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Update April 12, 2024

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Advance travel planning and early visa application are important. If you plan to apply for a nonimmigrant visa to come to the United States as a temporary visitor, please review the current wait time for an interview using the tool below. Not all visa applications can be completed on the day of the interview; please read the information below for more details .

Check the estimated wait time for a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate.

Note: Please check the individual Embassy or Consulate website to determine if your case is eligible for a waiver of the in-person interview.

Applicants scheduling visa appointments in a location different from their place of residence should check post websites for nonresident wait times.

Select a U.S. Embassy or Consulate:

Global Visa Wait Times

Wait Time for Interview

The estimated wait time to receive a nonimmigrant visa interview appointment at a U.S. embassy or consulate and is based on workload and staffing and can vary from week to week. The information provided is an estimate and does not guarantee the availability of an appointment.

Wait Time for Interview Waiver

Wait times for applicants eligible for Interview Waiver are applicable only for locations where applicants schedule appointments to submit their passport and any required documents to a U.S. embassy or consulate. The wait time estimate does not account for the time required for a consular officer to adjudicate the application nor mailing time of passports or other documents. Refer to the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section where you will apply to determine your eligibility for Interview Waiver and for instructions for submitting a nonimmigrant visa application. Note that applicants must be a national or resident of the country where they are applying to be eligible to apply via Interview Waiver.

Qualifications for an Expedited Interview Appointment

Consular sections overseas may be able to expedite your interview date if there is an urgent, unforeseen situation such as a funeral, medical emergency, or school start date. The process to request an expedited nonimmigrant visa interview varies by location. You should refer to the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section  where you will interview, or on their online appointment scheduling site. You will need to provide proof of the need for an earlier appointment.

In all cases : You must first submit the online visa application form (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule the first available interview appointment. Only at this point will a consular section consider your request for an expedited appointment.

Note: Travel for the purpose of attending weddings and graduation ceremonies, assisting pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or enjoying last-minute tourism does not qualify for expedited appointments. For such travel, please schedule a regular visa appointment well in advance.

These estimates do not include time required for administrative processing, which may affect some applications. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case.

There are only two possible outcomes for U.S. visa applications. The consular officer will either issue or refuse the visa. If a visa applicant has not established that he or she is eligible for a visa, the consular officer must refuse that application. However, some refused visa applications may require further administrative processing. When administrative processing is required, the consular officer will inform the applicant at the end of the interview. The duration of the administrative processing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. At the conclusion of the administrative processing period, the consular officer might conclude that an applicant is now qualified for the visa for which he or she applied. The officer may also conclude that the applicant remains ineligible for a visa. Visa applicants are reminded to apply early for their visas, well in advance of the anticipated travel date.

Important Notice:   Except in cases of emergency travel (i.e. serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family), before making inquiries about status of administrative processing, applicants should wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.

About Visa Processing Wait Times – Nonimmigrant Visa Applicants

Information about nonimmigrant visa wait times for interviews and visa processing time frames are shown on this website, as well as on U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites worldwide. It should be noted that the “Wait Times for a Nonimmigrant Visa to be Processed” information by country does not include time required for administrative processing. Processing wait time also does not include the time required to return the passport to applicants, by either courier services or the local mail system.

In addition, it is important to thoroughly review all information on the specific  Embassy or Consulate Visa Section website  for local procedures and instructions, such as how to make an interview appointment. Embassy and Consulate websites will also explain any additional procedures for students, exchange visitors and those persons who need an earlier visa interview appointment.

About Wait Times

* Calendar days refers to every day of the week, including days when embassies are closed (such as weekends and holidays).

† Work days refers only to days when the embassy is open and does not include weekends and holidays.      

‡ A, G, and NATO applications are excluded from these wait times, as they are processed separately.

Immigrant Visa Interview-Ready Backlog Report

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How to check the status of your visa application

Find out how to check the status of your visa application online. And to avoid delays, learn how to update your address if you move while waiting for your visa to be approved.

Check the status of your immigrant or nonimmigrant visa application online using the U.S. Department of State's Visa Status Check portal. You will need to enter your case number when you use the portal.

If you move after submitting a visa application, notify the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) as soon as possible. Learn more about updating your address through your USCIS account and using the Enterprise Change of Address (E-COA) self-service tool.

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U.S. tourists will require a visa to travel to Brazil starting next year

S tarting April 10, 2025, citizens of the United States, Canada and Australia will face new requirements to enter Brazil, according to the latest regulations implemented by the Lula da Silva's government.

