Massive Visitor Visa Interview Delays Mean High Stakes for Applicants

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Below is a table of the current interview wait times for B-1/B-2 applications at certain embassies and consulates around the world. Despite promises from the Department of State, the massive wait times in most countries, as you can see, have not been reduced. 

CityOctober 7, 2022March 24, 2023May 19, 2023
Rio de Janeiro347449449
Sao Paulo338554595
Brasilia315469483
Mumbai825332507
New Delhi833247379
Hyderabad459246351
Chennai780680337
Kolkata767357490
Guadalajara806664731
Mexico City641695730
Tijuana555541567
Lagos735486563
Abuja850409307
Madrid380329335
Paris5205093
London348990
Berlin588742
Prague10016105

Outrage is growing among the American business community, as wait times exceed 1 year (!)  for an interview at dozens of embassies and consulates around the world.  The Department of State continues to move at a snail’s pace, while business, tourism, and families suffer.  The massive backlog has also gotten the attention of the media, including the New York Times, and politicians, particularly in states dependent on international tourism.

In the real world what this means is that the stakes become much, much higher for each applicant to get the visa approved at the interview. Why?  Because if it is refused, it may take a year or more to get another interview. The interview is short, and all it takes is one wrong answer to a consular question or inaccuracy in the DS-160 to trip a person up and get hit with a 214(b) refusal.  For a young person working for a company in which travel to the US is a mandatory part of the job, a denial can be career breaking. Or if you need a nonimmigrant waiver, you need to make your best case at that hard-to-get interview – or else you will go back to the line again. 

Feel free to contact us to help you prepare for an interview, prepare your DS-160, or provide other legal support for your application.