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US Visa Hurdles: Longer Waits, Higher Fees for Indians
30 Sep
Summary
- Indian applicants waited 346 days for a visa interview in FY2025.
- Visa processing capacity struggles to meet surging demand.
- New $250 visa integrity fee adds to applicant costs.
Indian citizens seeking US visas are navigating a challenging landscape of extended interview wait times and escalating fees. In fiscal year 2025, the average wait for a non-immigrant visa interview in India stretched to 346 days, a dramatic increase compared to the 42-day average before the Covid-19 pandemic.
This significant delay stems from a mismatch between soaring application volumes and the capacity of US consular posts. In FY2025, Indian applicants submitted 1.45 million non-immigrant visa requests, with each consular officer handling an average of 21,401 applications. This high workload is exacerbated by a decline in consular officer numbers across the US due to hiring freezes and attrition.
While general visitor and business visa (B1/B2) appointments face the longest queues, with waits nearing 12 months in some cities, other visa categories like student (F, M) and exchange-visitor (J) visas have considerably shorter wait times. As of September 2026, the situation persists, with appointment availability fluctuating. Beyond interview delays, applicants now face a new $250 Visa Integrity Fee, introduced in 2025, in addition to existing visa processing fees.
