Latest State-Department data analysed by Travel & Tour World on 7 December show B-1/B-2 tourist-visa interview waits at the US Consulate in Mumbai have ballooned to 9.5-11 months—putting India among the world’s worst-hit markets alongside Canada, UAE and Nigeria. By contrast, New Delhi’s wait has dropped to 3.5 months after resources were re-routed to student and work visas.
The disparity forces Western-India travellers—including corporate executives—to fly north for faster slots or to pay premium facilitation fees. Mobility managers report that delayed US visas are now a top cause of trip postponement for Indian sales and service teams. Some firms are rerouting regional meetings to Singapore or Dubai to avoid uncertainty.
![Mumbai US-visa wait stretches to 11 months as India joins global backlog league]()
The backlog stems from record demand (post-pandemic travel plus pent-up family visits), staffing constraints and prioritisation of immigrant-visa caseloads. Consulates have expanded Saturday interview days and invited applicants to shift to secondary posts such as Chennai and Hyderabad, but capacity gains are being swallowed by new demand.
Practical tips for travellers: monitor the CGI Federal portal for dropped appointments, file DS-160s well in advance, and leverage the ‘interview-waiver’ renewal programme where eligible. Companies should budget at least 12 months for new tourist or combined B-1/B-2 visas from Mumbai and factor the delay into assignment timelines.
The disparity forces Western-India travellers—including corporate executives—to fly north for faster slots or to pay premium facilitation fees. Mobility managers report that delayed US visas are now a top cause of trip postponement for Indian sales and service teams. Some firms are rerouting regional meetings to Singapore or Dubai to avoid uncertainty.
The backlog stems from record demand (post-pandemic travel plus pent-up family visits), staffing constraints and prioritisation of immigrant-visa caseloads. Consulates have expanded Saturday interview days and invited applicants to shift to secondary posts such as Chennai and Hyderabad, but capacity gains are being swallowed by new demand.
Practical tips for travellers: monitor the CGI Federal portal for dropped appointments, file DS-160s well in advance, and leverage the ‘interview-waiver’ renewal programme where eligible. Companies should budget at least 12 months for new tourist or combined B-1/B-2 visas from Mumbai and factor the delay into assignment timelines.
