Canadians Face World’s Longest Wait Times for U.S. Visas
Canadian residents are now facing the longest wait times globally for U.S. tourist visas. Recent data shows that while wait times have improved in countries like India and Mexico, Canadian applicants are experiencing worsening delays.
As of the latest figures, the U.S. embassy and consulate offices in Canada have some of the most extended wait times worldwide. In Ottawa and Quebec City, the wait for a B1/B2 visitor visa appointment is currently 850 days. Halifax has a wait time of 840 days, and Calgary is at 839 days. Toronto and Vancouver are also seeing long delays, with wait times of 753 and 731 days, respectively.
Earlier this month, Toronto’s wait time briefly reached 900 days, making it the longest globally.
In comparison, other countries with notable wait times include Istanbul, Turkey (774 days), Bogota, Colombia (677 days), Guatemala City, Guatemala (645 days), and Hermosillo, Mexico (576 days).
This situation marks a significant deterioration since November 2022, when Toronto had a wait time of 464 days and ranked 23rd globally. Calgary was 30th with a 371-day wait. Globally, the average wait time was 167 days in 2022, while Canadian applicants faced an average of 345 days. Today, the average global wait time is 151 days, but Canadians now face an average wait of 810 days.
The extended wait times have also led to an increase in scams targeting Canadian visa applicants. Fraudsters are reportedly offering faster appointments for a fee.
U.S. embassy officials attribute the long wait times to a surge in demand. In 2023, U.S. embassies and consulates in Canada issued a record 230,000 non-immigrant visas. The embassy has not provided specific details about the number of applications received or the impact of security checks on wait times.
To address the backlog, the embassy has introduced a program that allows applicants to reschedule existing appointments to earlier dates without additional fees. For those with urgent needs—such as business, humanitarian, or medical reasons—expedited appointments are available.
The U.S. State Department has set a target for 2024 to reduce wait times to under 90 days at 90 percent of its overseas posts.