Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Indian Applicants Face 346-Day US Visa Interview Waits
Many people in India want to visit the United States for holidays, family visits or business.
There are many more visa applications than before, but fewer US officers are available to process them.
Because of this, Indian applicants waited an average of 346 days for an interview in fiscal year 2025.
This average does not mean every person waited exactly that long.
Tourist and business appointments had especially long waits in several Indian cities.
Student and exchange-visitor applicants generally had shorter waits.
Some temporary work visa categories also had shorter waits than tourist and business visas.
Applicants pay a regular fee, and a new additional fee has also been legislated.
US officials must also consider security checks while trying to process applications faster.
Indian applicants waited an average of 346 days for a US non-immigrant visa interview in FY2025, compared with 42 days before the pandemic.
India recorded 1,455,255 non-immigrant visa applications and had 68 consular officers, or about 21,401 applications per officer.
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 visitor-visa adjudications rose from 9.2 million in FY2019 to 11.7 million in FY2025, while non-immigrant visa officers fell to 904.
The standard B1/B2 application fee is $185, and Congress legislated an additional $250 Visa Integrity Fee under the 2025 immigration law.
- Who
- Indian applicants seeking US non-immigrant visas, especially tourist and business travelers.
- What
- Interview waits for Indian applicants reached a 346-day average in FY2025, while visa costs also increased.
- When
- The GAO report covers fiscal years 2019 through 2025; the latest appointment data cited was updated September 17, 2026.
- Where
- US consular posts in India, including Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.
- Why
- Visa demand has risen while the number of US consular officers handling non-immigrant visas has fallen; officials also must maintain screening and national security procedures.
Faster Processing and Staffing
Security and Oversight
Addressing the delays
Faster Processing and Staffing
The GAO identified staffing levels relative to demand as a major factor in long waits and recommended regular assessments to match consular staffing with workloads.
Security and Oversight
The State Department must balance faster processing with national security concerns, and most applicants are required to attend an interview.
Effect on the US economy
Faster Processing and Staffing
Long waits may reduce international tourism spending; the report said international travel and tourism contributed $176 billion to the US economy in 2025, below 2024 and pre-pandemic levels.
Security and Oversight
The articles emphasize that screening and visa adjudication remain necessary even as the department manages increased demand and limited staffing.
- Average Indian wait
- 346 days for a non-immigrant visa interview in FY2025
- Indian applications
- 1,455,255 non-immigrant visa applications in FY2025
- Indian staffing
- 68 consular officers handled those applications
- B1/B2 appointment range
- About 6.5 to 12 months across the five Indian posts cited
- US staffing change
- Non-immigrant visa officers fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025
- Visitor-visa workload
- Adjudications rose from 9.2 million in FY2019 to 11.7 million in FY2025
- Fees
- $185 standard B1/B2 application fee, plus a legislated $250 Visa Integrity Fee