The change in visa policy, initially planned for 2024, aims to standardize entry processes into the country and affects visitors for tourism or cruise travel, who will now be required to apply for an eVisa (electronic permit).

The initiative is a shift from Jair Bolsonaro's migratory policies and a return to the traditional principles of the country, which were based on reciprocity and equal treatment. Bolsonaro had abolished visa requirements for citizens of these countries without receiving the same treatment in return, citing the goal of promoting tourism and business.

The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that "Brazil does not unilaterally grant visa exemptions for visitors without reciprocity."

The new eVisa for Brazil will cost $80.90 and will be valid for 10 years, allowing multiple entries into the country while limiting stays to 90 days per year.

To obtain the eVisa, applicants must meet specific requirements, including:

• Providing a letter of intent specifying travel dates and purpose.
• Confirming accommodation and proof of residence.
• Presenting return tickets or a signed return declaration.
• Demonstrating income through bank statements from the last three months or the six most recent pay stubs, with a minimum average income of $2,000.

The company VFS Global will handle visa processing for Brazil, with the average processing time expected to be five business days. Brazilian authorities recommend initiating the process at least two months before the planned travel date to avoid inconvenience or delays.

The visa policy adjustment occurs amid a significant increase in international tourist arrivals in Brazil. In the first nine months of 2023 alone the country welcomed nearly 6 million foreign visitors, with U.S. citizens being the second-largest group, surpassed only by Argentine visitors.

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More From Forbes

More than 1 million indians waiting for highly skilled immigrant visas.

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People are reflected in the window of the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square in New York City. U.S. ... [+] government data has confirmed that more than one million Indians now wait in employment-based immigration backlogs, highlighting problems in the U.S. immigration system. Many work for technology companies in the United States. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

U.S. government data confirm that more than one million Indians now wait in employment-based immigration backlogs, highlighting problems in the U.S. immigration system. The data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services indicate many highly skilled professionals from India face potentially decades-long waits to gain permanent residence (a green card) due to a per-country limit and the low annual quota. The waits create personal turmoil for individuals and families, affecting America’s ability to attract and retain talent .

Analysis Of USCIS Data

Over 1.2 million Indians, including dependents, are waiting in the first, second and third employment-based green card categories, according to a National Foundation for American Policy analysis of USCIS data . The data reflect approved I-140 immigrant petitions as of November 2, 2023.

NFAP analyzed the data and calculated the dependents to arrive at an estimated backlog in the top three employment-based immigration categories (excluding “other workers”).

First Preference: According to USCIS, 51,249 principals are in the employment-based first preference, also known as EB-1. NFAP estimates an additional 92,248 dependents for a total of 143,497 Indians in the first preference backlog. EB-1 includes workers with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors and researchers and multinational executives or managers.

Second Preference: According to USCIS, as of November 2, 2023, there were 419,392 principals in the employment-based second preference, also known as EB-2. NFAP estimates an additional 419,392 dependents for a total of 838,784 Indians in the second preference backlog. EB-2 includes professionals holding an advanced degree and persons with exceptional ability in the sciences, arts or business.

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USCIS data from 2020 suggest that the Indian backlog in the EB-2 category rose by more than 240,000 or 40% in approximately three years.

Third Preference: According to USCIS, 138,581 principals are in the employment-based third preference, also known as EB-3. NFAP estimates an additional 138,581 dependents for a total of 277,162 Indians in the third preference backlog. EB-3 includes skilled workers and “members of the professions whose jobs require at least a baccalaureate degree.” (Unskilled or “Other Workers” in the third preference are not included in the analysis.)

According to the National Foundation for American Policy’s analysis of USCIS data, there are 1,259,443 Indians in the top three employment-based immigration categories as of November 2, 2023.

USCIS says the agency’s data does not “identify or exclude multiple petitions by the same petitioner or beneficiary.” However, NFAP based its estimates of dependents on the ratio of employment visa principals to dependents in FY 2021 and FY 2022 for all countries of origin. That would underestimate dependents for Indians because their long waits in the backlog mean they would be older than other employment-based immigrants and more likely to have spouses and multiple children.

Without Congressional action, the backlog will continue to increase. In 2020, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) estimated the backlog for Indians in the top three employment-based green card categories would reach 2,195,795 individuals by FY 2030 and take 195 years to eliminate the backlog.

