Last Synced Sep 28, 2026

U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times

U.S. visa appointment wait times currently run under 2 weeks for most work visas and about 1 month for visitor visas. See every consulate you can use, ranked by the soonest interview.

Find the shortest wait near you

Compare Wait Times at Every U.S. Consulate

Work visas (H, L, O, P, Q): current typical appointment wait under 2 weeks. Fastest: under 2 weeks. Slowest: 6 months.

Visitor visas (B1/B2): current typical appointment wait 1 month. Fastest: under 2 weeks. Slowest: 21 months at Sydney.

Find your closest consulates

Add every country you hold a passport from.

Only if it’s different from your citizenship.

Work (H-1B, L-1, O-1), visitor (B1/B2), student (F, M, J) and more.

Showing all 241 U.S. embassies and consulates, ranked by next available petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q) appointment.

U.S. consulates in the selected countries, ranked by next available Petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q) appointment.
AbidjanCôte d'Ivoire< 0.5 Month
AccraGhana< 0.5 Month
AmsterdamNetherlands< 0.5 Month
AnkaraTürkiye< 0.5 Month
ApiaSamoa< 0.5 Month
AshgabatTurkmenistan< 0.5 Month
AsuncionParaguay< 0.5 Month
AthensGreece< 0.5 Month
BakuAzerbaijan< 0.5 Month
Bandar Seri BegawanBrunei< 0.5 Month
BelfastUnited Kingdom< 0.5 Month
BelmopanBelize< 0.5 Month
BishkekKyrgyzstan< 0.5 Month
BogotaColombia< 0.5 Month
BrasiliaBrazil< 0.5 Month
BratislavaSlovakia< 0.5 Month
BridgetownBarbados< 0.5 Month
BrusselsBelgium< 0.5 Month
BucharestRomania< 0.5 Month
BudapestHungary< 0.5 Month
Buenos AiresArgentina< 0.5 Month
Cape TownSouth Africa< 0.5 Month
ChisinauMoldova< 0.5 Month
ColomboSri Lanka< 0.5 Month
CuracaoCuraçao< 0.5 Month
DakarSenegal< 0.5 Month
Dar Es SalaamTanzania< 0.5 Month
DhahranSaudi Arabia< 0.5 Month
DhakaBangladesh< 0.5 Month
DjiboutiDjibouti< 0.5 Month
DublinIreland< 0.5 Month
DushanbeTajikistan< 0.5 Month
GeorgetownGuyana< 0.5 Month
GuadalajaraMexico< 0.5 Month
Guatemala CityGuatemala< 0.5 Month
HalifaxCanada< 0.5 Month
HamiltonBermuda< 0.5 Month
HanoiVietnam< 0.5 Month
HelsinkiFinland< 0.5 Month
HermosilloMexico< 0.5 Month
Ho Chi Minh CityVietnam< 0.5 Month
Hong KongHong Kong SAR< 0.5 Month
IstanbulTürkiye< 0.5 Month
JakartaIndonesia< 0.5 Month
JeddahSaudi Arabia< 0.5 Month
JerusalemJerusalem< 0.5 Month
KathmanduNepal< 0.5 Month
KingstonJamaica< 0.5 Month
KoloniaMicronesia< 0.5 Month
KrakowPoland< 0.5 Month
Kuala LumpurMalaysia< 0.5 Month
La PazBolivia< 0.5 Month
LagosNigeria< 0.5 Month
LibrevilleGabon< 0.5 Month
LimaPeru< 0.5 Month
LjubljanaSlovenia< 0.5 Month
LondonUnited Kingdom< 0.5 Month
LuandaAngola< 0.5 Month
LuxembourgLuxembourg< 0.5 Month
MadridSpain< 0.5 Month
MajuroMarshall Islands< 0.5 Month
ManaguaNicaragua< 0.5 Month
ManamaBahrain< 0.5 Month
ManilaPhilippines< 0.5 Month
MeridaMexico< 0.5 Month
MonterreyMexico< 0.5 Month
MontevideoUruguay< 0.5 Month
MunichGermany< 0.5 Month
NicosiaCyprus< 0.5 Month
NogalesMexico< 0.5 Month
Nuevo LaredoMexico< 0.5 Month
OsloNorway< 0.5 Month
Panama CityPanama< 0.5 Month
ParamariboSuriname< 0.5 Month
ParisFrance< 0.5 Month
PerthAustralia< 0.5 Month
PodgoricaMontenegro< 0.5 Month
Port LouisMauritius< 0.5 Month
Port MoresbyPapua New Guinea< 0.5 Month
Port Of SpainTrinidad and Tobago< 0.5 Month
PragueCzechia< 0.5 Month
PraiaCabo Verde< 0.5 Month
PristinaKosovo< 0.5 Month
QuitoEcuador< 0.5 Month
RangoonBurma< 0.5 Month
RecifeBrazil< 0.5 Month
ReykjavikIceland< 0.5 Month
RigaLatvia< 0.5 Month
Rio De JaneiroBrazil< 0.5 Month
San JoseCosta Rica< 0.5 Month
San SalvadorEl Salvador< 0.5 Month
Santo DomingoDominican Republic< 0.5 Month
Sao PauloBrazil< 0.5 Month
SarajevoBosnia and Herzegovina< 0.5 Month
SeoulSouth Korea< 0.5 Month
SingaporeSingapore< 0.5 Month
SkopjeNorth Macedonia< 0.5 Month
