Longest and Shortest U.S. Visa Interview Wait Times by City
Key Takeaways:
- Sydney has the longest listed wait for a U.S. visitor visa interview at 21 months, compared with under two weeks in Perth.
- Six Canadian cities are among the 20 longest waits, including Toronto (20 months) and Vancouver (18 months).
- Average global visitor visa interview waits rose from 26 days in 2019 to 201 days in 2025, even as visa processing surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
Getting an interview for a U.S. visitor visa can take anywhere from a few days to nearly two years, depending on where you apply.
This visualization uses September 17, 2026, data from the U.S. Department of State to compare the next available interview appointments for B1/B2 visas, which cover temporary business and tourism visits.
Where Are U.S. Visa Interview Waits the Longest?
Sydney and Toronto top the ranking at 21 and 20 months, respectively. Monrovia, Liberia, and Vancouver, Canada, are tied for third at 18 months.
The table below shows locations where applicants face waits of six months or longer.
| City/Post | Country | B1/B2 Next Available Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Sydney | Australia | 21 Months |
| Toronto | Canada | 20 Months |
| Monrovia | Liberia | 18 Months |
| Vancouver | Canada | 18 Months |
| Halifax | Canada | 15 Months |
| Ottawa | Canada | 15 Months |
| Quebec | Canada | 15 Months |
| Calgary | Canada | 14 Months |
| Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | 12.5 Months |
| Algiers | Algeria | 12.5 Months |
| Islamabad | Pakistan | 12.5 Months |
| Hyderabad | India | 12 Months |
| Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 11.5 Months |
| Mumbai (Bombay) | India | 11.5 Months |
| New Delhi | India | 10 Months |
| Lima | Peru | 9 Months |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 9 Months |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 9 Months |
| Chennai (Madras) | India | 7.5 Months |
| Karachi | Pakistan | 7.5 Months |
| Melbourne | Australia | 7.5 Months |
| Bogota | Colombia | 7 Months |
| Kolkata | India | 6.5 Months |
| Abidjan | Cote d'Ivoire | 6 Months |
| Baghdad | Iraq | 6 Months |
| Erbil | Iraq | 6 Months |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 6 Months |
Canada’s prominence is particularly notable. Most Canadian citizens do not need a visitor visa to enter the United States, meaning many applicants at U.S. consulates in Canada are foreign nationals. The country also hosts a large population of international students and foreign workers, some of whom may require U.S. visitor visas.
India also faces widespread delays, with Hyderabad at 12 months, Mumbai at 11.5 months, and New Delhi at 10 months.
Staffing shortages and rising demand have made it harder for U.S. consulates to keep up with visa applications. According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office report, the number of officers working on nonimmigrant visas fell from 1,342 in 2024 to 904 in 2025, a decline of nearly one-third. Backlogs accumulated during COVID-19 have added to the pressure, contributing to longer interview waits.
Where Visa Interview Waits Are Four to Six Weeks
The following table covers consulates with waits of approximately four to six weeks:
| City/Post | Country | B1/B2 Next Available Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland | New Zealand | 1.5 Months |
| Bangkok | Thailand | 1.5 Months |
| Belgrade | Serbia | 1.5 Months |
| Brussels | Belgium | 1.5 Months |
| Cape Town | South Africa | 1.5 Months |
| Dhahran | Saudi Arabia | 1.5 Months |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 1.5 Months |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 1.5 Months |
| Naha | Japan | 1.5 Months |
| Osaka/Kobe | Japan | 1.5 Months |
| Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 1.5 Months |
