Visa Interview Availability Tools launched to track wait times worldwide

Key Takeaways

• Two new State Department online tools reveal monthly U.S. visa interview wait times, launching April 29–30, 2025.
• The Global Visa Wait Times Tool covers nonimmigrant visas; the Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool tracks green card interview scheduling.
• All DS-160 online forms must be submitted at least two business days before a U.S. nonimmigrant visa interview.

The U.S. Department of State 🇺🇸 has introduced two new online tools to help people track visa interview timing at American embassies and consulates all over the world. For many years, people trying to get visas for travel, work, study, or permanent residence in the United States 🇺🇸 have faced uncertainty about how long they must wait for an interview. Without clear information, applicants often felt unsure about planning trips, booking flights, or managing life changes, especially in areas with big backlogs. Now, with the launch of the Global Visa Wait Times Tool and the Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool on April 29–30, 2025, these issues are being addressed in a new and practical way.

Whether you are a student hoping to start classes, a family member awaiting a green card, or a business traveler needing a visitor visa, these tools aim to give you a clearer picture of what to expect as you prepare your application and look forward to your interview.

What Are These Visa Interview Availability Tools?

These online resources are now hosted by the U.S. Department of State 🇺🇸. The tools are up-to-date, official, and free for anybody to use. They are designed to show you how long you might wait for a visa interview at the U.S. embassy or consulate closest to you. The tools cover both nonimmigrant visas (such as tourist, student, and worker visas) and immigrant visas (such as family or employer-sponsored green cards). Let’s look at how each works.

Global Visa Wait Times Tool

This resource focuses on nonimmigrant visa appointments. Nonimmigrant visas are given to people who plan to visit, study, conduct business, or work temporarily in the United States 🇺🇸. Here are some examples:

• Tourist and business visitors (B-1/B-2)
• Students (F-1)
• Temporary professionals and workers (H-1B, L-1, among others)

How does it work?

• The tool provides information for each U.S. embassy or consulate around the world.
• It displays the next available interview date and the average waiting period for a visitor (B) visa appointment.
• Updates appear monthly, not daily, so the numbers give a broad view, not a minute-by-minute update.
• Waiting periods are shown in months, making it simpler to plan longer-term travel or study options.

Why is this useful?

In the past, the available information was scattered, unreliable, or simply not up to date. With this tool, you see the latest available data directly from the embassy or consulate you are interested in. This is especially important in countries where high demand or short staffing can mean long waits. For example, students can now make better choices about which consulate to apply to and how long to expect until their interview date comes.

This is also a big help for:

• International travelers who need to plan flights and accommodation
• Students aiming to start studies at a set date
• Companies or professionals coordinating work assignments

Instead of taking a guess or relying on rumors, both applicants and their employers can check the Global Visa Wait Times Tool and make informed decisions.

Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool

The second tool is tailored for immigrant visa applicants. This typically includes applicants for green cards based on family connections or job offers. It is especially focused on people whose paperwork is being handled through the National Visa Center (NVC), the main processing hub before an immigrant visa interview is set up.

How does it work?

• Shows, by consulate or embassy, the month and year for which documentarily complete cases have just been called for interviews.
• “Documentarily complete” means the applicant has paid all required government fees and submitted all necessary paperwork to the National Visa Center.
• The tool makes it possible for people to see if their own case—based on the date all their documents were submitted—might soon be called for an interview.
• It is updated monthly.

Who benefits from this?

If you’re waiting with family to reunite or if you are a company trying to predict when a new employee might arrive, this tool takes some of the guesswork out of the process. Before, people often had little idea when to expect progress after finishing paperwork with the National Visa Center. Now, applicants can track which batches of documentarily complete cases are being scheduled and prepare accordingly.

This tool brings peace of mind to:

• Relatives hoping to bring family members from abroad
• Companies sponsoring workers for permanent roles
• Individuals waiting for a long-expected interview date

Key Differences and Use Cases

What Do These Tools Not Cover?

While these new resources are a big step forward, they come with some limits:

• The Global Visa Wait Times Tool is very broad but does not break down wait times for every possible nonimmigrant visa type.
• The Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool does not include Diversity Visa Lottery cases, Afghan Special Immigrant Visas, I-601A provisional waivers, or adoption cases. These groups must rely on other processes for information on interview progress.
• The times listed are estimates. They do not guarantee the exact day or week your interview will happen.
• The information updates every month, not daily, so sudden changes in local demand or staffing might not appear right away.

Still, knowing what’s happening on a monthly basis is a huge step up from the uncertainty applicants often faced in the past.

A Closer Look: How to Use the Tools

The Global Visa Wait Times Tool is easy to access. You go to the official website, select the country and city where you want your interview, and see the estimated next available interview dates. If you are applying for a tourist or business visa, for example, you may see that in some locations, the wait is only one month, while in others it could be much longer. You can use this information to choose where to apply or to plan when to submit your application.

The Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool works a little differently. Once your documents and payments are submitted to the National Visa Center, you can see which month and year of completed cases are being scheduled for interviews by the embassy or consulate you’ll use. If your case was completed in the same time frame, you’ll know you could be called soon.

Both tools aim to put up-to-date information directly in your hands, reducing the need to call or email consulates for updates and making the whole experience less stressful.

