To apply for a non-immigrant visa to enter the United States as a temporary guest, it is essential that you plan your trip and submit your visa application well in advance.
Not all visa applications can be processed on the day of the interview. For additional information, please read the material provided below.
Embassies and Consulates may have a distinct procedure for visa cases in which an in-person interview is not required. Generally speaking, wait times for certain instances are lower.
The waiting time for an interview consultation at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate fluctuates weekly. These are simply estimates and do not guarantee appointment availability.
Prerequisites for an expedited interview appointment
Consular sections overseas may be able to advance your interview date in the event of a death, medical emergency, or school start date. The procedure for requesting an accelerated interview for a non-immigrant visa differs by location. We can help advise on guidelines of where your interview will take place once you have submitted your case to us. You must show evidence that an earlier appointment is necessary. A consular section will only examine your request for an expedited appointment at this time.
Attending weddings and graduation ceremonies, aiding pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or engaging in spur-of-the-moment travel do not qualify for accelerated appointments. Please arrange a visa appointment well in advance for such travel.
Administrative operations
These estimates exclude the time necessary for administrative processing, which may impact specific applications. When administrative processing is necessary, the timeframe will vary depending on the specifics of each situation.
Administrative information processing
There are only two possible results for visa applications to the United States. The visa will either be issued or denied by the consular officer. If a visa applicant has not demonstrated eligibility for a visa, the consular official must deny the application. However, some visa applications that are denied may require additional administrative processing. After the interview, the consular official will advise the applicant if administrative processing is necessary. The duration of administrative processing will vary according to the specifics of each case. After the administrative processing, the consular officer may determine that the applicant is now eligible for the visa for which they originally applied. Additionally, the officer may determine that the applicant is still ineligible for a visa. Applicants should submit their visa applications well before their expected trip dates.
Before querying the status of an application, you should wait at least 180 days from the interview date or submission of supplemental papers, whichever is later, except in circumstances of emergency travel.
Non-immigrant Visa Applicant’s Wait Times
U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites provide non-immigrant visa interview wait times and visa processing times. The “Wait Times for a Visa to be Processed” information per country does not include administrative processing time. In addition, the processing wait time does not include the time required to return passports to applicants via courier services or regular mail.