United States opens more appointments for B1 or B2 visa applicants for the coming months in Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai who are eligible for interview waivers.
The present wait times for an appointment of B1 / B2 with an interview waiver are as follows:
| US Embassy in India | Wait time for appointments (in days) |
| Chennai | 171 |
| Delhi | 233 |
| Mumbai | 297 |
Wait times for renewals and first-timers
| Applicants for visa | Median wait time for appointments |
| Applicants for renewing B1/B2 visa within 48 months of expiration and opt for an interview waiver | One month |
| First-time applicants for B1/B2 visas | Nearly three years |
United States B1/B2 visa applicants
The US handles the increasing backlog of applications and has given opportunities to more applicants to be eligible for interview waivers, by sending dropbox cases abroad for settlement and obtaining temporary staffers.
Visa Priorities of the US
- Currently the US prioritizes students as it is admission season,
- Next it has prioritized drop box cases for skilled workers.
- Third priority is B1/B2 visa aspirants and crew. (These are the applicants whose visas got expired within 4 years of application which makes them eligible for an interview waiver).
Note:
- It might take a few months to reduce the wait time for the interview for B1/B2 visas.
- US states that the process wait times for visas are improved faster than expected or projected and by 2023 FY, the country aims to reach the pre-pandemic levels.
