Good news for Indian US visa applicants: Visa wait times drop sharply in these cities

In a welcoming turn of events amid ongoing discussions over US visa processing, Indian applicants are seeing significantly reduced wait times for key visa categories. Cities like New Delhi and Chennai have recorded notable changes in the availability of next appointments, bringing relief to many hopefuls.

According to the latest updates from the US State Department, New Delhi has experienced a major reduction in wait times for F, M, and J visas, with processing times now down to just 0.5 months, a dramatic drop from the previous two-month wait. 

The improvement extends to Chennai, where B-1/B-2 interviews have now been marked as “N/A,” indicating substantial advancements in availability. In comparison, these categories used to see waits of up to five months in previous updates.

Other cities also report positive trends. For example, Mumbai and Kolkata have witnessed noticeable reductions in B-1/B-2 and F, M, J wait times. In Mumbai, the wait for F, M, J visas has decreased to 3 months, while Kolkata’s F, M, J slots are now available in just 2.5 months.

Here’s a table summarising the changes in US visa wait times across key cities in India:

The long-awaited changes come amid a growing global backlog, with places like Shanghai seeing a sharp rise in wait times for H, L, O, P, Q visas, tripling from under one month to three months in just one month’s time.

As the US continues to release new appointments, applicants are encouraged to check regularly for potential earlier slots. The State Department’s estimates account for weekends and holidays, and many new appointments are added frequently, presenting more opportunities to secure an earlier date.