| Santiago | Chile | 1.5 Months |
| Suva | Fiji | 1.5 Months |
| Tashkent | Uzbekistan | 1.5 Months |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 1.5 Months |
| Almaty | Kazakhstan | 1 Month |
| Amman | Jordan | 1 Month |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 1 Month |
| Astana | Kazakhstan | 1 Month |
| Belfast | United Kingdom | 1 Month |
| Berlin | Germany | 1 Month |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 1 Month |
| Budapest | Hungary | 1 Month |
| Cairo | Egypt | 1 Month |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 1 Month |
| Johannesburg | South Africa | 1 Month |
| Kigali | Rwanda | 1 Month |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 1 Month |
| Koror | Palau | 1 Month |
| Kuwait | Kuwait | 1 Month |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 1 Month |
| Lome | Togo | 1 Month |
| London | United Kingdom | 1 Month |
| Nairobi | Kenya | 1 Month |
| Nassau | Bahamas | 1 Month |
| Panama City | Panama | 1 Month |
| Quito | Ecuador | 1 Month |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 1 Month |
| Stockholm | Sweden | 1 Month |
| Auckland | New Zealand | 1.5 Months |
| Bangkok | Thailand | 1.5 Months |
| Belgrade | Serbia | 1.5 Months |
| Brussels | Belgium | 1.5 Months |
| Cape Town | South Africa | 1.5 Months |
| Dhahran | Saudi Arabia | 1.5 Months |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 1.5 Months |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 1.5 Months |
| Naha | Japan | 1.5 Months |
| Osaka/Kobe | Japan | 1.5 Months |
| Phnom Penh | Cambodia | 1.5 Months |
| Santiago | Chile | 1.5 Months |
| Suva | Fiji | 1.5 Months |
| Tashkent | Uzbekistan | 1.5 Months |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 1.5 Months |
| Almaty | Kazakhstan | 1 Month |
| Amman | Jordan | 1 Month |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 1 Month |
| Astana | Kazakhstan | 1 Month |
| Belfast | United Kingdom | 1 Month |
| Berlin | Germany | 1 Month |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 1 Month |
| Budapest | Hungary | 1 Month |
| Cairo | Egypt | 1 Month |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 1 Month |
| Johannesburg | South Africa | 1 Month |
| Kigali | Rwanda | 1 Month |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 1 Month |
| Koror | Palau | 1 Month |
| Kuwait | Kuwait | 1 Month |
| Lisbon | Portugal | 1 Month |
| Lome | Togo | 1 Month |
| London | United Kingdom | 1 Month |
| Nairobi | Kenya | 1 Month |
| Nassau | Bahamas | 1 Month |
| Panama City | Panama | 1 Month |
| Quito | Ecuador | 1 Month |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 1 Month |
| Stockholm | Sweden | 1 Month |
Cities including Auckland, Bangkok, and Brussels offer interviews in around 1.5 months, contrasting sharply with longer queues elsewhere.
The gap between consulates reflects differences in application volumes and staffing capacity. The GAO found that India handled approximately 21,400 nonimmigrant visa applications per consular officer in 2025, compared with around 10,100 in China. These figures illustrate the differing workloads faced by U.S. consulates, although they do not directly explain every city’s interview wait time.
Where Are Visa Interviews Available in 15 Days?
The following locations offer interview appointments within approximately 15 days.
| City/Post | Country | B1/B2 Next Available Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 0.5 Month |
| Ashgabat | Turkmenistan | < 0.5 Month |
| Asuncion | Paraguay | < 0.5 Month |
| Athens | Greece | < 0.5 Month |
| Baku | Azerbaijan | < 0.5 Month |
| Bandar Seri Begawan | Brunei | < 0.5 Month |
| Belmopan | Belize | < 0.5 Month |
| Bishkek | Kyrgyzstan | < 0.5 Month |
| Bratislava | Slovakia | < 0.5 Month |
| Bridgetown | Barbados | < 0.5 Month |
| Bucharest | Romania | < 0.5 Month |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | < 0.5 Month |
