US Visa Backlogs in India Stretch to 346 Days

The scale of the imbalance is significant, with 68 consular officers processing over 1.45 million nonimmigrant visa applications. This results in a workload of approximately 21,401 applications per officer. By contrast, wait times in China and Brazil sit at 34 and 32 days respectively, highlighting India's unique position among the world's most congested visa markets. Auditors noted that physical constraints at the New Delhi embassy further complicate the situation, as limited interview windows and office space restrict the ability to increase capacity.

Beyond staffing shortages, the system faces interference from third-party agents who hoard appointment slots to resell them. While the State Department has implemented scheduling updates to mitigate this, the impact remains limited. To address the mounting backlog, officials have resorted to processing applications on weekends and relying on a Washington-based unit to handle interview waivers remotely. Despite these efforts, the structural gap between the surging demand for travel and the static consular infrastructure continues to drive wait times to historic highs.