What Is the New Expedited Appointment Program?
The U.S. Department of State is testing a new system called the Nonimmigrant Visa Expedited Appointment Pilot Program. This optional scheme allows eligible applicants for B-1 (business) and B-2 (tourist) visas to pay an extra fee to secure an interview
appointment much faster than usual, often within 10 business days, depending on availability. To use it, applicants must first go through the standard process of paying the regular $185 visa application (MRV) fee and scheduling the next available regular appointment. Only then, in participating countries, will they see an option to pay an additional, non-refundable fee of $750 to book one of the limited, earlier slots. It is crucial to understand this payment only provides an earlier interview date; it does not guarantee visa approval or faster processing of the application itself.
Who Can Use the Program?
The pilot program is currently running until December 31, 2026, at a select number of U.S. embassies and consulates. The initial launch included all consular posts in Mexico and was later expanded on August 18, 2026, to include all posts in Canada, as well as the U.S. embassies in Bogota (Colombia), Guatemala City (Guatemala), San Jose (Costa Rica), and Tegucigalpa (Honduras). The program is designed for travellers with urgent needs who may not qualify for a traditional, evidence-based emergency appointment but are willing to pay for the convenience of speed. For now, applicants at any of the U.S. consular posts in India—Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai—cannot use this paid option.
Why India Is Not on the List
Official announcements have not provided a specific reason for India's exclusion from the initial pilot phase. However, the decision is likely a matter of logistics and scale. U.S. visa operations in India are among the busiest in the world, handling an immense volume of applications. Launching a pilot program in such a high-demand environment would be challenging. The State Department is likely testing the system in markets with more manageable application numbers to work out any issues before considering a wider rollout. While there is a possibility that more locations could be added later, there is no official timeline for India's inclusion. This exclusion is different from other visa policies, such as the visa bond program, which was targeted at countries with high visa overstay rates; India was not on that list due to its relatively low overstay rate.
The Current Reality of US Visa Wait Times in India
For Indian applicants, the exclusion from the pilot program means continuing to navigate a system with significant wait times. As of August 2026, the average wait time for a first-time B-1/B-2 visa interview appointment across India is approximately 8.4 months. The delays vary significantly by consulate, with Mumbai having the longest wait at around 14 months, while Kolkata is shorter at about 4 months. Wait times in Delhi and Hyderabad are around 7.5 and 9.5 months, respectively. These figures have improved from the post-pandemic peaks which saw waits of over 800 days, but they still require applicants to plan their travel far in advance.
What Options Remain for Urgent Indian Applicants?
Without access to the new paid program, Indian applicants with genuine, unforeseen emergencies must rely on the existing expedited appointment request system. This option is not for general convenience and is reserved for specific, documented situations, such as receiving urgent medical treatment in the US, attending the funeral of an immediate family member, or critical, last-minute business travel. To request an emergency appointment, an applicant must first schedule a regular appointment online. Afterwards, they can submit an expedited request through the same portal, providing strong evidence to justify the urgency. Approval is not guaranteed, and misrepresenting the reason for urgent travel can negatively impact the visa application's outcome.
