Extended Delays for US Visa Interviews in India
Applicants for nonimmigrant US visas in India are experiencing significantly prolonged wait times for interviews, with the average reaching 346 days in Fiscal Year 2025. This substantial delay is primarily attributed to a severe imbalance between the high volume of applications and the limited number of consular officers, according to a recent report by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
Consular Officers Overwhelmed by Workload
The GAO's findings highlight an immense workload on US consular staff in India. In FY2025, each of the 68 consular officers dedicated to nonimmigrant visas was responsible for processing an average of 21,401 applications. India alone received 1,455,255 nonimmigrant visa applications during this period, underscoring the staffing strain.
Compared to other nations examined by the GAO, India's interview wait times are notably longer. While China and Brazil reported average waits of 34 and 32 days respectively, and Mexico saw a 283-day wait, India's 346-day average stands out as one of the highest.
Post-Pandemic Surge and Staffing Decline
The report indicates a sharp increase in wait times since the COVID-19 pandemic. The average wait for a visitor visa interview in India escalated from 42 days in FY2019 to 346 days in FY2025. This surge in demand coincided with a global rebound in visitor visa adjudications, reaching 11.7 million in FY2025, up from 9.2 million in FY2019.
Compounding the issue, the number of US consular officers handling nonimmigrant visas worldwide decreased significantly, from 1,342 in FY2024 to 904 in FY2025. The GAO attributes this decline to hiring freezes and attrition, further exacerbating the staffing challenges.
Recommendations for Improved Staffing Reviews
Officials in India, Mexico, China, and Brazil consistently identified inadequate staffing levels relative to visa demand as a primary factor affecting interview wait times. The GAO also noted that the US State Department had not consistently conducted its Global Repositioning Exercise (GREX), a crucial process designed to assess workloads and align staffing with demand. This exercise was reportedly not carried out in FY2024 and FY2025 due to shifting policy priorities.
In response, the GAO has recommended that the State Department establish a consistent mechanism for the Bureau of Consular Affairs to conduct this staffing exercise regularly. While the State Department's stance on the recommendation was neither agreement nor disagreement, the GAO maintains its validity.
It is important to note that the 346-day figure refers specifically to the wait time for securing an interview, not the overall processing time for a final visa decision. The US State Department separately provides estimated visa appointment wait-time information, which does not guarantee specific appointment dates.