Business and tourist travelers from India now face record waits of more than 300 calendar days for U.S. B-1/B-2 visa interviews in Delhi and Mumbai, according to consular-services data reviewed by VisaHQ.
The backlog has ballooned since a September State Department directive ended the practice of “third-country” appointments, forcing most applicants to interview in their home country. A two-week U.S. government shutdown in October and lingering staffing gaps compounded the problem, pushing average appointment dates into late 2026.
![Rule Change and Staffing Crunch Push U.S. B-1/B-2 Visa Wait Times in India Past 300 Days]()
Multinational employers are feeling the pinch. Short-term assignments, technical-support visits and conference travel now require nearly a year of lead time. Some corporations are upgrading essential trips to blanket L-1 petitions filed with USCIS, despite higher costs and longer adjudication windows.
HR teams are also encouraging remote participation or routing staff through Canada under the CUSMA Professional (ex-TN) category when feasible. The U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad is slated to open a new visa campus in early 2027, but officials concede that relief is “at least 12 months away.”
Practical tips include locking in any existing 2026 slots rather than canceling in hopes of earlier dates, monitoring late-night “batch releases” of appointments, and budgeting for premium processing if alternative categories such as H-1B or O-1 become necessary.
The backlog has ballooned since a September State Department directive ended the practice of “third-country” appointments, forcing most applicants to interview in their home country. A two-week U.S. government shutdown in October and lingering staffing gaps compounded the problem, pushing average appointment dates into late 2026.
Multinational employers are feeling the pinch. Short-term assignments, technical-support visits and conference travel now require nearly a year of lead time. Some corporations are upgrading essential trips to blanket L-1 petitions filed with USCIS, despite higher costs and longer adjudication windows.
HR teams are also encouraging remote participation or routing staff through Canada under the CUSMA Professional (ex-TN) category when feasible. The U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad is slated to open a new visa campus in early 2027, but officials concede that relief is “at least 12 months away.”
Practical tips include locking in any existing 2026 slots rather than canceling in hopes of earlier dates, monitoring late-night “batch releases” of appointments, and budgeting for premium processing if alternative categories such as H-1B or O-1 become necessary.
