Planning a US Trip? Tourist Visa Wait Times in India Stretch to 12 Months

Planning a trip to the United States? Indian travellers may need to start the visa process well in advance, with appointment wait times for US tourist visas running into several months across all five US consular posts in India.

According to the latest US Department of State Global Visa Wait Times data, Hyderabad currently has the longest wait for a B1/B2 visitor visa, with the next available appointment listed at around 12 months. The B1/B2 category is generally used for tourism, family visits and short-term business travel.

Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi: US Visa Wait Times for Indian Applicants

Mumbai has the next-longest wait, at approximately 11.5 months, while applicants in New Delhi face a wait of around 10 months.

In Chennai, the next available B1/B2 appointment is listed at roughly 7.5 months. Kolkata currently has the shortest wait among the five Indian consular posts, at about 6.5 months.

These figures mean travellers planning a US holiday may need to begin the visa process well before booking their trip. The appointment wait is also only one stage of the process, so applicants should allow additional time for the interview and visa processing.

Why Are B1/B2 Visa Wait Times So Long?

The long queues for visitor visas contrast with the significantly shorter waits for several other nonimmigrant visa categories.

Applicants for F, M and J visas — covering students and exchange visitors — are currently seeing appointments available in less than half a month in Chennai, around 1.5 months in Hyderabad, and approximately two months in Kolkata and New Delhi. Mumbai has a wait of around 2.5 months for these categories.

B1/B2 visas serve a large pool of travellers, including tourists, people visiting family and those travelling for short-term business. High demand for these appointments can therefore result in substantially longer queues.

Can You Get an Earlier US Visa Appointment?

The wait times published by the US State Department are not fixed dates. Appointment availability can change when consulates add new slots.

Applicants who secure an appointment may continue monitoring the scheduling system for earlier openings and, where permitted, reschedule if a more convenient date becomes available. However, there is no guarantee that an earlier slot will be released.

What Should Indian Travellers Do?

Anyone planning a US holiday should factor the current visa appointment timelines into their travel plans rather than waiting until a few months before departure.

Whether the trip involves a holiday in New York, a family visit, a road trip or an event such as a wedding, travellers should allow sufficient time for the visa process.

It may also be prudent to avoid making non-refundable travel bookings before obtaining the required visa. Appointment availability can change, but securing an earlier slot is not guaranteed.

With B1/B2 appointment waits currently extending to around a year at some Indian locations, advance planning has become particularly important for travellers hoping to visit the United States.