Embassies and consulates · El Salvador
San Salvador: 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 days for visitor visas at San Salvador. 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
Student and exchange visas
15 days wait
361 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Visitor visas
15 days wait
42,974 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Temporary work visas
15 days wait
7,312 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Immigrant visas
Scheduling Jul 2025
11,540 issued in the past 12 months
Details →
Appointment waits at San Salvador
The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for San Salvador on September 17, 2026.
| Visa class | San Salvador | Median post | Posts with a shorter wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available | 15 days | 1 month | 0 of 187 |
| Student and exchange (F, M, J) | 15 days | 15 days | 0 of 186 |
| Petition-based work (H, L, O, P, Q) | 15 days | 15 days | 0 of 184 |
| Crew and transit (C, D, C1/D) | 15 days | 15 days | 0 of 174 |
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
San Salvador student wait over time
San Salvador has ranged same day to 25 months across 24 months on record, so treat today's figure as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. The median over that time was 15 days.
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
Immigrant visa interview scheduling at San Salvador
In its October 7, 2026 update, the State Department listed the month a case had to become documentarily complete for the National Visa Center (NVC) to be scheduling its interview at San Salvador.
Immediate relative
July 2025
15 months behind
Family-sponsored preference
July 2025
15 months behind
Employment-based preference
October 2026
update month
Source: U.S. Department of State: IV Scheduling Status Tool · Published 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
Earlier scheduling months at San Salvador →Visas issued at San Salvador
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
2,408
57% fewer than February 2025 (5,541). 52,118 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Immigrant visas, February 2026
972
19% fewer than February 2025 (1,199). 11,540 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Sources: U.S. Department of State: Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances and U.S. Department of State: Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuances · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
Every visa class issued at San Salvador →Visitor visa refusal rate for El Salvador 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 El Salvador wherever they applied, not a rate for San Salvador.
Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025
58.22%
Ranks 38 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
Get an email when San Salvador changes
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 15 days now
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Where these figures come from
- U.S. Visa Appointment Wait Times by EmbassyPublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
- U.S. Student Visa Appointment Wait Times Over TimePublished 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-09-17 · Coverage 2022-11/2026-09
- U.S. Immigrant Visa Interview Scheduling by EmbassyPublished 2026-10-07 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-10-07
- U.S. Visa Issuances by Post, MonthlyRetrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2022-10/2026-02
- U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Refusal Rates by NationalityRetrieved 2026-07-24 · Coverage FY2025
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.