US Visa Wait Times: GAO Finds 346-Day Average Wait in India

US visa wait times for visitor visa interviews in India averaged 346 days in fiscal year 2025, according to a report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) dated 28 September 2026. The GAO found that the number of State Department consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas worldwide fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025, and that global average waits for a visitor visa interview rose from 26 days in FY2019 to 201 days in FY2025.

Key facts

• Report: GAO-26-107902, Nonimmigrant Visas: State Should Consistently Conduct Global Staffing Needs Assessments, dated 28 September 2026.
• Consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas: 1,342 in FY2024, down to 904 in FY2025, which GAO linked to hiring freezes and attrition.
• Average wait for a visitor visa interview worldwide: 26 days in FY2019, 201 days in FY2025.
• India in FY2025: 1,455,255 applications, 68 consular officers on nonimmigrant visas, and an average 346-day wait to schedule a visitor visa interview.
• About 26% of nonimmigrant visas issued worldwide in FY2025 were decided without an in-person interview.

What changed

The GAO is the US Congress’s independent audit office. It looked at nonimmigrant visa processing from FY2019 to FY2025 and visited four of the highest-demand posts: Mexico City, Beijing, São Paulo and New Delhi.

The main finding is about staffing. The number of consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas had nearly recovered from a COVID-era low of 1,104 in FY2021 to 1,342 in FY2024. It then fell to 904 in FY2025. GAO said State officials identified low staffing relative to demand as the main factor behind long visitor visa waits.

India stands out in the data. With about 1.46 million applications and 68 officers, the report gives an average wait of 346 days to get a visitor visa interview.

The report also notes that State changed its interview waiver rules in October 2025. It reduced the renewal window to 12 months, and only for certain visa types. In practice, fewer people can now skip the interview when renewing.

GAO recommended that the Secretary of State require the Bureau of Consular Affairs to consistently run its Global Repositioning Exercise, a review used to match staff numbers to the workload at each post.

Who is affected

• Indian visitors applying for B1/B2 visas, including parents who want to visit children studying or working in the US.
• Applicants in other high-demand countries, since the officer shortfall is global.
• Students and workers indirectly, since the report covers nonimmigrant visa staffing as a whole. It does not give separate wait times for F-1 student or H-1B visas.

What US visa wait times mean for Nepali and Indian applicants

For Indian families, the figure that matters is the 346-day visitor visa wait in FY2025. If a parent wants to attend a graduation in the US, the appointment search may need to start a year or more in advance. The report does not give figures for Nepal, so we cannot say how waits at the US Embassy in Kathmandu compare.

Students should not assume their own wait will be 346 days. That figure is for visitor visas, and the report does not give student visa waits. Still, the same consular sections handle several visa types, so a smaller officer pool can matter for every queue at a post.

Nepali visitors also face extra steps. Nepal is on the State Department’s list of countries subject to visa bonds for B1/B2 visas, effective 21 January 2026, with bond amounts of $10,000, $15,000 or $20,000 where required.

What to do now

1. Check the current US visa wait times for your city on the State Department’s official website (travel.state.gov) before you book flights or events.
2. Plan family visits to the US, such as graduations, at least 12 months ahead if applying in India.
3. Students: book your F-1 interview as soon as you receive your I-20. Our F-1 student visa from Nepal guide explains the steps.
4. If you held a US visa before, check whether you qualify for the interview waiver under the current 12-month renewal rule. Many applicants no longer do.
5. Use only the official appointment system. Do not pay agents who promise earlier slots.

What we don’t know yet

• Whether the State Department will accept GAO’s recommendation or hire more consular officers.
• Current FY2026 wait times by post. The GAO data stops at FY2025.
• Separate wait times for student and work visas in the report’s data, which GAO did not publish.

Frequently asked questions

How long are US visa wait times in India?

According to the GAO, the average wait to schedule a visitor visa interview in India was 346 days in FY2025. Current waits by city can be checked on travel.state.gov.

Why are US visa wait times so long?

The GAO said State officials pointed to low staffing compared with demand. Consular officers working on nonimmigrant visas fell from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025.

Does the 346-day wait apply to F-1 student visas?

No. The 346-day figure is for visitor visas. The report does not give separate student visa wait times.

Sources

• GAO-26-107902: Nonimmigrant Visas: State Should Consistently Conduct Global Staffing Needs Assessments – GAO
• Countries Subject to Visa Bonds – travel.state.gov

Last checked: 7 October 2026. This is general information, not immigration advice.