SofiaBulgaria< 0.5 Month
StockholmSweden< 0.5 Month
SurabayaIndonesia< 0.5 Month
SydneyAustralia< 0.5 Month
TaipeiTaiwan< 0.5 Month
TallinnEstonia< 0.5 Month
TashkentUzbekistan< 0.5 Month
TbilisiGeorgia< 0.5 Month
TegucigalpaHonduras< 0.5 Month
TijuanaMexico< 0.5 Month
TiranaAlbania< 0.5 Month
UlaanbaatarMongolia< 0.5 Month
VallettaMalta< 0.5 Month
ViennaAustria< 0.5 Month
VientianeLaos< 0.5 Month
VilniusLithuania< 0.5 Month
WarsawPoland< 0.5 Month
YaoundeCameroon< 0.5 Month
YerevanArmenia< 0.5 Month
ZagrebCroatia< 0.5 Month
Abu DhabiUnited Arab Emirates0.5 Month
AlgiersAlgeria0.5 Month
RiyadhSaudi Arabia0.5 Month
AlmatyKazakhstan1 Month
AmmanJordan1 Month
AstanaKazakhstan1 Month
AucklandNew Zealand1 Month
BangkokThailand1 Month
BerlinGermany1 Month
CairoEgypt1 Month
Ciudad JuarezMexico1 Month
CopenhagenDenmark1 Month
JohannesburgSouth Africa1 Month
KarachiPakistan1 Month
KigaliRwanda1 Month
KolkataIndia1 Month
KororPalau1 Month
LilongweMalawi1 Month
LisbonPortugal1 Month
LomeTogo1 Month
MatamorosMexico1 Month
Mexico CityMexico1 Month
NairobiKenya1 Month
NaplesItaly1 Month
NassauBahamas1 Month
Osaka/KobeJapan1 Month
Porto AlegreBrazil1 Month
ShenyangChina1 Month
SuvaFiji1 Month
Tel AvivIsrael1 Month
TunisTunisia1 Month
BeirutLebanon1.5 Months
CalgaryCanada1.5 Months
Chennai (Madras)India1.5 Months
FlorenceItaly1.5 Months
GuayaquilEcuador1.5 Months
MelbourneAustralia1.5 Months
MilanItaly1.5 Months
Mumbai (Bombay)India1.5 Months
NahaJapan1.5 Months
Phnom PenhCambodia1.5 Months
SantiagoChile1.5 Months
TokyoJapan1.5 Months
TorontoCanada1.5 Months
BelgradeSerbia2 Months
BernSwitzerland2 Months
FrankfurtGermany2 Months
MalaboEquatorial Guinea2 Months
MuscatOman2 Months
OttawaCanada2 Months
RomeItaly2 Months
Addis AbabaEthiopia2.5 Months
GuangzhouChina2.5 Months
CasablancaMorocco3 Months
New DelhiIndia3 Months
QuebecCanada3 Months
DohaQatar3.5 Months
ShanghaiChina3.5 Months
DubaiUnited Arab Emirates4.5 Months
IslamabadPakistan4.5 Months
WuhanChina4.5 Months
HyderabadIndia5.5 Months
MonroviaLiberia5.5 Months
VancouverCanada5.5 Months
BaghdadIraq6 Months
BeijingChina6 Months
ErbilIraq6 Months
AbujaNigeriaNot published
AdanaTürkiyeNot published
AntananarivoMadagascarNot published
AsmaraEritreaNot published
BamakoMaliNot published
BanguiCentral African RepublicNot published
BanjulGambiaNot published
BarcelonaSpainNot published
BrazzavilleRepublic of the CongoNot published
BujumburaBurundiNot published
CanberraAustraliaNot published
CaracasVenezuelaNot published
ChengduChinaNot published
Chiang MaiThailandNot published
ConakryGuineaNot published
CotonouBeninNot published
DamascusSyriaNot published
DiliTimor-LesteNot published
DurbanSouth AfricaNot published
EdinburghUnited KingdomNot published
FreetownSierra LeoneNot published
FukuokaJapanNot published
GaboroneBotswanaNot published
HarareZimbabweNot published
HavanaCubaNot published
JubaSouth SudanNot published
KabulAfghanistanNot published
KampalaUgandaNot published
KaohsiungTaiwanNot published
KhartoumSudanNot published
KinshasaDemocratic Republic of the CongoNot published
KuwaitKuwaitNot published
KyivUkraineNot published
LahorePakistanNot published
LusakaZambiaNot published
MaputoMozambiqueNot published
MarseilleFranceNot published
MaseruLesothoNot published
MbabaneEswatiniNot published
Mexicali TpfMexicoNot published
MinskBelarusNot published
MontrealCanadaNot published
N`DjamenaChadNot published
NiameyNigerNot published
NouakchottMauritaniaNot published
OuagadougouBurkina FasoNot published
Ponta DelgadaPortugalNot published
Port Au PrinceHaitiNot published
PretoriaSouth AfricaNot published
SanaaYemenNot published
SapporoJapanNot published
St GeorgesGrenadaNot published
St PetersburgRussiaNot published
TripoliLibyaNot published
VladivostokRussiaNot published
WindhoekNamibiaNot published
YekaterinburgRussiaNot published

