Canadian residents face the longest waits in the world for U.S. visas
CBC
Canadian residents who require a visa to visit the United States face the longest wait times in the world.
A CBC News analysis of wait times for appointments to obtain U.S. tourist visas shows that while wait times in countries like India and Mexico have been improving since November 2022, wait times in Canada have been getting worse.
Six of the 10 longest wait times around the world were recorded at the U.S. embassy and consulate offices in Canada that offer visa appointments.
Currently, those who apply for a B1/B2 visitor visa appointment in Ottawa or Quebec City face the longest wait times in the world — 850 days. Halifax is not far behind at 840 days, followed by Calgary at 839 days. Getting a visa appointment in Toronto takes 753 days, while in Vancouver it's 731 days.
Wait times can fluctuate from day to day. Earlier this month, Toronto had the longest wait time in the world — 900 days.
The other locations with the longest current wait times are Istanbul, Turkey (774 days), Bogota, Colombia (677 days), Guatemala City, Guatemala (645 days) and Hermosillo, Mexico (576 days).
In November 2022, a 464-day average wait time put Toronto in 23rd place around the world, followed by Calgary in 30th place with a 371-day wait.
In 2022, the average wait time around the world was 167 days, while the average wait time for Canadian residents was 345 days. Today, the average global wait time for a U.S. visitor visa appointment is 151 days — but the average wait time for Canadian residents has ballooned to 810 days.
The wait times are now so long that U.S. officials are warning of scammers preying on Canadian residents by promising them quicker appointments in return for money.
Applicants from India or Mexico — which topped the list of average wait times in 2022 at 972 and 622 days, respectively — now have to wait little more than a year, while applicants from China face a 40-day wait for a visa interview.
Wait times have decreased at 109 locations around the world and have increased at 84 locations, including all six Canadian locations that offer visa appointments.
U.S. embassy officials declined CBC News' request for an interview but blamed the long wait times on increased demand.
"Across Canada, our embassy and consulate teams are processing a record number of visas," the embassy said in a media statement. "In 2023, the U.S. Embassy and consulates in Canada issued more than 230,000 non-immigrant visas, the highest number ever."
The embassy refused to disclose the number of applications it has received from Canadian residents in recent years, or to state whether security checks are affecting wait times.
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