Which Indian city as the longest and which has the slowest US B1/B2 visa wait time as per official data

Indian travellers planning trips to the United States, whether for tourism, family visits, or short-term business, will need to prepare for long and uneven wait times depending on where in India they book their visa interview.

The latest update from the US Department of State’s Global Visa Wait Times portal, published on November 17, 2025, shows a wide gap between the average waiting period and next available appointment dates across the country’s major consulates. For travellers hoping to secure a US B1/B2 visa for 2025–26 vacations, conferences, cruises, or family events, these numbers will play a crucial role in planning.

According to the official data, the US Consulate in Mumbai remains the slowest for visitor visa processing at the moment.

The post lists both the average wait time and the next available appointment at 9.5 months, making it the most congested mission in India for B1/B2 interviews. For travellers based in Maharashtra, Goa, or Gujarat, who traditionally depend on Mumbai for US visa processing, this means planning nearly a year in advance if they hope to align visas with upcoming international holidays or travel seasons.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in New Delhi presents a more complicated scenario.

Although the average wait time reported is 3.5 months, the next available appointment currently stands at a much longer 10 months. For North Indian travellers, from Delhi NCR, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, this means the practical wait from today is closer to the 10-month mark.

On the other hand, the Hyderabad Consulate continues to offer one of the quickest visa processing timelines in the country.

With an average wait time of 4 months and a next available appointment in 5 months, Hyderabad remains a comparatively efficient option for travellers in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. For those who have flexibility in choosing their consulate, such as students or frequent travellers willing to travel to another city, Hyderabad’s current shorter waiting period may offer a strategic advantage.

The Chennai Consulate displays a unique situation: the average wait time is not available (NA), but the next available appointment has been updated as 3 months, making it the shortest upcoming interview window in India as of the latest revision.

This is critical for travellers across Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of Karnataka, as well as for NRIs who visit for visa renewals. The missing average wait-time figure could be due to operational shifts, changes in appointment volume, or fluctuations in the measurement period (TOI has not independently verified this, the information is gathered from the official website of the U.S.

Department of State). What matters most to travellers is that Chennai currently provides the earliest real interview date in the country.

As for the Kolkata Consulate, the latest update lists an average wait time of 4.5 months and the next available appointment at 5 months. For travellers from West Bengal, Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand, and the Northeast, Kolkata continues to offer moderate waiting periods, longer than Chennai or Hyderabad, but significantly better than Mumbai and more stable than New Delhi’s prolonged queue.For Indian travellers, the B1/B2 visa remains the most common way to enter the United States, whether to explore iconic tourist destinations, visit family members spread across states like California, Texas, and New Jersey, or attend business conferences.The difference between average wait time and next available appointment often confuses applicants. The average wait time reflects the duration taken by applicants who completed their interviews in the previous month—from the date they paid their fee to the day they arrived at the consulate.The next available appointment, however, is the real indicator for travellers. It is updated continuously and shows the earliest date an applicant could actually book an interview if applying today.

Because these two numbers measure completely different things, travellers may see large gaps, such as Delhi’s 3.5-month average wait but 10-month earliest appointment.For Indian travellers planning US trips for 2025 or 2026, this means early planning is no longer optional. Many last-minute travellers, especially those planning to attend weddings, graduations, sports events, or cruises, may find that available interview dates fall long after their travel dates unless they secure appointments well in advance.As peak travel seasons approach, especially summer and the year-end holiday period, consulates often experience surges in demand, leading to reduced availability. The latest update, therefore, offers travellers a snapshot of the current load, but the figures may shift again as the winter travel season progresses.

What travellers should do now

Travellers are advised to monitor appointment availability frequently, as cancellations and newly released slots can open earlier dates.

Those with flexibility should consider choosing consulates with shorter appointment windows, such as Chennai or Hyderabad.With the United States continuing to remain an aspirational travel destination for millions of Indians, offering everything from national parks and theme parks to iconic cityscapes and cultural experiences, the importance of timely visa planning cannot be overstated. The latest wait-time update, therefore, serves as an important guide for travellers hoping to explore the US in the upcoming year.