U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times 2026 by Country

U.S. visa appointment wait times vary substantially by embassy, consulate, and visa classification. A post with a long B1/B2 tourist visa queue may still offer student, exchange, employment, transit, or crew visa interviews within a few weeks.

The table below uses the latest worldwide data published through the U.S. Department of State Global Visa Wait Times service. It compares selected consular posts with high application volume or significant search demand.

Official Department of State update: July 21, 2026
Editorial review: July 28, 2026

Published wait times are estimates rather than guaranteed interview dates.

Longest U.S. Tourist Visa Wait Times in July 2026

Among the selected posts included in this guide, the longest currently published B1/B2 next available appointment waits are:

A long tourist visa queue does not mean that every visa category has the same delay. Toronto, for example, reports a B1/B2 wait exceeding 16 months but a next available student appointment of approximately one month. Applicants must therefore check the column for their specific visa classification.

Average Wait Time vs. Next Available Appointment

The Department of State publishes two different B1/B2 appointment measurements. They both concern visa interview scheduling, but they answer different questions.

• B1/B2 average wait time: The historical average period that applicants interviewed during the previous month waited between paying the visa application fee and attending the interview.
• B1/B2 next available appointment: An estimate of when a new applicant can currently obtain the next available visitor visa interview at that post.

The average wait is normally displayed only when the next available B1/B2 appointment exceeds three months. It can be longer or shorter than the next appointment because applicants may keep a later reservation even after earlier slots become available.

The Department of State calculates one month as 30 days and half a month as 15 days. The measurement includes weekends and holidays when an embassy or consulate may be closed.

U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times by Country and Consular Post

The following table covers selected locations with significant application volume or strong search demand. It is not a complete list of every U.S. embassy and consulate. Applicants can search the full worldwide dataset through the official Department of State page.

The categories shown are:

• B1/B2: Temporary business and tourism visas.
• F/M/J: Academic students, vocational students, and exchange visitors.
• H/L/O/P/Q: Petition-based employment and exchange classifications.
• C/D/C1/D: Transit and crew-member visas.

N/A means the Department of State does not currently publish a wait-time estimate for that visa category and location. It does not necessarily mean that an appointment is immediately available or that the consular post does not process the category.

Source: U.S. Department of State Global Visa Wait Times, last updated July 21, 2026. Actual appointment-system availability may change before the next monthly publication.

Major Changes Since the Previous Wait-Time Update

Several posts changed significantly between the June and July Department of State datasets. These movements demonstrate why applicants should not rely on screenshots, social media posts, or appointment estimates reviewed several weeks earlier.

• Toronto: The next B1/B2 appointment decreased from approximately 21.5 months to 16.5 months.
• Sydney: The next B1/B2 appointment decreased from 18 months to 14.5 months.
• Dubai: The published B1/B2 estimate decreased from 12.5 months to 5 months.
• Guadalajara: The published B1/B2 estimate increased from 3.5 months to 6 months.
• Madrid: The next B1/B2 estimate increased from 3 months to 4.5 months.
• Hyderabad: The next B1/B2 appointment increased from 9.5 months to 10.5 months.
• Karachi: A B1/B2 next-appointment estimate of 8 months is now displayed after the previous table showed no estimate.

These figures do not necessarily indicate that every applicant’s existing appointment moved. The monthly table reflects estimated availability for a new appointment at the time the Department of State compiled the dataset.

Why Average and Next-Available Wait Times Can Differ

A historical average does not necessarily predict how long a new applicant will wait. The difference can result from:

• New interview slots released by the consular post.
• Previously scheduled applicants canceling appointments.
• Applicants moving existing appointments to earlier dates.
• Changes in consular staffing or operating capacity.
• Seasonal demand for tourist, student, and temporary worker visas.
• Temporary restrictions or operational changes affecting specific services.

An applicant may initially reserve an appointment many months away and later move it forward after the consulate releases additional capacity. If the applicant keeps the original appointment, the historical average can remain high even while the next available date improves.

How to Find an Earlier U.S. Visa Appointment

No Department of State service guarantees a faster visa interview in exchange for an additional payment. Applicants should be cautious with agents, messaging groups, browser tools, and unofficial websites claiming that they can sell guaranteed appointments.

