India, Sept. 2 -- Indian travelers applying for a US tourist or business visa are facing sharply different appointment wait times depending on where they schedule their interview.

The State Department's latest Global Visa Wait Times data shows the next available B1/B2 appointment in Kolkata at four months. That is considerably shorter than the wait in several other major Indian cities.

The next available appointment is listed at 9 months in New Delhi while Chennai currently does not show an available B1/B2 appointment in the State Department's table.

For B1/B2 visas, which cover tourism, visiting family and friends and certain business activities, Kolkata currently has the shortest estimated wait among the Indian posts listed by the St...