Nonimmigrant visa wait times vs. immigrant visa interview wait times

[Kabedi3166 5]

Hello all, apologies if this answer is somewhere out there on another thread but I couldn't find it.

 

Does anyone know how the wait times compare, in general, between scheduling interviews for nonimmigrant visas and immigrant visas at a given embassy/consulate? Since the Dept of State gives info on nonimmigrant visa interview wait times, is it reasonable to extrapolate that these timelines are longer than immigrant visa scheduling wait times? Or are they totally separate? For example, if nonimmigrant visas for student exchange are listed as a 5 month wait time, surely immigrant visas are processed at a higher priority (ie, more quickly)?

 

(Also, why can't they just provide similar information for immigrant visa applicants  )

[appleblossom 2,446]

1 minute ago, Kabedi3166 said:

Hello all, apologies if this answer is somewhere out there on another thread but I couldn't find it.

 

Does anyone know how the wait times compare, in general, between scheduling interviews for nonimmigrant visas and immigrant visas at a given embassy/consulate? Since the Dept of State gives info on nonimmigrant visa interview wait times, is it reasonable to extrapolate that these timelines are longer than immigrant visa scheduling wait times? Or are they totally separate? For example, if nonimmigrant visas for student exchange are listed as a 5 month wait time, surely immigrant visas are processed at a higher priority (ie, more quickly)?

 

(Also, why can't they just provide similar information for immigrant visa applicants  )

 

It totally depends on the consulate, and they're processed separately so not related to each other. But yes, generally those consulates with long wait times for NIV's will also have long waits for IV's. 

 

They don't provide similar information for IV applicants because it changes so often - for example, they'll give priority to DV applicants at certain times of the year, other times they'll prioritise spouses, but if they have a backlog in another category they may choose to prioritise that. So it would fluctuate too much I think, but you can usually get a rough idea of how long you'll have to wait from looking at the VJ timelines.

 

Good luck. 

[Kabedi3166 5]

That makes sense, many thanks appleblossom!

The issue for us was there is next to no data on our country (DR Congo) here on VJ for CR1/IR1 so I am trying to read the tea leaves...

[appleblossom 2,446]

1 minute ago, Kabedi3166 said:

That makes sense, many thanks appleblossom!

The issue for us was there is next to no data on our country (DR Congo) here on VJ for CR1/IR1 so I am trying to read the tea leaves...

 

Ah, yes not sure I've seen any cases from there. Good luck, hope it's not too long. 

[Boiler 45,449]

Student interviews are usually pretty quick, a few days, if there is a backlog then it tend to be Visitor Visas but emergency appointments are available in certain circumstances.

[Kabedi3166 5]

18 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Student interviews are usually pretty quick, a few days, if there is a backlog then it tend to be Visitor Visas but emergency appointments are available in certain circumstances.

I gave the example of student visas because currently that is the longest NIV wait times listed for our embassy, even longer than B1/B2. It seems all random...

[Boiler 45,449]

Qualifications for an Expedited Interview Appointment

Consular sections overseas may be able to expedite your interview date if there is an urgent, unforeseen situation such as a funeral, medical emergency, or school start date. The process to request an expedited nonimmigrant visa interview varies by location. You should refer to the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section  where you will interview, or on their online appointment scheduling site. You will need to provide proof of the need for an earlier appointment.

In all cases: You must first submit the online visa application form (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule the first available interview appointment. Only at this point will a consular section consider your request for an expedited appointment.

Note: Travel for the purpose of attending weddings and graduation ceremonies, assisting pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or enjoying last-minute tourism does not qualify for expedited appointments. For such travel, please schedule a regular visa appointment well in advance.

[Kabedi3166 5]

12 minutes ago, Boiler said:

Qualifications for an Expedited Interview Appointment

Consular sections overseas may be able to expedite your interview date if there is an urgent, unforeseen situation such as a funeral, medical emergency, or school start date. The process to request an expedited nonimmigrant visa interview varies by location. You should refer to the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section  where you will interview, or on their online appointment scheduling site. You will need to provide proof of the need for an earlier appointment.

In all cases: You must first submit the online visa application form (DS-160), pay the application fee, and schedule the first available interview appointment. Only at this point will a consular section consider your request for an expedited appointment.

Note: Travel for the purpose of attending weddings and graduation ceremonies, assisting pregnant relatives, participating in an annual business/academic/professional conference, or enjoying last-minute tourism does not qualify for expedited appointments. For such travel, please schedule a regular visa appointment well in advance.

Thanks, but we are applying for a CR1/IR1 spousal visa - I was trying to determine the wait time for interview scheduling based on the NIV data available. I don't think we qualify for any expedited processing sadly. 

[powerpuff 6,685]

*** Thread moved from Process & Procedures to Progress Reports as the question is about wait times ***

[top_secret 2,411]

US Embassy Manila has famously reduced their wait time for B1/B2 interviews from a year in 2022 to under three months today.  While over the same period, wait times for spousal visa interviews have gone from less than 3 months in 2022 to a full year today.  So at least at US Embassy Manila the inverse is true and non-immigrant visas inexplicably seem to have the greatest priority at the moment.

[Kabedi3166 5]

16 hours ago, top_secret said:

US Embassy Manila has famously reduced their wait time for B1/B2 interviews from a year in 2022 to under three months today.  While over the same period, wait times for spousal visa interviews have gone from less than 3 months in 2022 to a full year today.  So at least at US Embassy Manila the inverse is true and non-immigrant visas inexplicably seem to have the greatest priority at the moment.

That is very frustrating, thank you for sharing your experience. Sounds like every embassy is different and priorities change frequently.

[Bokee 2]

On 6/19/2024 at 2:08 PM, Kabedi3166 said:

That makes sense, many thanks appleblossom!

The issue for us was there is next to no data on our country (DR Congo) here on VJ for CR1/IR1 so I am trying to read the tea leaves...

Let's create an immigration group chat from Congo DR in order to share our experiences. I face the same problem, finding informations about our embassy timeline for IV is very rough.