The Visa Bulletin And Chinese Immigrants

The per-country limit (discussed below) also affects would-be employment-based immigrants from China and the Philippines. NFAP estimates that nearly 148,000 Chinese professionals and their dependents are waiting in the employment-based green card backlog, with approximately 83,000 in the second preference and 41,000 in the third preference.

According to the May 2024 Visa Bulletin , Indians can receive their green card in the employment-based second preference only if their application was filed before May 15, 2012. While that provides a general sense of an applicant’s wait time, for Indians, the dates in the Visa Bulletin often do not advance monthly and sometimes may regress. For Chinese, the date in the May 2024 Visa Bulletin is June 1, 2020. For comparison, for the rest of the world, the application filing date to be eligible to receive a green card in the second preference is last year—February 15, 2023. (See here for background on interpreting the Visa Bulletin.)

“Applicants for immigrant visas who have a priority date earlier than the application date in the [Visa Bulletin] chart may assemble and submit required documents to the Department of State’s National Visa Center,” according to the State Department .

The Reasons For The Long Green Card Wait Times

Two parts of U.S. law created the long wait times for employment-based immigrants. In 1990, Congress set the annual limit for employment-based green cards at 140,000, including dependents, a level far from high enough since the demand for technical talent has exploded in recent decades due to the internet, smartphones, AI, e-commerce and other innovations. At the same time, lawmakers retained a per-country limit of 7%. The per-country limit has most harmed highly skilled professionals from India, China and the Philippines due to larger populations.

Indians have suffered the brunt of the law’s impact. Due to the per-country limit, only 7,820 Indian immigrants received employment-based green cards in the EB-2 category in FY 2015, even though employers submitted tens of thousands of green card applications for Indians years earlier than individuals from other countries who received green cards that year.

In 2022, Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA), supported by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, blocked a reform that would have ended the long waits for many employment-based immigrants. Analysts say Grassley’s blocking of the exemption for highly educated immigrants caused potentially irreparable harm to America’s ability to attract and retain foreign-born scientists and engineers in the United States.

When the House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES (CHIPS) Act, it included an exemption from annual green card limits and backlogs for foreign nationals with a Ph.D. in STEM fields and those with a master’s degree “in a critical industry.” During the House-Senate conference committee on the bill, the Biden administration, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), businesses and universities argued for keeping the provisions. However, Grassley, the ranking Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, blocked the immigration measures from becoming law.

The Impact Of Long Green Card Wait Times

In July 2023, a Forbes article reported on Canada’s program to entice H-1B visa holders. The number of applications was so overwhelming that the 10,000 limit was reached in less than 48 hours. “The response is likely a warning sign to U.S. policymakers that many highly sought foreign-born scientists and engineers in the United States are dissatisfied with the U.S. immigration system and seeking other options.”

Beyond the hit to U.S. competitiveness and companies’ ability to retain talent in the United States, the long waits for employment-based green cards exact a human toll.

Emily Neumann, a managing partner at Reddy Neumann Brown PC, noted a recent application for a client who has needed to renew his H-1B five times while waiting for his green card priority date. “He’s been with the company for 16 years. Still no green card solely because he was born in India.” An H-1B denial, layoff or economic downturn could force him to leave the country.

Roshan Taroll’s story illustrates the impact of the employment-based green card problem. It shows the immigration system creates fear and uncertainty that sways the course of people’s lives, including the children of highly skilled immigrants.

Roshan was born in India and came to America as a 10-year-old with his parents in 2008. His mother worked in H-1B status for a U.S. technology company, which sponsored her for an employment-based green card in 2010. Eight years later, in 2018, Roshan’s mother died before she was granted her green card. The low annual employment-based immigrant visa limit and the per-country limit affecting Indians caused the long wait and prevented her from becoming a permanent resident.

Family members can use the employment-based visa petition of a deceased principal to gain permanent residence. However, Roshan turned 21 and “aged out” of being included on his mother’s application before the “priority date” arrived. (See this interview and the website of Improve The Dream , which focuses on “child dependents of long-term visa holders.”)

Even though Roshan grew up in Boston, he needed to obtain F-1 international student status to attend Boston College. After graduating, he has worked for a company on Optional Practical Training for three years.

Roshan has experience in a high-demand field—semiconductor manufacturing—but due to the low annual limit on H-1B petitions, his company could not secure an H-1B visa for him despite attempts in three separate H-1B lotteries. (According to analysts, the yearly limit of 85,000 new H-1B petitions for companies is reached annually because it is inadequate for a technology-based economy with a labor force of more than 160 million people.)