Legitimate options generally include:

1. Complete Form DS-160 accurately.
2. Pay the nonimmigrant visa application fee through the authorized country-specific system.
3. Schedule the first suitable interview currently available.
4. Check the official scheduling portal regularly for newly released or canceled appointments.
5. Move the appointment to an earlier date when the system and local rules permit it.
6. Review whether the applicant qualifies for an interview waiver.
7. Request an emergency appointment only when the circumstances meet the consular post’s published criteria.

Applicants should not create multiple accounts, provide false information, purchase appointments from brokers, or use automated tools that violate the scheduling portal’s terms. These practices may produce account restrictions, lost fees, fraud exposure, or problems with the visa application.

Applying Outside Your Country of Nationality or Residence

Effective July 15, 2026, the Department of State updated its instructions for nonimmigrant visa applicants. Applicants should normally schedule their interview at a U.S. embassy or consulate in their country of nationality or residence.

An applicant relying on residence may need to demonstrate lawful residence in the country where the application is submitted. Nationals of countries where routine nonimmigrant visa operations are unavailable generally must use the processing post designated by the Department of State unless they legally reside elsewhere.

Scheduling outside the country of nationality, residence, or designated processing post may result in:

• Longer appointment waits.
• Greater difficulty establishing visa eligibility.
• Local restrictions on third-country applicants.
• Application fees that cannot be refunded or transferred.
• A need to travel repeatedly if additional documents or follow-up interviews are required.

A shorter wait shown in another country should not be interpreted as confirmation that the post will accept the application. Applicants should review the embassy’s local rules before paying a fee or scheduling an interview.

Who May Qualify for an Interview Waiver in 2026?

Most nonimmigrant visa applicants generally require an in-person interview, including many applicants under age 14 or over age 79. The policy effective October 1, 2025 preserves limited interview-waiver eligibility for specific classifications.

Certain applicants renewing a B1, B2, or combined B1/B2 visa may qualify when they apply within 12 months after the previous visa expired. The prior visa must generally have been issued for full validity, and the applicant must have been at least 18 years old when it was issued.

Certain H-2A renewal applicants may also qualify under comparable timing and prior-visa requirements. Diplomatic, official, A, G, NATO, and other specified categories have separate exceptions.

An applicant relying on interview-waiver eligibility generally must also:

• Apply in the country of nationality or usual residence.
• Have no previous visa refusal unless the refusal was overcome or waived.
• Have no apparent or potential visa ineligibility.
• Comply with the local embassy or consulate’s document-submission procedure.

Eligibility does not guarantee approval of the waiver. A consular officer may require an in-person interview in any individual case. Interview-waiver processing times are not included in the Global Visa Wait Times table.

Emergency U.S. Visa Appointments

Emergency or expedited appointments are discretionary and governed by the instructions of the embassy or consulate handling the application. Potential qualifying circumstances may include urgent medical treatment, a death or serious emergency involving an immediate relative, critical business travel, or time-sensitive academic travel. Definitions and documentation requirements differ by post.

An applicant usually must complete Form DS-160, pay the application fee, create an appointment account, and schedule the first available regular appointment before requesting an expedited interview.

The request should include evidence explaining why the travel cannot wait for the regular appointment. Buying nonrefundable airline tickets does not normally create emergency eligibility, and ordinary tourism or convenience does not justify an expedited date.

Appointment Wait Time Is Not Visa Processing Time

The Department of State table measures the estimated wait before the consular interview. It does not predict how long the embassy or consulate will need after the interview to issue the visa and return the passport.

After the interview, the consular officer may issue or refuse the application. A refusal under Section 221(g) can occur when additional documentation is required or when the application must undergo administrative processing.

Administrative processing is case-specific and has no universal completion time. Published appointment estimates also exclude visa printing, local holidays, courier delivery, and passport collection.

Applicants should avoid making irreversible travel arrangements until the passport containing the visa has been returned and all printed information has been reviewed for accuracy.

Student Visa Appointment Wait Times

F1, M1, and J1 appointment availability is listed separately from the B1/B2 queue. A long tourist visa wait does not necessarily mean that students and exchange visitors face the same delay.

