U.S. Consular Posts in India are reporting extraordinarily long wait times to obtain an appointment for a visa interview. As the summer season is usually one of the busiest times at Embassies around the world these wait times are expected to continue, if not worsen, throughout the summer.

Individuals planning to travel to India to renew an H-1B visa stamp, an F-1 visa stamp, or any other type of visa are advised to make appointments for visa interviews well before departing the United States. Failure to make a visa appointment in advance could result in a several month wait outside of the U.S. before visa issuance.

The U.S. Department of State reports that the current wait times to make an appointment at the various U.S. consulates in India are as follows: 

•           Chennai - 75 days

•           Hyderabad - 93 days

•           Kolkata - 96 days

•           Mumbai - 88 days

•           New Delhi - 100 days 

Please contact your Pryor Cashman attorney to discuss options for employees who are planning on obtaining a new visa or renewing a visa in India this summer. It may be in the employee’s best interest to delay travel to India until these extreme appointment backlogs subside. Some individuals may have the option of applying for a visa stamp in a third country, or renewing their visa without attending a visa appointment (although submitting a visa application in India even without an interview may result in extreme delays). Also, in certain very limited circumstances, requests for expedited appointments may be granted.