New US Visa Rule to Cut Wait Times for Indian Travelers in 2025

Indian travellers planning to visit the United States will now have some good news to cheer up. As per the latest development, starting January 1, 2025, nonimmigrant US visa applicants will be allowed to reschedule their interview appointment once without incurring any additional fee. However, if an applicant misses the appointment or needs to reschedule a second time, they will be required to book a new appointment and repay the application fee, according to a statement from the US embassy. The embassy clarified that the purpose of this change is to reduce wait times and offer a fair visa application process. The purpose of visitor visas is to allow temporary entry into the United States. These consist of the B-1 for business travel, the B-2 for tourism, and a B-1/B-2 combo of the two. As per the records, current wait times for B1/B2 Visas as of December 19, at various US consulates across India are significantly long, such as: Hyderabad: 429 days Kolkata: 436 days Mumbai: 438 days Delhi: 441 days Chennai: 479 days Since postponing repeatedly can cause the process to drag on longer, the embassy advises candidates to carefully choose their appointment dates and show up on time. "Everyone will be able to schedule appointments more quickly and easily thanks to these developments. To maintain the system's effectiveness and equity for all, applicants are encouraged to show up for their appointments," the embassy continued.