Embassies and consulates · Sri Lanka
Colombo: U.S. visa waits, scheduling and visas issued
As of September 17, 2026, the State Department lists a wait of 1 month for student visa appointments and 2 months for visitor visas at Colombo. 134 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 Colombo
The State Department lists how long applicants at each post wait for an interview, in months. It published these figures for Colombo on September 17, 2026.
| Visa class | Colombo | Median post | Posts with a shorter wait |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available | 2 months | 1 month | 125 of 187 |
| Student and exchange (F, M, J) | 1 month | 15 days | 134 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
Colombo student wait over time
Colombo has ranged 15 days to 3.5 months across 24 months on record, so treat today's figure as a snapshot rather than a guarantee. The median over that time was 1.2650000000000001 months.
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 Colombo
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 Colombo.
Immediate relative
August 2026
2 months behind
Family-sponsored preference
October 2026
update month
Employment-based preference
July 2026
3 months behind
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 Colombo →Visas issued at Colombo
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
610
9% more than February 2025 (560). 7,750 over the past 12 months (sum of monthly reports, not an official total).
Immigrant visas, February 2026
65
49% fewer than February 2025 (127). 1,211 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 Colombo →Visitor visa refusal rate for Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka wherever they applied, not a rate for Colombo.
Adjusted B visa refusal rate, FY2025
33.35%
Ranks 95 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 Colombo changes
Visitor (B-1/B-2), next available: 2 months now
We email you once each time the State Department publishes a different figure. Every email has an unsubscribe link.
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.