E-Paper
US visa wait times: Indians face up to 12-month visitor visa delays; check city-wise timelines for all categories
Indian applicants seeking US visas continue to face substantial appointment wait times at several US consulates in India.
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Indian applicants seeking US visas continue to face substantial appointment waits at several US consulates in India, with the latest US Department of State data showing wide differences between locations and visa categories.
The State Department's Global Visa Wait Times page, updated September 17, 2026, lists appointment availability for five Indian posts, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai and New Delhi. The figures cover interview-required B1/B2 visitor visas, F/M/J student and exchange visas, petition-based H/L/O/P/Q visas and crew/transit visas.
The data shows that B1/B2 appointments remain the most delayed category across all five Indian posts, while student and exchange visa appointments are generally available considerably sooner. Work-related petition-based visas, including H and L categories, fall between those two extremes at several locations.
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B1/B2 visa wait times for Indians
For Indian travelers applying for B1/B2 visitor visas, Hyderabad currently has the longest listed next-available appointment among the five Indian posts at 12 months.
Mumbai follows at 11.5 months, while New Delhi shows 10 months. Chennai's next available appointment is listed at 7.5 months, followed by Kolkata at 6.5 months.
The State Department separately reports an average wait time for B1/B2 applicants when the next available appointment is more than three months away. On that measure, Hyderabad stands at 11.5 months, Mumbai at 11 months, New Delhi at 7.5 months, Chennai at 7 months and Kolkata at 6 months.
Student visa appointments are much shorter
The picture is different for applicants seeking F, M or J visas, which include student and exchange categories.
Chennai has a listed next appointment of less than half a month, while Hyderabad shows 1.5 months. Kolkata and New Delhi each show 2 months, and Mumbai has a 2.5-month wait.
This means an applicant's visa category can make a significant difference to the appointment timeline even when applying at the same US post.
H-1B and other work visa appointments
For petition-based categories covering H, L, O, P and Q visas, Hyderabad has the longest listed wait among the Indian posts at 5.5 months.
New Delhi lists 3 months, while Chennai and Mumbai show 1.5 months each. Kolkata has a 1-month wait for the next available appointment.
The State Department's table groups these petition-based categories together, so the figures do not represent separate appointment waits for H-1B, L-1, O-1 or each of the other individual visa classifications.
US visa wait times can change
The State Department cautions that the published figures do not guarantee that an applicant will receive an appointment within the stated period.
Consulates release additional appointment slots regularly, and applicants who already have an appointment can check the scheduling system and move to an earlier slot if one becomes available.
The department also says its figures are updated monthly. The listed waiting periods are calculated in 30-day increments, with half-month figures representing 15-day increments.