As a result, even though he has lived in America since he was 10 years old, Roshan will soon have to leave the United States. He appreciates the company’s efforts to find a location where he can use his education and training to work for the corporation in another country.

“It's been challenging,” said Roshan. “With my mother's passing, she moved us to this country to give us a better life and ensure that we were educated and did well. Now that I have to leave, I won’t be able to fulfill her wishes of living my life in the United States.”

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Middle East latest: Baby delivered after mother killed in Rafah strike; Netanyahu vows to 'increase pressure on Hamas in coming days'

A baby girl was delivered in an emergency caesarean section after her Palestinian mother was killed by an Israeli attack in the Gaza city of Rafah. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will "increase the political and military pressure on Hamas in the coming days".

Sunday 21 April 2024 21:49, UK

• Israel-Hamas war

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• Iran 'displayed power' in attack on Israel, Supreme Leader insists - despite failure
• Baby delivered in emergency C-section after mother killed in Rafah strike
• Netanyahu: Israel will increase pressure on Hamas 'in coming days' 
• Sean Bell: New details hint at impact of Israeli strike on Iran
• At least 14 Palestinians killed in West Bank raid, authorities say
• Analysis: Iran isn't biggest threat to the coalition right now
• Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel and (earlier)  Narbeh Minassian

Earlier today, Iran's supreme leader dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments to senior military leaders did not not touch on the apparent Israeli retaliatory strike on the central city of Isfahan on Friday, even though air defences opened fire and Iran grounded commercial flights across much of the country.

The 85-year-old made the comments in a meeting attended by the top ranks of Iran's regular military, police and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a powerful force within its Shiite theocracy.

We have been reporting this weekend on the Israeli raid at Nur Shams, in the occupied West Bank.

The raid began in the early hours of Friday and troops were still exchanging fire with armed fighters into Saturday.

Here are some of the images that have emerged from the region...

By Alex Crawford , special correspondent

The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon has told Sky News the dangers in the region have not gone away and called for calm, wisdom and de-escalation as a matter of urgency.

Joanna Wronecka spoke from her office in Beirut about her worries and appealed for restraint from all those involved.

"I'm very concerned," she said. "Because we need just a small miscalculation and the situation can escalate even more."

She was referring to the spike in cross-border firing between the Israeli military and the Lebanese Hezbollah fighters who've been trading attacks with growing intensity since 7 October.

You can read Crawford's full piece here...

The campaigner who was called "openly Jewish" by a police officer last weekend, has been offered a meeting with a senior Metropolitan Police officer.

In a statement, the force said assistant commissioner Matt Twist had written to Gideon Falter, chief executive of the Campaign Against Antisemitism, to offer a private meeting.

The meeting is "to both apologise to him personally and discuss what more the Met can do to ensure Jewish Londoners feel safe", the police said.

We reported this morning the Board of Deputies of British Jews will meet Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley this week, along with the Jewish Leadership Council and antisemitism charity CST regarding the incident (see post at 2.05pm).

 A baby girl was delivered in an emergency caesarean section after her Palestinian mother was killed along with her husband and daughter by an Israeli attack in the Gaza city of Rafah, Palestinian health officials have said.

The baby is stable and improving gradually, Mohammed Salama, a doctor caring for her, said.

Her mother, Sabreen Al-Sakani, had been 30 weeks pregnant.

The baby will stay in hospital for three to four weeks, Dr Salama said.

"After that we will see about her leaving, and where this child will go, to the family, to the aunt or uncle or grandparents. Here is the biggest tragedy. Even if this child survives, she was born an orphan," he said.

Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.

It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive to the city on the border with Egypt despite international calls for restraint.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a telephone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today and discussed the state of the region, a spokesperson for the German government has said.

"The chancellor emphasised that it was essential to avoid a regional escalation," the spokesperson said.

It comes as Iran and Israel, who have been locked in a shadow war for years, try to dial back tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them as the Israel-Hamas war inflames the wider region.

Israel war cabinet member Benny Gantz has spoken with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and asked him to reconsider the decision to sanction the IDF's Netzah Yehuda battalion, the American news website Axios reports, citing Mr Gantz's office.

For context : This weekend a report from Axios claimed the US was expected to announce sanctions within days on the IDF battalion for human rights violations in the occupied West Bank.  

Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu has already responded, warning it is "forbidden" to sanction the IDF.

The Axios report adds it would be the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an Israeli military unit.

Israel and Iran have been at war for decades but they have been fighting in the shadows.

Analysts believe both countries are now trying to ease tensions following a series of escalatory attacks between them.

