The US Department of State has published its latest Global Visa Wait Times, updated on 21 July 2026.
The figures show the estimated wait for the next available interview appointment at each US embassy and consulate, broken down by visa category: business and visitor (B1/B2), students and exchange visitors (F, M, J), petition-based work visas (H, L, O, P, Q), and crew and transit (C, D, C1/D). The State Department refreshes these figures monthly, and also reports the previous month’s average B1/B2 wait wherever the next appointment is more than three months away.
Waits continue to vary widely by location. Business-visitor appointments remain longest at posts such as Toronto, Sydney, Vancouver and several Canadian consulates, while major hubs including London, Singapore, Hong Kong, Seoul and Dublin are still offering appointments within weeks.
A summary of current wait times at some of the posts below. Because the State Department revises these figures every month and posts release new slots regularly, always confirm the latest position for the relevant post before you plan. You can see the full list of all the posts and their wait times on the US Department of State’s website: All posts.
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| City/Post | Business visitor
Interview Required (B1/B2) Average wait times |
Business visitor
Interview Required (B1/B2) Next available appointment |
Students
Interview Required (F, M, J) Next available appointment |
Work / petition
Interview Required, Petition-Base (H, L, O, P, Q) Next available appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toronto, Canada |
16 months | 16.5 months | 1 month | 1 month |
| Sydney, Australia |
4 months | 14.5 months | 1.5 months | 1 month |
| Vancouver, Canada |
14 months | 14.5 months | 3 months | 4.5 months |
| Ottawa, Canada |
13 months | 13 months | 3 months | 3 months |
| Hyderabad, India |
10 months | 10.5 months | 4.5 months | 5 months |
| San José, Costa Rica |
7.5 months | 9.5 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Bogotá, Colombia |
11 months | 9 months | 2 months | < 0.5 months |
| Lima, Peru |
7 months | 9 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic |
6 months | 9 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Mumbai, India |
11 months | 8.5 months | 2.5 months | 1.5 months |
| New Delhi, India |
8 months | 8.5 months | 2.5 months | 1.5 months |
| Karachi, Pakistan |
NA | 8 months | 1.5 months | 1 month |
| Islamabad, Pakistan |
7 months | 7.5 months | 1 month | 2 months |
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates |
NA | 6 months | 6 months | 6 months |
| Melbourne, Australia |
4 months | 5.5 months | 1 month | 1 month |
| Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
NA | 5 months | NA | NA |
| Shanghai, China |
NA | 3.5 months | 4 months | 3 months |
| Mexico City, Mexico |
NA | 3.5 months | 1 month | 1 month |
| Paris, France |
NA | 3 months | 1.5 months | 2 months |
| Beijing, China |
NA | 2.5 months | 4.5 months | 3.5 months |
| Frankfurt, Germany |
NA | 2.5 months | 1.5 months | 2 months |
| Tokyo, Japan |
NA | 2.5 months | 1.5 months | 1.5 months |
| London, United Kingdom |
NA | 2 months | 1 month | < 0.5 months |
| São Paulo, Brazil |
NA | 2 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Singapore, Singapore |
NA | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Hong Kong, China (SAR) |
NA | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Seoul, South Korea |
NA | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
| Dublin, Ireland |
NA | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months | < 0.5 months |
Source: US Department of State, Global Visa Wait Times, last updated 21 July 2026. This article is for general information and is not legal advice.Â
Wait times are updated monthly and do not guarantee an appointment within any given period. Posts release new slots regularly, so applicants can often secure an earlier date than shown. Interview-waiver appointments are not reflected above. Always confirm the current position for the relevant post before planning.
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