You now have to wait a year for US visa
What's the story
Visa seekers for the United States are facing unprecedented delays, with the appointment wait times exceeding a year in some places in India.
The situation has become so dire that applicants are now considering rescheduling their appointments in other countries.
To note, the new changes to the visa process include a 120-day booking ban on applicants who miss their scheduled appointments and limiting rescheduling options to just once.
Impact
Visa delays impact business travelers, students
The delays are not only affecting students but also business and leisure travelers.
Kapil Jain, co-founder of Fly Divine Travels, said appointment delays have now breached the one-year mark.
He added rejection rates have also gone up with applicants being rejected despite solid documentation.
This has forced some applicants to fly to countries like Singapore and Thailand for timely appointments.
Interview scrutiny
US visa interviews become more stringent
Mohak Nahta, CEO of visa platform Atlys, noted a rise in the scrutiny of US visa applications in 2025.
He said interviewers are asking sharper questions about travel plans and intent.
The US Embassy in India has also been cracking down on illegal immigration facilitation by travel agencies, canceling around 2,000 appointments made by bots.
China
Chinese students face visa challenges too
Chinese international students are also feeling the heat of Washington's visa crackdown.
The US State Department has announced plans to "aggressively" revoke visas for those exploiting American universities or stealing research.
This could affect a large number of the 277,000 Chinese students already studying in the US.
If these measures are implemented broadly, they could disrupt income sources for universities and talent pipelines for tech companies.