Source: Global Visa Wait Times, U.S. Department of State. Updated September 17, 2026.

Wait times by country

U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times in India

U.S. visa appointment wait times in India currently run 1 to 5.5 months for work visas and 6.5 to 12 months for visitor visas. India has five U.S. consulates, and the gap between the fastest and slowest is several months.

Which Indian consulate is fastest?

Kolkata currently has the shortest wait for both work and visitor visas. Hyderabad has the longest. If you’re applying for H-1B visa stamping, see our guide to H-1B and H-4 appointment delays.

Next available U.S. visa appointment at each consulate in India, for Petition-based (H, L, O, P, Q) and Visitor (B1/B2) visas, from Department of State data.
Kolkata1 Month6.5 Months
Chennai (Madras)1.5 Months7.5 Months
Mumbai (Bombay)1.5 Months11.5 Months
New Delhi3 Months10 Months
Hyderabad5.5 Months12 Months

Source: Global Visa Wait Times, U.S. Department of State. Updated September 17, 2026.

How to read this

How to Read U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times

What does “next available” mean?
It’s the Department of State’s estimate of how soon you could get an interview if you booked today. This page ranks by it. The average wait is different: it looks back at how long people actually waited last month, from fee payment to interview. The Department of State only publishes it for visitor visas at consulates with waits over 3 months, so it’s blank for most consulates.
Is there a separate H-1B wait time?
No. The Department of State publishes one combined wait time for all work visas that need an approved petition: H (including H-1B), L, O, P and Q. Consulates release new slots often, and you can usually move to an earlier appointment after you book.
Which consulates can I use?
Usually the ones in your country of citizenship or the country where you live. That’s why this tool asks for both. Some consulates accept applicants from other countries, but many limit it. See the Department of State’s note on adjudicating applicants in their country of residence.

Before you use these numbers

Do You Need a Visa Interview? The Interview Waiver (Dropbox) Explained

Interview waiver

Some applicants can skip the in-person interview. This is called an interview waiver, commonly known as “dropbox.” Since October 1, 2025, the Department of State has sharply limited who qualifies. Most work and student visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, E-1/E-2, F-1, J-1) no longer qualify.

Who qualifies?

The Department of State sets the rules, and each consulate applies them. It’s now mostly limited to diplomatic and official visas, and to B1/B2 visitor and H-2A visa renewals within 12 months of the previous visa’s expiration.

How to check

Visit the website of the embassy or consulate where you’d apply.

Find your embassy or consulate

Frequently Asked Questions

U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times FAQ

Questions about interviewing at a particular consulate? Our immigration experts are here to help.

A few weeks to several months. It depends on three waits: petition approval by USCIS (work visas only, often months), the interview appointment (under 2 weeks to 21 months, shown on this page) and visa issuance (usually a few business days, longer if your case goes into administrative processing).
The typical wait is under 2 weeks for work visas and 1 month for visitor visas. Waits depend more on the consulate than the visa type: up to 6 months for work visas and 21 months for visitor visas.
Almost always. Since September 2, 2025, the Department of State has limited interview waivers (“dropbox”) mostly to B1/B2 visitor visa renewals and diplomatic visas. Most work and student visa applicants now need an in-person interview.
For wait times, use the table on this page (the Department of State's estimate, updated monthly). For live open slots, log in to your consulate's appointment system from its website. New slots open often. Be careful with services that promise to find slots.
Each consulate sets its own schedule based on staff and local demand, so consulates in the same country can differ by months. In countries with several consulates, the gap between them is often bigger than the gap between countries.
Book through the official appointment system for your consulate. First complete the DS-160, pay the visa fee, and have an approved petition (work visas only). Some consulates let you move to an earlier slot later, so check the rules first.
Monthly. This page shows the figures the Department of State published on September 17, 2026.
Sometimes, but don't count on it. The Department of State expects you to apply where you're a citizen or live. Some consulates accept "third country nationals," but many limit or refuse it. Check before you book.
No. This page covers nonimmigrant visas only. Green card interviews abroad are scheduled by the National Visa Center and tracked in the Department of State’s IV Scheduling Status Tool.
Data from
U.S. Department of State
Source
Global Visa Wait Times
Updated
Monthly, by State
Source data
September 17, 2026
Ellis last synced
September 21, 2026
Wait times
Estimates; change without notice

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