Here, our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn   explains how we got here and what could be next.

We have been reporting today on Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight which killed 22 people, including 18 children, according to health officials.

Now, the IDF has responded to the overnight strikes.

"At the given times, the IDF struck several military targets of the terrorist organisations in Gaza including military compounds, launch posts and armed terrorists," it said in a statement.

For context : Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza's population of 2.3 million have sought refuge from fighting elsewhere.

It has also vowed to expand its ground offensive to the city on the border with Egypt despite international calls for restraint, including from the US.

Israel will "increase the political and military pressure on Hamas in the coming days", Benjamin Netanyahu has said.

Speaking before the Jewish holiday of Passover that starts tomorrow, the Israeli leader said all proposals for the release of hostages had been "outright rejected by Hamas".

"In the coming days we will increase the military and political pressure on Hamas because this is the only way to free our hostages and achieve our victory," he said.

He also responded to reports of imminent US sanctions on the IDF religious battalion Netzah Yehuda saying: "If anyone thinks they can impose sanctions on a unit in the IDF I will fight it with all my might."

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Iran says it gave warning before attacking Israel. US says that's not true

• Medium Text

• Iran said it gave 72 hours' notice of attack
• U.S. denies receiving extensive warning
• Israel and allies downed most drones and missiles

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Reporting by Jeff Mason and Rami Ayyub in Washington, Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara, Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad and Parisa Hafezi and Samia Nakhoul in Dubai; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Susan Fenton and Lisa Shumaker

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Jeff Mason is a White House Correspondent for Reuters. He has covered the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden and the presidential campaigns of Biden, Trump, Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. He served as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association in 2016-2017, leading the press corps in advocating for press freedom in the early days of the Trump administration. His and the WHCA's work was recognized with Deutsche Welle's "Freedom of Speech Award." Jeff has asked pointed questions of domestic and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korea's Kim Jong Un. He is a winner of the WHCA's “Excellence in Presidential News Coverage Under Deadline Pressure" award and co-winner of the Association for Business Journalists' "Breaking News" award. Jeff began his career in Frankfurt, Germany as a business reporter before being posted to Brussels, Belgium, where he covered the European Union. Jeff appears regularly on television and radio and teaches political journalism at Georgetown University. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism and a former Fulbright scholar.

At least five rockets were launched from Iraq's town of Zummar towards a U.S. military base in northeastern Syria on Sunday, two Iraqi security sources told Reuters.

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Gaza war protesters shut down Golden Gate Bridge, block traffic in other cities

Demonstrators protesting the war in Gaza shut down San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge for around five hours Monday, as protests were also held in other cities in the U.S.

Demonstrators on the famous bridge held a sign that read “stop the world for Gaza” in capital letters. They used vehicles and chained themselves together to block travel lanes on the bridge, the California Highway Patrol said, adding that around 20 people were arrested.

NBC Bay Area reported that the bridge was closed for around five hours and that the traffic there was blocked beginning at around 7:30 a.m. The bridge reopened at around 12:15 p.m., the highway patrol said.

It’s not the first time pro-Palestinian protesters had blocked traffic on the Golden Gate Bridge to draw attention to the war and their cause. A group blocked traffic on the bridge in February, calling for a cease-fire and demanding the U.S. stop supplying weapons to Israel.

On Interstate 880 in Oakland, protesters chained themselves to 55-gallon drums filled with cement, according to the highway patrol.

“They are actively working to remove these individuals and lanes will be reopened,” the highway patrol said in a statement. “These individuals will be arrested.”

In Chicago, around 40 people were arrested at O’Hare International Airport after a group of protesters obstructed traffic, police said.

“Stop sending bombs,” read the stop sign-like badges on the chests of protesters who blocked the expressway leading to O’Hare by connecting themselves to one another with pipes over their arms.

The group Chicago Dissenters said the protest date was picked to coincide with the April 15 tax filing deadline.

“O’Hare International Airport is one of the largest in the country, and there will be NO business as usual while Palestinians suffer at the hands of American funded bombing by Israel,” the group wrote on social media.

New York City police said they were making arrests after protesters blocked traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge.

In Seattle, an expressway leading to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport was also blocked, airport authorities there said.

The Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 and Israel's subsequent war against the group in Gaza have inflamed passions in the U.S. and in other parts of the world.

More than 30,000 people have been killed in Gaza, including thousands of civilians, according to health officials there. More than 1,200 people in Israel were killed in the Hamas attacks, and hostages were also taken.

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.