The waiting time for application for B 1 business and B 2 tourist visas continues to go up to almost 1,000 days, even though the median worldwide time has come down to about two months globally. The US State Department website says that applicants have to wait 999 days in Mumbai, 994 days in Hyderabad, 961 days in Delhi, 948 days in Chennai and 904 days in Kolkata. A first-time B1 or B 2 visa applicant from India may get an interview date sometime in 2025.
The US State Department said in a media release, the median wait time for a tourist visa B 1 B 2 interview appointment is around two months, and applicants with urgent travel needs who meet certain criteria can apply for an emergency appointment, usually within a few days. We are committed to continuing our progress and reducing visa interview time as quickly as possible, according to the website. The US Embassy said that wait time for non-immigrant visa applicants has gone up due to reduced workforce and coronaviruses-related restrictions in operations since March 2020. The US Embassy stated that due to the reduced staffing and numerous pandemic-related disruptions to our operations since March 2020, appointment demand is high across all visa categories and wait times may be long for most routine nonimmigrant visa appointments at the US Embassy New Delhi and the consulates in Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The wait is limited to only those applicants who don't qualify for the drop box application or interview waiver in India. Students and exchange visitors are eligible for the drop box facility, which is a process of applying for the renewal of a US visa without an interview and businesses and tourism B 1 B 2 visas work H 1 - B and L visas, and students and exchange visitors are eligible for this facility.
The State Department said at the end of FY 2022 it processed 94 per cent of non-immigrant visas and 130 per cent of immigrant visas at the end of FY 2022 compared to FY 2019 and that it processed 130 per cent of non-immigrant visas at the end of FY 2022 despite a likely delay in the visa process. It added that the US embassies worldwide are still adding more staff abroad, but have implemented measures that allow them to do more work with less resources.