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News The US Visa's Waiting Period Has Been Extended To 2025; Everything You Need To Know
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The US Visa's Waiting Period Has Been Extended To 2025; Everything You Need To Know

If you apply for a US visa today, you will have to wait until the year 2025 now, as the wait time has been esclataed to the next three years.

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By: Karan Kaushik and Shrestha Purkayastha Published: Nov 24, 2022 08:00 AM IST

The US Visa's Waiting Period Has Been Extended To 2025; Everything You Need To Know
Image: Shutterstock

Planning a visit to the United States? Well, that might be a little difficult at the moment. You have no other option but to postpone your plans for a good while. If you apply for a USA visa today, you will have to wait until the year 2025 now, as the wait time for first-time applicants has been escalated to the next three years. We explain why.

Check out the wait time for the US visa

For first-time applicants for the tourist visas (B-2) and US business visas (B-1), the wait time has now been stretched to three years. On November 22, 2022, the US State Department stated that the “global median wait time for a tourist visa (B1/B2) interview appointment is under two months as of this month”, according to a report published by The Economic Times. Even in India, the interval time for getting hands-on US visas has been abnormally high since the country reopened the application procedure post the pandemic. For the record, the wait time has only been escalating.

Indians will have to wait for US visa appointments until 2025

Indians will have to wait for their US visas until the year 2025. For those applying from Delhi, the appointment wait time for a non-immigrant visitor visa is 961 calendar days. However, or a student/exchange visitor visa, it is 29 calendar days. This information was obatined by Travel+Leisure by checking the US State Department’s website on IST 6:25 pm, Wednesday, November 23, 2022. If you are planning a holiday or seeking admission to an American university, this piece of news might be a lot beneficial for you.

US Visa Wait Time
Image Credit: Screenshot from the Official website te of the US State Department

The first-time B1/B2 applicants will not be authorised for an interview appointment until 2025

US Visa Wait Time
Image Credit: Global Residence Index/Unsplash

As added by the US State Department, the existing waiting period for B1/B2 applicants needing an interview ranks at 999 days in Mumbai, 994 days in Hyderabad, 961 days in Delhi, 948 days in Chennai, and 904 days in Kolkata. For visitor visa applicants and those who do not authorise a drop box application, the waiting period is rapidly advancing to three years for the very first time. Hence, a first-time B1/B2 applicant might not be able to arrange for an interview appointment until late 2025.

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The US government is prioritising applicants who have already had a US visa in the national interest

The US has made more applicants qualified for interview waiver to acknowledge the increasing backlogs. It has been sending drop box cases in foreign countries for getting temporary staffers as well as a well determined judgement. Although, the United States is anticipating the time of processing to overcome faster than calculated and preicts it to reach pre-pandemic level in the Fiscal Year 2023.  According to an official statement by the US Embassy, the US government has been trying its best to reduce wait times and backlogs by trying to fill the consular staffing gaps due to the pandemic. This includes onboarding and training new employees. The US State Department has also doubled the hiring of US Officers over the last year. They are promoting newly-trained employees to overseas consular adjudicator positions in different countries, including India. The statement added that those who are applying for their first visitor visa may experience a longer wait time. This is because the US government prioritises applicants who already had a US visa in the national interest.

Feature and hero image courtesy: Shutterstock

Related: Schengen Visa: Types, Application Procedure, Documents Needed, Cost, And All You Need To Know

Written By

Karan Kaushik and Shrestha Purkayastha

Karan Kaushik and Shrestha Purkayastha

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