A B1/B2 visa is a nonimmigrant visa that may be used to visit the United States temporarily. For many months, until a few days ago, Accra, Ghana had the highest estimated wait time, worldwide, to receive an interview appointment for a visitor's visa, at it's U.S. Embassy.

An applicant for a B1/B2 visa had to wait 989 calendar days to attend an interview appointment in Accra. Almost 3 years! And as of June 11th, 2022, you had to wait until 2025 to attend your visa interview.

It was the highest wait time in the world. 'Calendar days' has been defined by the US Department of State to include every day of the week, even on days when embassies are closed (such as on weekends and holidays).

Some More Wait Times by City

We painstakingly compiled this list at our law firm, showing what the wait time for a visitor's visa is, in all (currently operating) US embassies around the world.

Here are a few interesting numbers:

Abuja, Nigeria (850 days);          

Lagos, Nigeria (750 days);

Georgetown, Guyana (800 days);                        

Frankfurt, Germany (51 days);                      

Guangzhou, China (15 days).

Sudden Decline in Wait Times for Ghana

A few days ago, we realized that the wait time for Accra, Ghana has shot down considerably – to 481 calendar days (approximately a year and a half) from 989 calendar days. It certainly means that now, is a good time to book that appointment for your visitor's visa to the US before things get messy again.

According to the US Department of State, the estimated wait time to receive an interview appointment at a U.S. Embassy or Consulate changes weekly and it is based on actual incoming workload and staffing. They state additionally on their website that the wait times are estimates only and do not guarantee the availability of an appointment. Check the wait times for your city here:

Qualifications for an Expedited Interview Appointment

An applicant may qualify to have their interview date expedited by a Consular section 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. Visit the instructions on the website of the Embassy or Consulate Visa Section where you will interview, or their online appointment scheduling site. Remember you will need to show proof of your need for an earlier appointment.

Here's a tip I will leave you with: plan your trip to the US well in advance and be sure to apply early for your visa.