-2 average wait time: 9.5 months

B-1/B-2 next available appointment: 9.5 months

F, M, J next available appointment: 3 months

H, L, O, P, Q next available appointment: 1 month

 

What do the visa categories mean?

 

B-1/B-2

B-1 is for short business visits; B-2 is for tourism, family visits or medical travel.

 

F visas

F visas are for academic students enrolled in degree-granting or language-training programmes.

 

M visas

M visas are for students in vocational or technical training courses.

 

J visas

J visas are for exchange visitors, including researchers, interns, teachers and trainees.

 

H visas

H visas cover temporary workers, including H-1B speciality-occupation workers and H-2 seasonal staff.

 

L visas

L visas are for intra-company transferees moving to a US branch of their employer.

 

O visas

O visas are for individuals with extraordinary ability in fields such as science, arts, education or sport.

 

P visas

P visas are for athletes, entertainers and artists performing in the United States.

 

Q visas

Q visas are for participants in cultural exchange programmes approved by the US government.

 

What does ‘average wait time’ mean?

 

Monthly updates from the State Department show the average wait time for non-immigrant visa interviews and the estimated time until the next available appointment for visitor visas. These figures do not guarantee that an applicant will get an appointment within that exact period.

 

US embassies and consulates add extra appointment slots on a rolling basis. Anyone who wants an earlier date after scheduling an interview can check the system regularly and move to any newly available slot.

 

How can applicants check for earlier appointments?

 

The State Department counts months in 30-day blocks and half-months in 15-day blocks. These calculations include weekends and holidays when embassies are closed. Because new appointments are added frequently, an applicant may secure a sooner date.

 

Once an interview is scheduled, applicants can monitor the appointment system and shift to an earlier slot if one opens up.

 

What happened to the interview waiver (‘Dropbox’) policy?

 

Meanwhile, the long-running interview waiver policy, widely known as “Dropbox”, has been withdrawn for foreign workers on temporary visas, international students on F-1 visas and several other categories of travellers. Many applicants who previously qualified for a no-interview renewal are now back in the queue for in-person appointments.

 

The eligibility rules were last updated on September 18 and took effect from October 1, leaving most travellers dependent on interview slots to complete their applications.