This Indian consulate has the shortest wait time for a US visa right now. It's not Delhi or Mumbai
Visitor visa appointment wait times at the US consulate in Kolkata have eased to six months, the shortest across India. By comparison, wait times for B1/B2 visa interviews remain longer in other major consulates: Delhi at 8 months, Mumbai 9.5 months, Hyderabad 7 months, and Chennai facing the longest wait of 14 months.
The B1/B2 visa is used by Indian travelers visiting the United States for short-term business or tourism. These visas are among the most sought-after, and demand surged after the resumption of international travel post-pandemic. At the height of the backlog in 2022 and early 2023, wait times had crossed 800 days in some cities.
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This comes amid
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applicants nationwide, including business and leisure travellers, are facing increasing challenges as wait times exceed a year in some cities, rescheduling becomes difficult, and interviews grow more detailed and stringent.
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As per new updates on visa changes, from May, if applicants do not appear for their scheduled appointment for the US visa, they will be blocked from booking a new appointment for 120 days, which applies to both interview and interview-waiver appointments. Applicants can reschedule the appointment only once now, effective January 1, 2025, as opposed to twice previously, agents familiar with the matter said.
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While appointment delays have been there after the Covid-19 pandemic, timelines are now breaching the one-year mark, said Kapil Jain, cofounder and chief executive of Fly Divine Travels. 'Before January, it was taking about 8-9 months to one year for an appointment. You could get it in less than a year. But now that one year timeline is also getting breached. Rejection rates also seem to have gone up, and we know of applicants who got rejected for business and leisure visas despite solid documentation,' he added.
Applicants with serious work commitments are flying to Singapore and Thailand for appointments as they are unable to secure appointments on time in India, said Himanshu Patil, director of Kesari Tours and president of the Outbound Tour Operators Association of India. 'We are not hearing of such delays in countries like China where appointments are available in a matter of weeks. Since there is no intervention by the government, we are also helpless. One of my friends flew to Singapore for the visa appointment and thereafter, took a flight for the US from Singapore after getting his visa,' said Patil.
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