Indian applicants faced an average wait of 346 days for a US visitor visa interview during fiscal year 2025, highlighting the severe pressure on the US consular system in India.
The figure comes from a US Government Accountability Office audit, which found that demand for nonimmigrant visas in India had grown faster than available consular staffing. However, the 346-day figure is a historical FY2025 average and does not mean that every Indian applicant currently has to wait exactly 346 days.
India Had 1.45 Million Visa Applications
The audit found that India received approximately 1,455,255 nonimmigrant visa applications during FY2025.
Only 68 US consular officers were working on nonimmigrant visas in India during that period. This translated into an average workload of around 21,401 applications per officer.
The 346-day figure specifically refers to the average time applicants waited to obtain an interview for a visitor visa. It does not include the time required to make a final decision after the interview.
Wait Was More Than Eight Times The Pre-Pandemic Average
Before the pandemic, Indian applicants waited an average of around 42 days for a visitor visa interview.
The FY2025 average of 346 days therefore represents a dramatic increase.
Worldwide, the weighted average waiting period for a US visitor visa interview increased from 26 days in FY2019 to 201 days in FY2025.
India ranked seventh among the countries with the longest average visitor visa interview waits in the GAO assessment.
Why Are The Queues So Long?
The GAO identified a mismatch between visa demand and consular staffing as a major factor.
US visa demand recovered strongly after the pandemic, with visitor visa adjudications eventually exceeding pre-pandemic levels. However, the number of consular officers handling nonimmigrant visas fell to 904 globally in FY2025, compared with 1,342 in FY2024.
In India, the combination of high application volumes and limited staffing resulted in a particularly heavy workload.
Current Wait Times Also Vary By City
More recent US State Department data shows that appointment availability differs significantly between Indian cities.
As of the September 17 update, the estimated next available B1/B2 appointment was around 12 months in Hyderabad, 11.5 months in Mumbai, 10 months in New Delhi, 7.5 months in Chennai and 6.5 months in Kolkata.
These figures are different from the 346-day GAO figure because they relate to a later period and current appointment availability.
Student And Work Visa Waits Are Shorter
The long queues are concentrated primarily in visitor visas.
Student and exchange visitor categories have substantially shorter appointment waits in several Indian cities. Petition-based work visa categories such as H, L and O also have shorter queues than B1/B2 visitor visas at several posts.
The US State Department also regularly releases additional appointment slots, meaning published wait times can change.
346 Days Does Not Mean One Year To Get The Visa
For Indian travellers, the most important distinction is between the interview wait and the overall visa process.
The 346-day figure represents the historical average time to secure a visitor visa interview during FY2025. It does not represent the time taken to process the application after the interview.
Actual waiting times can vary depending on the consular post, visa category and appointment availability.
Summary
Indian applicants waited an average of 346 days for a US visitor visa interview during FY2025, according to a US government audit. India handled about 1.45 million nonimmigrant visa applications with 68 consular officers. Current appointment waits also remain long at several Indian posts, although student and work visa categories generally have shorter queues than visitor visas.
