Visa InterviewsResearch

Embassies and consulates · Canada

Ottawa: U.S. visa waits, scheduling and visas issued

As of September 17, 2026, the State Department lists a wait of 15 days for student visa appointments and 15 months for visitor visas at Ottawa. 0 of 186 posts list a shorter student wait.

Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17

By visa type

Appointment waits at Ottawa

The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for Ottawa on September 17, 2026.

Visa classOttawaMedian postPosts with a shorter wait
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available15 months1 month180 of 187
Visitor (B-1/B-2), average wait14.5 months5.75 months35 of 38
Student and exchange (F, M, J)15 days15 days0 of 186
Petition-based work (H, L, O, P, Q)2 months15 days161 of 184
Crew and transit (C, D, C1/D)2 months15 days153 of 174

Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17

Ottawa student wait over time

Ottawa has ranged same day to 14.5 months across 24 months on record, so treat today's figure as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. The median over that time was 1.1 months.

Jul 24same day – 14.5 monthsSep 26

Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09

Visas issued at Ottawa

The State Department reports how many visas each post issues every month. These counts are where visas were issued, not the nationality of the people who received them.

Nonimmigrant visas, February 2026

2,151

35% fewer than February 2025 (3,332). 29,378 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).

Immigrant visas, February 2026

0

0 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).

Visitor visa refusal rate for Canada nationals

The State Department publishes refusal rates by nationality, counting applicants at every post, not by post. A refusal is what applicants usually call a visa rejection. This is the rate for nationals of Canada wherever they applied, not a rate for Ottawa.

Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025

53.10%

Ranks 50 of 199 nationalities, highest first.

How the rate is calculated →

Source: U.S. Department of State: Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas by Nationality · Retrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025

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Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 15 months now

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Other U.S. posts in Canada

Where these figures come from

The State Department publishes each of these separately, on its own schedule. We show each one with its own date and never add figures from one to another.