If you are hoping to see New York in spring, visit family in New Jersey for a graduation, or drive through America's national parks next summer, the first thing to check is not airfares. It is the wait for a US visa interview. According to the latest US State Department estimates, the wait for a first-time B1/B2 visitor visa appointment in India is close to a year at several consulates.
Here is where things stand, why the waits are so long, and how to plan around them.
The latest numbers
Based on the US Department of State's global visa wait-time data dated September 17, 2026, as reported by The Times of India and Business Today, the estimated wait for the next available B1/B2 (business and tourism) interview at each Indian post is:
- Hyderabad: 12 months
- Mumbai: 11.5 months
- New Delhi: 10 months
- Chennai: 7.5 months
- Kolkata: 6.5 months
According to The Times of India, Hyderabad's wait has gone up while Mumbai's has improved slightly. Kolkata currently has the shortest wait among the five Indian posts.
These numbers are estimates, not guaranteed dates. The State Department says embassies and consulates release extra appointment slots regularly, so actual availability can change from week to week.
India is not alone
Long waits are a global problem. Business Today, citing a Visual Capitalist analysis of the same State Department data, reports that Sydney has the longest estimated wait in the world at about 21 months, followed by Toronto at about 20 months. Several other Canadian cities also have waits of 14 months or more.
Why the waits are so long
Business Today's report gives a few reasons:
- Fewer officers. Citing a US Government Accountability Office report, Visual Capitalist noted that the number of officers working on non-immigrant visas fell from 1,342 in 2024 to 904 in 2025, a drop of nearly one-third.
- High demand. India is one of the largest sources of US visitor visa applications.
- Leftover backlogs from the pandemic years, which have still not fully cleared at some posts.
What it costs to apply
Applicants, including children, must pay a non-refundable, non-transferable visa application fee (the MRV fee) before applying. The US Embassy in India says the fee must be paid whether or not a visa is issued. Check the embassy's official fee page for the current amount for your visa category.
You may also have seen reports about a new US$250 "visa integrity fee". The fee is written into US law. However, as of mid-October 2026, we could not confirm from the US Embassy in India's own pages when or how it is being collected from Indian applicants. Treat any figure you see on social media with caution, and rely only on the embassy's official fee page and payment portal.
How to plan a 2027 US trip around the wait
1. Start the application before you plan anything else. If you want to travel in summer 2027 and you apply through Hyderabad, Mumbai or Delhi, the current estimates mean you would need to be in the queue around now. Fill in the DS-160, pay the fee and book the earliest slot available.
2. Keep checking for earlier slots. The State Department advises applicants with a scheduled interview to check back for earlier openings. Slots open up through cancellations and new releases, so check regularly instead of booking once and waiting.
3. Compare posts within India. Waits differ widely between consulates. Applicants can generally choose where to interview within India, so a slot in Kolkata or Chennai may come much sooner than one in Hyderabad, even after adding the cost of travelling there. Check the current rules on the official appointment system before you book.
4. Do not book non-refundable travel until you have the visa. This is the most expensive mistake people make. An appointment estimate is not a travel date, and some applications need extra administrative processing after the interview.
5. Prepare thoroughly for the interview. With waits this long, a refusal costs you months, not weeks. Be ready to explain the purpose of your trip, your finances, and your ties to India, such as your job, family and property.
6. Plan big events early. A wedding, a child's graduation or a planned family reunion needs extra lead time. As The Times of India notes, families planning these trips may need to fit the visa interview schedule into their plans well before booking flights and hotels.
If you need to travel urgently
For genuine emergencies, such as a family medical crisis, a funeral or an urgent business need, the US Embassy says emergency appointment requests can only be made online through the official scheduling system. Emergency requests are assessed case by case and are not a way around the regular queue for holidays.
Alternatives for winter 2026
If a US holiday is out of reach this season, many destinations are far easier for Indians to visit. Thailand now gives Indians 30 days visa-free for tourism. Malaysia's visa exemption for Indians runs until December 31, 2026. Sri Lanka's tourist ETA is free for Indians. The Philippines allows Indians a 14-day visa-free stay for tourism. And for those who already hold a valid US visa, India's Ministry of External Affairs lists longer or extra options: up to 30 days visa-free in the Philippines, and up to 7 days in Kyrgyzstan for arrivals by air at Bishkek.
The bottom line
For Indians, getting a US visa now takes as much planning as a big purchase. Apply early, keep checking for better slots, compare consulates, and do not pay for anything non-refundable until the visa is in your passport. Applicants who start now have a better chance of travelling in 2027.
Sources
- The Times of India: US visitor visa wait times in India, city-wise breakdown (October 13, 2026)
- Business Today: US visitor visa delays, the 15 cities with the longest interview wait times (October 11, 2026)
- US Department of State: Global visa wait times
- US Embassy and Consulates in India: Important visa information
- US Code, 8 U.S.C. 1806: Visa integrity fee