In the July 2026 table, Toronto reports a B1/B2 next appointment of approximately 16.5 months but an F/M/J appointment of approximately one month. Sydney reports 14.5 months for B1/B2 and 1.5 months for F/M/J. Vancouver reports 14.5 months for B1/B2 and 3 months for students and exchange visitors.

Some posts may release additional student appointments before major academic intake periods, but applicants should not assume that extra capacity will become available. Students should apply as early as permitted, monitor the embassy’s instructions, and contact the educational institution or program sponsor if delays threaten the program start date.

Receiving Form I-20 or DS-2019 does not reserve a visa interview. The applicant must still complete the visa application, pay the applicable fees, schedule an interview when required, and establish eligibility for the visa.

H1B and Other Petition-Based Visa Appointment Waits

The H/L/O/P/Q column covers several petition-based visa classifications. USCIS petition adjudication and Department of State visa interview scheduling remain separate processes.

USCIS premium processing may accelerate adjudication of an eligible petition, but it does not create priority access to a consular interview, eliminate security screening, or guarantee visa issuance.

An H1B, L1, O1, P, or Q applicant must still schedule through the appropriate embassy or consulate and satisfy the applicable visa requirements. The applicant should also review current rules concerning the country where the interview should be scheduled.

Immigrant Visa Interview Wait Times Use a Different System

The Global Visa Wait Times table covers nonimmigrant visa interviews. It should not be used to estimate how long a family-based, diversity, or employment-based immigrant visa case will take.

Immigrant visa scheduling may depend on:

• Approval of the underlying USCIS petition.
• Visa-number and priority-date availability.
• Payment of National Visa Center fees.
• Completion of Form DS-260.
• Submission and acceptance of civil and financial documents.
• The date the case becomes documentarily complete.
• Interview capacity provided to the National Visa Center by the consular post.

The Department of State now provides a separate immigrant visa scheduling status tool showing the documentarily complete dates currently being scheduled at individual posts. Preference-category applicants must also have a visa number available under the monthly Visa Bulletin.

For immigrant visa availability, review the latest August 2026 Visa Bulletin analysis. Family sponsors can also use the Form I-130 petition guide.

How to Use Visa Wait-Time Data Safely

• Check the official Department of State table before making time-sensitive plans.
• Confirm the local embassy’s operating status and appointment instructions.
• Apply in the country of nationality or residence unless an official exception applies.
• Do not interpret N/A as immediate appointment availability.
• Schedule an available date before relying on a possible cancellation.
• Continue checking the official portal for earlier appointments.
• Do not purchase appointments from brokers or unofficial services.
• Do not submit false information to obtain an emergency appointment.
• Do not make nonrefundable travel plans before the visa is issued and the passport is returned.
• Use the visa application status guide after submitting an application or attending an interview.

Frequently Asked Questions About U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times

How often are U.S. visa appointment wait times updated?

The Department of State currently updates its Global Visa Wait Times table monthly. Availability inside the appointment portal can change sooner when consular posts release new capacity or applicants cancel existing interviews.

What does N/A mean in the visa wait-time table?

N/A means that the Department of State does not currently publish an estimated wait for that category and location. It does not necessarily mean that an appointment is immediately available or that the post does not process the visa.

Can an applicant use an embassy with a shorter wait?

Applicants should generally schedule in their country of nationality or residence. A person applying elsewhere may face additional restrictions, longer waits, difficulty demonstrating eligibility, and application fees that cannot be transferred or refunded.

Can premium processing produce a faster H1B visa appointment?

No. Premium processing applies to eligible USCIS petitions. Department of State consular appointments are scheduled separately, and premium processing does not guarantee an earlier interview or faster visa issuance.

How long does passport delivery take after the interview?

There is no universal worldwide delivery time. Timing depends on the interview result, administrative processing, visa printing, local holidays, the consular post, and the courier or passport-collection system.

Does a scheduled appointment guarantee visa approval?

No. An appointment only allows the applicant to attend the required interview. A consular officer must independently determine whether the applicant qualifies for the visa and whether any ground of ineligibility applies.

The official table should be checked again before every visa application, appointment change, or time-sensitive trip. Published estimates describe appointment availability and historical waiting periods; they do not guarantee an interview date, visa approval, completion of administrative processing, or passport delivery by a particular date.

Last reviewed July 28, 2026. Appointment data reflects the official Department of State table dated July 21, 2026.