US visa: Interview wait nears one year in India; each officer handles over 21,000 applications, says report
India, Mexico, China and Brazil identified staffing levels relative to visa demand as one of the factors affecting interview wait times
- Sep 29, 2026,
- Updated Sep 29, 2026 3:07 PM IST
US visa applicants in India are facing extended interview waits, with the weighted average time to secure a nonimmigrant visa interview reaching 346 days in FY2025. The long waits are partly due to staffing levels that have not kept pace with demand, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
India’s visa workload among highest
The GAO report, published on Monday, found that US consular officers in India handled an average of 21,401 nonimmigrant visa applications per officer in FY2025. India received 1,455,255 nonimmigrant visa applications, while just 68 consular officers were working on such visas.
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Among the four countries examined in detail by the GAO, India recorded a higher applications-per-officer workload than Brazil and China, while Mexico had a similar level. The weighted average interview wait was 34 days in China, 32 days in Brazil and 283 days in Mexico, compared with 346 days in India.
Wait times rose sharply after pandemic
The average wait for a visitor visa interview in India increased from 42 days in FY2019 to 346 days in FY2025. The report said visitor visa adjudications worldwide had also rebounded strongly, reaching 11.7 million in FY2025, compared with 9.2 million in FY2019.
At the same time, the number of US consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025. GAO said the decline was associated with hiring freezes and attrition.
Staffing pressure behind long queues
GAO said officials in India, Mexico, China and Brazil identified staffing levels relative to visa demand as one of the factors affecting interview wait times. In India, the combination of high application volumes and fewer officers meant each officer handled a significantly larger workload.
The report also noted that the US State Department had not consistently conducted its Global Repositioning Exercise (GREX), a process intended to assess workloads and help align staffing with demand. The exercise was not conducted in FY2024 and FY2025 amid changing policy priorities.
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GAO recommends regular staffing review
GAO recommended that the State Department establish a mechanism requiring the Bureau of Consular Affairs to conduct the staffing exercise consistently. The agency said it neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation, while GAO maintained that the recommendation remains valid.
The 346-day figure refers to the wait to obtain a visa interview, not the time required for a final visa decision, the report clarified. The US State Department separately publishes visa appointment wait-time information and notes that estimated waits do not guarantee a specific appointment date.
US visa applicants in India are facing extended interview waits, with the weighted average time to secure a nonimmigrant visa interview reaching 346 days in FY2025. The long waits are partly due to staffing levels that have not kept pace with demand, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
India’s visa workload among highest
The GAO report, published on Monday, found that US consular officers in India handled an average of 21,401 nonimmigrant visa applications per officer in FY2025. India received 1,455,255 nonimmigrant visa applications, while just 68 consular officers were working on such visas.
READ THIS: US targets ‘birth tourism’ networks: What the new visa restrictions mean for Indians
Among the four countries examined in detail by the GAO, India recorded a higher applications-per-officer workload than Brazil and China, while Mexico had a similar level. The weighted average interview wait was 34 days in China, 32 days in Brazil and 283 days in Mexico, compared with 346 days in India.
Wait times rose sharply after pandemic
The average wait for a visitor visa interview in India increased from 42 days in FY2019 to 346 days in FY2025. The report said visitor visa adjudications worldwide had also rebounded strongly, reaching 11.7 million in FY2025, compared with 9.2 million in FY2019.
At the same time, the number of US consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025. GAO said the decline was associated with hiring freezes and attrition.
Staffing pressure behind long queues
GAO said officials in India, Mexico, China and Brazil identified staffing levels relative to visa demand as one of the factors affecting interview wait times. In India, the combination of high application volumes and fewer officers meant each officer handled a significantly larger workload.
The report also noted that the US State Department had not consistently conducted its Global Repositioning Exercise (GREX), a process intended to assess workloads and help align staffing with demand. The exercise was not conducted in FY2024 and FY2025 amid changing policy priorities.
ALSO READ: ‘We’re not going to let you...’: JD Vance issues fresh H-1B warning to US companies
GAO recommends regular staffing review
GAO recommended that the State Department establish a mechanism requiring the Bureau of Consular Affairs to conduct the staffing exercise consistently. The agency said it neither agreed nor disagreed with the recommendation, while GAO maintained that the recommendation remains valid.
The 346-day figure refers to the wait to obtain a visa interview, not the time required for a final visa decision, the report clarified. The US State Department separately publishes visa appointment wait-time information and notes that estimated waits do not guarantee a specific appointment date.