A US B-1/B-2 visitor visa for an Indian passport holder costs USD 185, is normally issued for ten years with multiple entries, and is decided by a consular officer in a face-to-face interview that often lasts less than three minutes. The hard part in 2026 is not the decision but the queue: the State Department's October 2026 figures put the next available interview at about 12 months in Mumbai, 11 in New Delhi, 10.5 in Hyderabad, 8.5 in Kolkata and 7.5 in Chennai. This guide explains who qualifies, what the officer decides, how the weeks and months run, and what each refusal means.
The short version with the price card and checklist is on the US B-1/B-2 visitor visa route page. This article is the long version with the reasoning behind each step.
Who needs a US visitor visa in 2026?
Every Indian citizen, for every visit and for most airport transits. India is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so ESTA does not apply. The B-1 covers business meetings, negotiations, conferences and short unpaid training; the B-2 covers tourism, visiting family and friends, and medical treatment. They are issued together as B-1/B-2. Since September 2025 applicants must apply in the country of their nationality or residence, which ended the practice of booking earlier interviews in Bangkok or Frankfurt.
The visa does not permit work, paid performances, study for credit or journalism. Parents who intend to live with their children in the US for most of the year, or anyone whose real aim is to look for a job, are outside the visa's purpose and should expect refusal if the plan is apparent.
What does the officer actually decide?
Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act presumes every visitor applicant is an intending immigrant until they prove otherwise. The officer looks for a residence in India you will not abandon, a clear and temporary purpose, and the means to pay for the trip. The decision is made on the DS-160 and your answers; supporting documents are reviewed only if the officer asks, which is why the interview is short.
What persuades: a stable job or business, family who stay in India, travel history to other countries, and a trip that fits your means. What does not: recent graduation with no employment, a spouse or whole family already in the US, a purpose that does not match the profile, or answers that contradict the form. There is no points table and no appeal; a refused applicant can reapply at any time by paying the fee again.
How much does it cost?
| Item | USD | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| B-1/B-2 visa application (MRV) fee | 185 | Per person, including children; valid 365 days from payment |
| Visa integrity fee | 250 | Enacted in 2025; not on the State Department fee schedule and not collected as of October 2026 |
| Expedited B-1/B-2 appointment (pilot, 1 Jul to 31 Dec 2026) | 750 | Selected posts only; India not included at launch |
| C transit visa | 185 | Only if you will stay airside and hold no B visa |
| Reciprocity (issuance) fee for Indian citizens | 0 | None for B visas |
The fee is paid in rupees through the appointment portal and is not refunded on refusal. Vistolane charges the government fee at the official rate and shows it separately on the United States destination page.
How does the application run?
- Complete the DS-160 online: travel plans, employment, education, family, ten years of travel history and the social media identifiers used in the last five years. Print the confirmation page.
- Create a profile on the appointment portal, pay USD 185 and book two appointments: biometrics at a Visa Application Center and the interview at the embassy or a consulate. You may book at any Indian post, not only the one for your state.
- Attend the VAC for fingerprints and a photograph, usually a day or more before the interview.
- Attend the interview with the passport, DS-160 confirmation, appointment letter and supporting documents. The officer approves, refuses under 214(b) or issues a 221(g) notice for administrative processing or documents.
- Approved passports are returned by courier or pickup in one to two weeks with the visa foil inside.
How long does it take from India?
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| DS-160 and fee payment | 1 to 3 days |
| Wait for an interview slot | 7.5 to 12 months (October 2026, by city) |
| Interview to passport return | 1 to 2 weeks |
| Emergency appointment | Days to weeks, with evidence |
Pay the fee as soon as travel is possible; it stays valid for a year and appointments can be rescheduled a limited number of times. Slots are released in batches, often early in the morning, and a consulate other than your home city may have earlier dates. Interview waiver (dropbox) is limited to renewals under the narrow rules introduced in 2025 and is consolidated in New Delhi, where processing takes about three weeks.
What happens at the border and during the stay?
The visa lets you travel to a port of entry; the Customs and Border Protection officer decides admission and the stay, normally six months for B-2, recorded on the electronic I-94. Overstaying voids the visa and, after 180 days or a year of unlawful presence, triggers three- and ten-year bars. Extensions are filed with USCIS on Form I-539 before the I-94 date. Check the admit-until date on the I-94, available online from CBP, rather than the visa expiry; the two are different and confusing them is the commonest cause of accidental overstay. Long or frequent stays invite shorter admissions and harder questions next time.
Visitors who later qualify for work or study usually return to India for the new visa; changing status inside the US is possible in some cases, but re-entry after travel needs the new visa.
Why are US visitor visas refused, and what fixes each reason?
214(b): presumption of immigrant intent not overcome. Weak ties, a vague purpose, or family already in the US. Reapply when something has changed, answer concisely and consistently, and carry evidence of the change.
221(g): administrative processing or documents. The case needs review or a document. Submit exactly what is requested; processing can take weeks to months and the fee stays valid.
Inconsistent DS-160 or undeclared refusals. A material misrepresentation leads to a permanent bar under 212(a)(6)(C)(i). Check the form line by line, declare every refusal by any country, and never let an agent invent employment or travel.
Previous overstay or unauthorised work. Establish the I-94 record, wait out any bar, and explain compliance since.
Purpose outside the visa. Describe a genuine, time-limited visit, or apply for the right category if the real aim is work or study.
How Vistolane files it
Vistolane completes the DS-160, pays the MRV fee at the official rate, monitors slot releases at all five Indian posts and prepares you for the interview. Start with the free eligibility check or open the US visitor visa route page for the checklist and price card. Families often pair the visit with the UK Standard Visitor visa, which is decided in three weeks.
