US visa backlog in India worsens, wait times reach 346 days

US consular officers in India handled an average of 21,401 nonimmigrant visa applications each in fiscal year 2025, the highest workload among major visa-processing countries, according to a US Government Accountability Office report.

The Economic Times reported that 68 consular officers processed 1,455,255 applications during the year, while the weighted average wait for a nonimmigrant visa interview reached 346 days.

India recorded the longest interview wait among four countries examined by the GAO. Mexico averaged 283 days, compared with 34 days in China and 32 days in Brazil.

Visitor visa interview waits in India rose sharply from 42 days in fiscal year 2019 to 346 days in 2025. Consular officials identified inadequate staffing relative to demand as a major contributor to delays and backlogs.

Globally, officers handling nonimmigrant visas fell from 1,342 in 2024 to 904 in 2025, with officials citing a hiring freeze, workforce reductions and attrition as reasons for the decline during that period.