Wait time in India sky-high, US consulate opens up special visa window for Indians in Frankfurt

In an effort to address the long wait times for B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) visa interviews in India, the US consulate in Frankfurt has set aside specific interview appointments for Indian applicants.

According to the State Department's website, the wait times for B1/B2 visa interview appointments in India have reached staggering durations, with 441 days in Hyderabad, 486 days in Chennai, 526 days in Delhi, 571 days in Mumbai, and 607 days in Kolkata. In stark contrast, the wait time in Frankfurt is a mere three days.

To alleviate the backlog and cater to the increasing demand, Indians were granted the option to apply for visas at US consulates outside India, such as in Bangkok. Over the past year, various measures have been implemented to reduce the extensive waiting period, which had peaked at nearly three years last winter.


Despite these efforts, applicants have encountered issues with a new scheduling portal for non-immigrant visa interviews in India. A US embassy official has told TOI that attempts are being made to resolve these issues "as quickly as possible".

During recent discussions between the US embassy and Indian authorities, three key issues were addressed: visa wait times, technical problems with the scheduling portal, and concerns related to student visas.

Regarding visa wait times, the embassy official stated, "In India, all non-immigrant visa categories, except first-time visitor visa applicants, have interview wait times close to pre-pandemic levels or lower. We have significantly increased the number of visas issued across the board.... Wait times for travelers who do not require an interview are very low." The US Mission India has issued over 3.3 lakh petition-based temporary employment visas since the beginning of the fiscal year, marking a 71% increase compared to the same period in 2019.

Addressing the portal glitches, the official emphasized, "We are closely monitoring customer reports of technical issues with the website for scheduling non-immigrant visa appointments at the US embassy and consulates in India... working to ensure technical issues are resolved as quickly as possible."

Furthermore, in a positive development for students, the official noted, "Student visas (F and M) can now be issued up to 365 days in advance of the program start date. The Department of State announced this permanent change, effective January 26, 2023, to better facilitate student visa interview processing."