2 hrs ago
Indian US Visa Waits Reach 346 Days Amid Staffing Crunch
Many people in India want to visit the United States for tourism or business.
There are not enough visa officers to handle all the applications quickly.
Because of this, some applicants waited an average of 346 days for an interview in 2025.
Tourist and business appointments currently take about 6.5 to 12 months, depending on the Indian city.
Student and exchange-visitor applicants generally face shorter waits.
Some work-related visa categories also have shorter waits than tourist and business visas.
The regular application fee for many visas is $185.
A new $250 Visa Integrity Fee was legislated in addition to other fees.
Applicants are advised to apply early and check for earlier appointment slots.
Indian applicants waited an average of 346 days for a US non-immigrant visa interview in fiscal year 2025, compared with 42 days before the Covid-19 pandemic.
India recorded 1.45 million non-immigrant visa applications in FY2025, handled by 68 consular officers.
B1/B2 appointment waits were estimated at 12 months in Hyderabad, 11.5 months in Mumbai, 10 months in New Delhi, 7.5 months in Chennai and 6.5 months in Kolkata.
US non-immigrant visa officers fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025, while visitor-visa adjudications rose to 11.7 million.
The B1/B2 application fee is $185, and Congress legislated an additional $250 Visa Integrity Fee under a 2025 immigration law.
- Who
- Indian applicants seeking US non-immigrant visas, particularly tourist and business travelers.
- What
- Visa interview waits and application costs have increased, with an average 346-day wait for Indian applicants in FY2025.
- Where
- US consular posts in India, including Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
- When
- The GAO report covers fiscal years 2019 through 2025; the latest appointment data was updated on September 17, 2026.
- Why
- Application demand has grown while the number of US consular officers handling non-immigrant visas has declined.
Key facts
- Average Indian wait
- 346 days for a non-immigrant visa interview in FY2025
- India applications
- 1.45 million non-immigrant visa applications in FY2025
- India consular staffing
- 68 officers handled those applications
- B1/B2 fee
- $185 standard application processing fee
- Additional fee
- A $250 Visa Integrity Fee was legislated under the 2025 immigration law
- US staffing change
- Non-immigrant visa officers fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025
- Visitor-visa workload
- US visitor-visa adjudications rose from 9.2 million in FY2019 to 11.7 million in FY2025
Sources
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