Parliament Told US B1/B2 Visa Wait in Delhi Still 10 Months Despite Staffing Surge

Responding to a written question in the Rajya Sabha on 18 December, the Ministry of External Affairs revealed that Indian applicants for US B1/B2 (business/tourist) visas still face a ‘predicted’ interview-appointment wait of 10 months at the US Embassy in New Delhi. Wait times vary across posts—Hyderabad and Kolkata hover at around five months, while Chennai shows three—but remain far longer than the pre-pandemic norm of 15-20 days.

The disclosure comes eight weeks after Washington redeployed 100 trained consular officers to India and opened weekend interview shifts, moves that had briefly reduced queues for student (F/M) visas. However, stricter social-media vetting rules introduced on 15 December have slowed throughput, prompting consulates to cancel and reschedule hundreds of December slots.



Prolonged uncertainty is hitting Indian SMEs that rely on short-notice travel for trade fairs and after-sales support. According to a Nasscom survey, 61 per cent of tech firms have postponed client onboarding visits to the US this quarter. Some executives are routing travel via Singapore or Dubai to secure earlier interview dates, but that adds cost and requires multi-country visas.

The MEA said it continues to press Washington for a ‘balanced mobility framework’, but reminded citizens that visa issuance is a sovereign prerogative of the United States. Travel teams should treat the 10-month figure as a baseline, explore interview opportunities at alternate consulates and factor potential rescheduling into project timelines.