| Chisinau | Moldova | < 0.5 Month |
| Copenhagen | Denmark | < 0.5 Month |
| Curacao | Curaçao | < 0.5 Month |
| Dakar | Senegal | < 0.5 Month |
| Dhaka | Bangladesh | < 0.5 Month |
| Dili | Timor-Leste | < 0.5 Month |
| Djibouti | Djibouti | < 0.5 Month |
| Dublin | Ireland | < 0.5 Month |
| Dushanbe | Tajikistan | < 0.5 Month |
| Fukuoka | Japan | < 0.5 Month |
| Hamilton | Bermuda | < 0.5 Month |
| Hanoi | Vietnam | < 0.5 Month |
| Helsinki | Finland | < 0.5 Month |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | < 0.5 Month |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | < 0.5 Month |
| Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | < 0.5 Month |
| Kathmandu | Nepal | < 0.5 Month |
| Kolonia | Micronesia | < 0.5 Month |
| Krakow | Poland | < 0.5 Month |
| Kuala Lumpur | Malaysia | < 0.5 Month |
| La Paz | Bolivia | < 0.5 Month |
| Lagos | Nigeria | < 0.5 Month |
| Libreville | Gabon | < 0.5 Month |
| Ljubljana | Slovenia | < 0.5 Month |
| Luanda | Angola | < 0.5 Month |
| Luxembourg | Luxembourg | < 0.5 Month |
| Madrid | Spain | < 0.5 Month |
| Majuro | Marshall Islands | < 0.5 Month |
| Malabo | Equatorial Guinea | < 0.5 Month |
| Managua | Nicaragua | < 0.5 Month |
| Manama | Bahrain | < 0.5 Month |
| Manila | Philippines | < 0.5 Month |
| Montevideo | Uruguay | < 0.5 Month |
| Munich | Germany | < 0.5 Month |
| Nicosia | Cyprus | < 0.5 Month |
| Nogales | Mexico | < 0.5 Month |
| Oslo | Norway | < 0.5 Month |
| Paramaribo | Suriname | < 0.5 Month |
| Paris | France | < 0.5 Month |
| Perth | Australia | < 0.5 Month |
| Podgorica | Montenegro | < 0.5 Month |
| Port Louis | Mauritius | < 0.5 Month |
| Port Moresby | Papua New Guinea | < 0.5 Month |
| Port Of Spain | Trinidad and Tobago | < 0.5 Month |
| Prague | Czechia | < 0.5 Month |
| Praia | Cabo Verde | < 0.5 Month |
| Pristina | Kosovo | < 0.5 Month |
| Rangoon | Myanmar | < 0.5 Month |
| Recife | Brazil | < 0.5 Month |
| Reykjavik | Iceland | < 0.5 Month |
| Riga | Latvia | < 0.5 Month |
| Rio De Janeiro | Brazil | < 0.5 Month |
| San Salvador | El Salvador | < 0.5 Month |
| Sarajevo | Bosnia and Herzegovina | < 0.5 Month |
| Seoul | South Korea | < 0.5 Month |
| Shenyang | China | < 0.5 Month |
| Singapore | Singapore | < 0.5 Month |
| Skopje | North Macedonia | < 0.5 Month |
| Sofia | Bulgaria | < 0.5 Month |
| Surabaya | Indonesia | < 0.5 Month |
| Taipei | Taiwan | < 0.5 Month |
| Tallinn | Estonia | < 0.5 Month |
| Tbilisi | Georgia | < 0.5 Month |
| Tegucigalpa | Honduras | < 0.5 Month |
| Tirana | Albania | < 0.5 Month |
| Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | < 0.5 Month |
| Valletta | Malta | < 0.5 Month |
| Vienna | Austria | < 0.5 Month |
| Vientiane | Laos | < 0.5 Month |
| Vilnius | Lithuania | < 0.5 Month |
| Warsaw | Poland | < 0.5 Month |
| Yaounde | Cameroon | < 0.5 Month |
| Yerevan | Armenia | < 0.5 Month |
| Zagreb | Croatia | < 0.5 Month |
Australia offers one of the clearest examples of how sharply appointment availability can differ within the same country. While Sydney has a 21-month wait, Melbourne’s is 7.5 months and Perth’s is under two weeks.
Major Asian cities, including Manila, Seoul, Hanoi, and Singapore, also have exceptionally short waits. However, applicants cannot necessarily avoid backlogs by booking abroad. State Department guidance generally directs applicants to schedule interviews in their country of nationality or residence.
These figures represent the next available interview appointments, not the total time required to obtain a visa. Wait times can change as consulates release new appointment slots, and additional administrative processing may be required after an interview.
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Explore another dimension of global travel access in Ranked: The World’s Most Powerful Passports in 2026 on the Voronoi app.