US nonimmigrant visa interview wait averages 346 days in FY2025
If you're planning a trip to the US from India, brace yourself: a new report says the average wait for a nonimmigrant visa interview hit 346 days in FY2025.
The main reasons? Sky-high demand and not enough staff at consulates.
Even though 11.7 million visitor visas were adjudicated in FY2025, the number of officers dropped sharply from 1,342 to just 904.
US visa workload: India 1,455,255 applications
India tops the chart for visa workload, with 1,455,255 nonimmigrant visa applications in FY2025 and only 68 officers; each officer handled 21,401 cases, way more than their counterparts in China or Brazil.
These long waits affect Indians seeking US visitor visas for tourism, family visits or business travel, as well as other temporary visas that require consular processing.
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has suggested better staffing alignment, but so far changes have been slow.