The US State Department updated its visa appointment wait times on September 17, 2026. According to the BAL U.S. Practice Group, Hyderabad and Mumbai currently have the longest B-1/B-2 waits among the four Indian posts, with next available appointments running near a year out. Student and exchange visa (F/M/J) appointments remain comparatively short across all four cities.
Mumbai’s backlog eases while Hyderabad’s grows
Compared to August’s wait time schedule, Mumbai’s B-1/B-2 backlog eased sharply, dropping from 14 to roughly 11 months. Hyderabad moved the other way, stretching toward a full year for tourist and business visa appointments.
Chennai’s missing data finally shows up
Chennai had no B-1/B-2 appointment data available in August, a gap that likely reflected a temporary pause or limited slot availability at the post. A full set of figures appeared in September. Student and exchange visa waits stayed short and largely stable across all four cities, while petition-based work visa waits at Hyderabad kept climbing.
| B-1/B-2 average wait times | |||
| City | 08/17/26 | Sept 17 | Change |
| Chennai (Madras) | 7 months | 7 months | No change |
| Hyderabad | 9.5 months | 11.5 months | Up 2 months |
| Mumbai (Bombay) | 14 months | 11 months | Down 3 months |
| New Delhi | 7.5 months | 7.5 months | No change |
| B-1/B-2 next available appointment | |||
| City | 08/17/26 | Sept 17 | Change |
| Chennai (Madras) | NA | 7.5 months | Newly listed |
| Hyderabad | 9.5 months | 12 months | Up 2.5 months |
| Mumbai (Bombay) | 14 months | 11.5 months | Down 2.5 months |
| New Delhi | 9 months | 10 months | Up 1 month |
| F, M, J visas next available appointment | |||
| City | 08/17/26 | Sept 17 | Change |
| Chennai (Madras) | NA | < 0.5 months | Newly listed |
| Hyderabad | 1.5 months | 1.5 months | No change |
| Mumbai (Bombay) | 2 months | 2.5 months | Up 0.5 months |
| New Delhi | 2.5 months | 2 months | Down 0.5 months |
Source: travel.state.gov
How the wait times are actually calculated
Wait times are calculated in months, using 30-day blocks, and half-months, using 15-day blocks. Average wait times are shown for B-1/B-2 visas only in cases where the next available appointment is more than three months away.
A pilot program lets some applicants pay to skip the line
On July 21, 2026, the State Department introduced a nonimmigrant visa expedited appointment pilot program. This lets qualified B-1/B-2 visa applicants pay an extra fee for a faster interview appointment when applying at the US Embassy and Consulates in Mexico.
Five more US embassies and consulates joined the pilot on August 18, including Mission Canada (embassy and all consulates), Embassy Bogota, Embassy Guatemala City, Embassy San Jose, and Embassy Tegucigalpa. This expands the fast-track option beyond Mexico for the first time. The pilot runs until December 1, 2026.
What “next available” actually means for your booking
Applicants should check the individual US embassy or consulate website to find out if a waiver of the in-person interview is available. Interview waiver eligibility was last updated on September 18, 2025, and became effective October 1, 2025.
The “next available appointment” figure predicts when an applicant can expect to get a slot at that location, since new appointments are added regularly, so applicants may get one sooner. Once an interview is scheduled, applicants can check the appointment scheduling system and move to an earlier slot if one opens up.
The “average wait time” shows how long people typically waited for interviews, measured from fee payment to the visa interview date, in the previous month.
Average wait times are shown for B-1/B-2 visas only when the next available appointment is more than three months away, so this figure does not apply to every post. Average wait times may differ from the next available appointment.
Because the Department regularly releases new appointments, an applicant can move to an earlier available slot and end up waiting less time overall. If they don’t move their appointment earlier, their average wait time could end up longer than the present-day next available appointment.
Disclaimer: This article is based on publicly available data from the US State Department and reporting by the BAL U.S. Practice Group. Visa wait times change frequently as embassies release new appointment slots; readers should verify current figures on the official US State Department website or the relevant embassy or consulate portal before making travel or filing decisions. This is not immigration or legal advice.