India, June 28 -- According to the latest visa appointment data released by the US Department of State, applicants seeking B-1/B-2 visitor visas in Hyderabad and Mumbai now face average interview wait times of 9.5 months, among the longest reported globally.

The updated figures, released on June 18, also show that wait times have increased in most major Indian cities compared with the previous update.

The latest State Department data shows the following average wait times for interview-required B-1/B-2 visitor visas:

Hyderabad: 9.5 months

Mumbai: 9.5 months

New Delhi: 7.5 months

Chennai: 5.5 months

Kolkata: 4 months

Among these, Kolkata is the only major Indian consulate where average wait times have improved, dropping from 4.5 mo...