New Steps for Nonimmigrant Visa Applications

Alongside these updates, the Department of State 🇺🇸 has made a very clear rule for nonimmigrant visa applicants using Form DS-160, also known as the Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application:

• You must submit your DS-160 form at least two business days before your interview.
• If you don’t, your appointment could be canceled or delayed.
• The confirmation number on your electronic and paper copies must match.

This step is required so that consular staff have enough time to review your application before the interview. It’s a small detail—but missing it could mean costly delays. To avoid problems, always double-check that your form is on file in time, with the right confirmation number. You can find the official DS-160 form here.

Why These Changes Matter

These new visa interview availability tools are important for several reasons:

1. Better Planning: They provide clear, official information about when interviews are likely to happen. People can make decisions about travel, work, housing, and even school with more confidence and fewer surprises.

2. Transparency: For the first time, applicants do not have to rely on third parties or hearsay. They can check real numbers and see trends for themselves.

3. Reduced Stress: When you know roughly what to expect, the long wait feels less uncertain. This is especially helpful for those making big life changes or who have family waiting to join them in the United States 🇺🇸.

4. Better Management by Employers and Schools: Schools, universities, and employers have a clearer understanding of when students or workers might be able to arrive. This helps with hiring and course planning.

In the words of VisaVerge.com, “They are incredibly helpful in setting expectations… Whether you’re a student applying for an F‑1 visa…or a family member awaiting your green card interview…” these tools offer much-needed clarity in what has often been an opaque process.

Background and Recent Trends

The release of these new tools comes as U.S. consulates worldwide continue to deal with record high demand for visas following the COVID-19 pandemic. During the pandemic, many embassies and consulates scaled back operations or closed temporarily, leading to long backlogs and slow processing. Many applicants waited months or even more than a year for an appointment, with no clear way to know when things might improve.

Now, as many people return to travel for tourism, study, business, or family reunification, the need for clear information about wait times and interview availability has never been greater. The Department of State’s new tools respond to these needs, giving applicants a better way to plan and reducing the frustration that comes from not knowing what’s happening in the background.

What about Diversity Visa, SIV, and Adoption Cases?

Unfortunately, these new interview tools do not address every case type. If you are part of the Diversity Visa Lottery program, are seeking an Afghan Special Immigrant Visa, need an I-601A waiver, or wish to complete certain intercountry adoptions, your case is not included in these new online tracking tools. However, the Department of State 🇺🇸 continues to provide updates on these special categories on its official website.

What Should You Do Now?

• If you are planning to apply for a nonimmigrant visa, check the Global Visa Wait Times Tool each month to see which embassies or consulates might have shorter wait times.
• If you are applying for an immigrant visa through family or employment, use the Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool regularly to compare your documentarily complete date to the dates being called for new interviews at your consulate.
• Always read instructions on the official consulate and Department of State 🇺🇸 websites carefully.
• Submit required forms, especially DS-160, ahead of time and double-check your confirmation numbers.

The Wider Impact and Looking Ahead

These changes are likely to improve the visa application process in many ways. More clarity and transparency mean fewer surprises, fewer last-minute cancellations, and a smoother journey for everyone involved—from families reuniting to businesses relying on skilled workers.

Still, challenges remain. Visa demand is very high in many countries, and the system is not immune from sudden shifts in local conditions, emergencies, or policy changes. But with regular updates and official tools, applicants can stay better informed and make better choices. Analysis from VisaVerge.com suggests that having these details out in the open helps both applicants and U.S. government staff work together with less confusion and less worry.

For anyone involved in the complex world of U.S. visas—whether you are applying for the first time, helping a relative, or running a company that needs international talent—these new visa interview availability tools are a welcome development. By putting clear information in the hands of those who need it most, the U.S. Department of State 🇺🇸 is taking a strong step toward making a tough process a little bit easier to manage. The hope is that more people around the world will be able to plan their journeys with greater confidence and less uncertainty.

For direct, official, and updated information, visit the Department of State’s visa resource page to get started with the visa application tools and resources now available.

Learn Today

Global Visa Wait Times Tool → An online tool showing monthly average wait times for nonimmigrant U.S. visa interviews by embassy or consulate worldwide.
Immigrant Visa Scheduling Status Tool → A resource that displays which months’ documentarily complete immigrant visa cases are currently being scheduled for interviews.
National Visa Center (NVC) → Centralized U.S. government facility managing immigrant visa paperwork before consulates or embassies schedule interviews.
DS-160 → The Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form, required for most U.S. visitor, student, and temporary work visa applicants.
Documentarily Complete → A visa application status indicating all required forms and fees are properly submitted and ready for consular review.

This Article in a Nutshell

The U.S. State Department’s new online tools offer monthly-updated visa interview wait times for American embassies and consulates worldwide. Covering both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas, these resources provide clarity and planning confidence. Updated June 2025, applicants must also file Form DS-160 at least two business days pre-interview to avoid delays.
— By VisaVerge.com

Read more:

• DS-160 now required to prevent US visa interview cancellation
• US Embassy warns no immigrant visa interview without full documents
• Rescheduling your U.S. citizenship interview now explained
• U.S. Tightens Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waiver Rules, Limits Eligibility
• New Rules Tighten Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Visa Interview Waivers