How long is the USA visa waiting time?
As the USA Immigration authorities are authorized to make changes in immigration rules considering the numbers of the visa applications, saying that in how many days, you will receive your visa, or have to wait for the appointment is tough. Generally, an approximate time period is followed which states the duration that people have to wait to receive their visa.
In this blog, you will discover the approximate time period of the USA visa waiting time. Such information will promote your understanding of the visa application process and the accurate time to apply for the visa.
We have covered the topic “USA visa waiting time” from two perspectives:
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Firstly, from the perspective of the USA Appointment Wait Time.
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Secondly, from the perspective of the time you receive your visa after the visa interview.
You might have seen people applying for a USA visitor visa a year prior to their travel to the country. This is due to the fact that the USA Visitor visa processing can be time-consuming in case the number of applications is large.
It is not that one can't travel to the USA on an emergency basis. The authorities in the country do provide the best way for such applicants needing the visa emergently. This type of visa can be acquired by making a request to USCIS.
Without making you wait further, we will proceed with our main topic.
USA Appointment Wait Time
We will start with understanding the USA Appointment Wait Time. The visa interview is not conducted just after making an application. In fact, the visa interview is scheduled at least three months before.
|
Visa Type |
Waiting Time for Appointment |
|
Interview Required Students/Exchange Visitors (F, M, J) |
99 Calendar Days |
|
Interview Required Crew and Transit (C, D, C1/D) |
45 Calendar Days |
|
Interview Required Visitors (B1/B2) |
441 Calendar Days |
From here, you can observe that the visitor's USA visa may have a long appointment wait time. Therefore, the application for the visitor visa must be made earlier. However, you should not confuse the visitor visa with an emergency visa.
The USA immigration authorities allow people from different nations for emergency visits and an application must be made to USCIS for the same.
There is another term i.e. “Interview Waiver Program” in which the applicant can mail in their visa applications and if get accepted, there will be no visa interview.
USA Visa Interview Waiting Time
Now, we will understand the time when one receives one's visa after the interview. Again, you have to bear in mind the importance of the type of visa when it comes to measuring the duration that you wait to receive your visa after the interview.
Usually, within 7–10 business days of the visa interview, when the visa is approved on the same day of the interview, one can receive one's visa.
F-1 visa: This type of visa, which is also known as a student visa, is given after three months of the interview. However, this can also take up to 8 months as well.
Have a look at the other visa-type waiting times after the interview:
|
Visa Types |
Waiting Time After Interview |
|
F-2 visa |
a few days to two weeks |
|
J-1 visa |
1–4 months |
|
Q-1 visa |
15 days to 3 months |
Entire USA Visa Application Process Time
This is again a tough question to answer due to fluctuations in the number of applications made every year. The candidates' own profiles can also impact the entire duration of the visa application process. For instance, the visa advisor will not suggest the scheduling of the interview until each and every document is collected.
All in all, we can say that the entire duration of the visa application can take from three months to a year, or maybe more than that, in the case of a study visa. Moreover, for a visitor visa, the duration could be around 6 months to years.
Conclusion
Application for the visa must be made at the accurate time, in fact, as soon as possible, to avoid missing your purpose. You can make the application at the right time only when you have an understanding of the time that a visa application requires. Believing that you have understood the answer that you were seeking, we would like to wrap this blog here. Best of luck for your visa application journey!
