US visa interview wait in Istanbul and Ankara stretches to 4.5 months

State Department data updated Sept. 17 show that applicants for B1/B2 business and tourist visas in Türkiye face an estimated wait of four and a half months for the next available interview in both Istanbul and Ankara.

Turkish citizens planning business or tourist trips to the United States face a wait of about four and a half months for a visa interview. According to the State Department’s global visa wait times table, last updated Sept. 17, the next available B1/B2 interview at both the U.S. Embassy in Ankara and the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul is estimated at 4.5 months.

Shorter waits for students and workers

Specimen of a U.S. B1/B2 visitor visa

The wait depends on the visa type. In Istanbul, applicants for student and exchange visitor visas (F, M, J) face an estimated two months, petition-based work visas (H, L, O, P, Q) less than half a month, and crew and transit visas (C, D) one month. In Ankara, the next available appointment for student and petition-based work visas is less than half a month.

For Ankara, the table also lists an average B1/B2 wait of 2.5 months, which shows how long applicants actually waited in the previous month, from paying the fee to the interview. The State Department publishes this average only where the next available appointment is more than three months away.

How Türkiye compares

The U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul’s Istinye district (file photo)

Waits in Türkiye are shorter than at some other posts. The same table lists 21 months in Sydney, 18 months in Vancouver, 12.5 months in Islamabad and 10 months in New Delhi, while Erbil shows six months, Rome three months, and Berlin and London one month.

The State Department counts months in 30-day increments and notes that new appointments are added regularly, so applicants may find an earlier date. After booking an interview, applicants can check the scheduling system and move to an earlier slot if one opens. Some applicants may qualify for an interview waiver, which the table does not cover; details are posted on the embassy and consulate websites.

US visa interview wait in Istanbul and Ankara stretches to 4.5 months