Updated State Department data released September 17—and analyzed by the Times of India on September 27—show that Indian applicants for B-1/B-2 visitor visas now face waits of up to 12 months in Hyderabad and 11.5 months in Mumbai. New Delhi stands at 10 months. In contrast, student-visa (F/M) appointments can be obtained in as little as half a month at some posts. The divergence matters for U.S. companies planning executive trips or conferences that include Indian nationals. Unless applicants already hold a valid U.S. visa, new visitor-visa requests submitted this week are unlikely to result in travel before the 2027 fiscal year. The State Department continues to expand interview-waiver eligibility, but many first-time travelers do not qualify. Employers should therefore budget additional lead time or consider routing meetings through third-country hubs where business-visa processing is faster. Mobility teams can mitigate delays by: 1) screening employees for prior U.S. visas that may enable Dropbox renewal; 2) leveraging ESTA-eligible nationalities for regional staff swaps; and 3) staging critical trainings virtually until slots open. The department says it regularly releases new appointments, so applicants should monitor the portal and “refresh” frequently.
Source: The Times of India
