Indian leisure and short-term business travellers hoping to visit the United States face the longest appointment queues seen since the pandemic backlog was cleared last year. Updated data released by the US State Department on 18 June and analysed by Business Standard show interview-required B-1/B-2 appointments averaging 9.5 months in both Hyderabad and Mumbai, and 7.5 months in New Delhi. Kolkata is the only major post to improve, dropping to four months. The new figures mean that anyone beginning the application process today in Hyderabad or Mumbai would, on average, receive an interview slot only in mid-April 2027. Travel agents say the spike is linked to the summer rush, capacity constraints at consulates that still devote staff to student-visa season, and an uptick in first-time tourist applicants after two strong years of pent-up outbound demand. By contrast, student (F/M/J) and petition-based work visas (H-1B, L-1, O-1, etc.) remain far quicker—1.5-3.5 months—reflecting continuing prioritisation of education and talent mobility. The State Department has announced a six-month pilot premium-appointment service, starting 1 July, that will allow some B-1/B-2 applicants worldwide to pay an extra US $750 for an interview slot within 10 business days; it has not yet said whether Indian posts will participate. For Indian companies that send employees on short client visits or conferences, the numbers translate into higher planning costs, missed commercial opportunities and, in some cases, rerouting meetings to third-country hubs such as Dubai or Singapore. Travel-policy managers are advising executives to lock in dates at least a year ahead and to check for ‘drop-box’ interview-waiver eligibility, which can shave months off the process. While US officials note that published wait times are only averages and that additional slots are released periodically, immigration lawyers caution that the trend underlines how quickly non-priority categories can seize up. They urge business travellers to monitor appointment portals daily and to keep regional consulates (e.g., Kolkata or Chennai) in mind if willing to travel for an earlier slot.
Source: Business Standard
