Embassies and consulates · India
Chennai: 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 7.5 months for visitor visas at Chennai. 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 Chennai
The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for Chennai on September 17, 2026.
| Visa class | Chennai | Median post | Posts with a shorter wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available | 7.5 months | 1 month | 166 of 187 |
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), average wait | 7 months | 5.75 months | 22 of 38 |
| Student and exchange (F, M, J) | 15 days | 15 days | 0 of 186 |
| Petition-based work (H, L, O, P, Q) | 1.5 months | 15 days | 148 of 184 |
Source: U.S. Department of State: Global Visa Wait Times · Published 2026-09-17 · Retrieved 2026-10-15 · Coverage 2026-09-17
Chennai student wait over time
Chennai has ranged 9 days to 3.53 months across 19 months on record, and today's figure is near the low end of that. Chennai has not usually been this quick, so if it works for you, book it. The median over that time was 1.87 months.
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 Chennai
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
14,900
33% fewer than February 2025 (22,255). 227,354 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).
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 Chennai →Visitor visa refusal rate for India 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 India wherever they applied, not a rate for Chennai.
Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025
22.04%
Ranks 123 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 Chennai changes
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 7.5 months now
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Other U.S. posts in India
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.