Global/Schengen Area: Short-Term Visa Appointment Delay

Individuals seeking short-term visas face lengthy appointment scheduling delays, longer visa processing times, and new application requirements for many destination countries globally. Specifically, individuals seeking a U.S. visa face limited consular appointment availability especially for B-1 visas; individuals seeking Schengen Area visas face limited appointment availability particularly if based in India, the United Kingdom and the United States; individuals seeking Chinese visas continue to face cumbersome COVID-19 testing requirements; and individuals seeking Japanese visas face lengthy processing delays. These issues stem from high application volume as travel is resuming after the pandemic, reduced government staffing June-August, and adjusted government policies during pandemic recovery. These delays are often not published and change regularly. Fragomen expects these issues to persist throughout 2022. Those planning international business travel are strongly encouraged to begin any visa processes as early as possible.