The US State Department updated visa appointment wait times on November 20, 2025.
The US interview waiver (Dropbox) policy for temporary workers, F-1 students, and other travelers has been withdrawn.
This means most applicants now need to schedule a visa appointment to get approval for their US travel.
Visa Appointment Wait Times: Key Updates
In New Delhi, the next available appointments for F, M, and J visas have dropped from 2 months to just 0.5 months.
Similarly, wait times for B-1/B-2 interview-required visas in New Delhi fell from 6.5 months to 3.5 months.
In Chennai, B-1/B-2 wait times also decreased from 5 months to 3 months.
However, in Shanghai, work visa (H, L, O, P, Q) appointments have nearly tripled, going from less than 0.5 months to 3 months.
Some cities continue to have the longest wait times for B-1/B-2 visas:
Toronto – 16.5 months
San Jose – 13 months
Lagos – 12.5 months
Merida – 11.5 months
Ottawa – 11 months
For petition-based work visas (H, L, O, P, Q), wait times range from less than 0.5 months to 3 months, with Canadian cities like Ottawa, Quebec, and Vancouver seeing longer waits of 4–4.5 months.
How Average Wait Times Work
The State Department reports average wait times for non-immigrant visa interviews, which estimate how long applicants typically wait from fee payment to the interview.
These are not guarantees that you’ll get an appointment within a specific timeframe.
New appointment slots are regularly released by US embassies and consulates.
Applicants can check the scheduling system frequently to move to earlier slots and reduce their waiting time.
The wait times are calculated in 30-day increments for months and 15-day increments for half months, including weekends and holidays.
Even if your average wait time is long, checking regularly may help you get a sooner appointment.
