Visa Wait Times and Delays

Visa appointment wait times vary significantly depending on the country of application and the time of year (the Christmas holiday season and June, July and August can be busy times of year).  For an estimate of current processing times at your local U.S. Consulate, please see the U.S. State Department website».  We strongly encourage applicants to apply as early as possible.  U.S. Consulates may only accept appointments up to 120 days prior to your scheduled start date (as indicated on your DS-2019 or I-797 Approval Notice).

Administrative Processing

For some visa applicants additional security checks may need to be performed prior to a visa being issued.  These security checks are often referred to as “Administrative Processing.”  These checks are done for a variety of different reasons including country of citizenship, field of study/research, or having a name similar to that of an individual in a U.S. criminal database.  It is important to understand that additional administrative processing is not a visa denial; it is a delay.  Most processing will be completed within 60 days.  Once this “Administrative Processing” has been initiated by the U.S. Consulate, it cannot be stopped until it has been completed in Washington, D.C. and no inquiries may be made on your behalf until 60 days have passed from the initiation of the processing.  For additional information please see the U.S. State Department webpage on Administrative Processing».