Nonimmigrant Visas

How Long Will It Take?

We do our best to process all applicants as efficiently as possible. Most importantly, we work hard to keep the wait time for appointments as short as possible. We also accommodate applicants who need to travel to the United States for humanitarian emergencies. For more information, click here. Applicants who need expedited business travel to the United States, click here.

The appointment time is scheduled for when we expect you to appear in the line to submit your application. Expect the entire process to take approximately two hours to complete. All applicants are required to complete the online application form available on our website.

Please note that many additional factors, such as the need for administrative processing, incomplete applications, and other factors may influence the processing time of individual visa cases. Applicants who require administrative processing may expect processing to last an average of three to five months. Each case is different, and the Consulate cannot guarantee the exact time that your case's processing will be complete. We recommend that you come far in advance for your visa application.

The following link gives the current average wait time in Hong Kong for an appointment, and for processing of the visa. NOTE: These times do not include the two to four day delivery time by Hongkong Post. Use of the Hongkong Post courier service is required (except in unusual humanitarian cases) due to an exclusive contract between Hongkong Post and the U.S. Consulate. Also, the times given below are averages, and the processing time of a specific case can vary due to individual circumstances and other special requirements. Average Wait Time for a Visa Appointment and Average Processing Time

 

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Last modified: March 13, 2009