B.C. residents wait over 2 years for U.S. visitor visa interview

CBC
·4 min read
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People line up outside the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver on Friday morning, as the U.S. State Department estimates nearly 2.5-year wait times for booking U.S. visitor visa interviews in the city. (CBC - image credit)
People line up outside the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver on Friday morning, as the U.S. State Department estimates nearly 2.5-year wait times for booking U.S. visitor visa interviews in the city. (CBC - image credit)

Like on many weekday mornings, a long line of people of all ages quickly forms outside the U.S. Consulate General in downtown Vancouver on Friday.

After several years of travel restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of applications for U.S. visitor visas has more than bounced back — swamping the consulate with a record number of requests.

It now takes more than two years — 832 days, to be precise — for non-Canadian citizens just to get a visitor visa interview at the country's Vancouver consulate, the U.S. State Department estimates, while wait times are far shorter for those looking to work or study in the U.S.

The situation is similar across Canada, but only Calgary has a longer wait time than Vancouver, with Albertans waiting 892 days, nearly 2.5 years, for an interview.

Estimated wait times, in years, for a U.S. visitor visa interview across Canada as of Friday, for B1- and B2-class visas.
Estimated wait times, in years, for a U.S. visitor visa interview across Canada as of Friday, for B1- and B2-class visas.

Estimated wait times, in years, for a U.S. visitor visa interview across Canada as of Friday, for B1- and B2-class visas. (David P. Ball/CBC)

When Deepak Sharma applied for such a visitor visa eight years ago, the story was very different.

"It was a lot quicker, it was like you can get the appointment within a few days — three to five days," he told CBC News.

Now, he's on a quest to secure a waitlist spot for his friend, and says such spots are so rare he's seen them advertised for sale online.

"There are some people who are charging money," he said, "and then giving people earlier appointments."

When he showed his friend how to request an interview, the U.S. website informed him the soonest was in July 2026.

Visas are required for most permanent residents, international students or temporary workers living in B.C., from all but a handful of countries, who wish to travel across the border into the U.S. One in nine residents in the province is not a Canadian citizen.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Elizabeth Power said the delays are caused by a "very high demand" to enter the U.S. worldwide. But she warned applicants against paying what she called "scammers" to save a place in line.

"There is no legitimate sale of appointments," Power told CBC News. "It may be that by coincidence, they are able to get an earlier appointment, but those scammers have no impact on the appointment system."

People line up outside the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver on Friday morning, as the U.S. State Department estimates nearly 2.5-year wait times for booking U.S. visitor visa interviews in the city.
People line up outside the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver on Friday morning, as the U.S. State Department estimates nearly 2.5-year wait times for booking U.S. visitor visa interviews in the city.

People line up outside the U.S. Consulate in Vancouver on Friday morning. Visas are required for most permanent residents, international students or temporary workers living in B.C., from all but a handful of countries, who wish to travel across the border into the U.S. (CBC)

A Vancouver visa consultant called the delays "frustrating" for applicants, and said it is unsurprising a market has emerged to capitalize on the frustrations.

"They're waiting you know two years just to to get into the United States," said visa consultant Chris Brown. "And often that could mean that your windows of time is over; maybe they don't need to go to the United States anymore."

Last year, according to the U.S. State Department, the Vancouver Consulate General issued more than 66,000 visitor visas — an average of roughly 5,500 every month. That's a 54 per cent increase from the year before, and 58 per cent above levels five years ago, before the pandemic.

"Here in Canada we have interviewed more visa applicants in 2023 than at any other time in the mission's history," Power said.

The consulate said it does allow people to apply for an expedited visa interview appointment, but it's only available in emergencies, such as funerals or medical emergencies.

For Brown, he only expects demand for visas to grow — and the required screening process to reflect the extra work.

The U.S. issued 54 per cent more visitor visas out of its Vancouver Consulate last year than in 2022, a similar increase from five years ago before visas plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The U.S. issued 54 per cent more visitor visas out of its Vancouver Consulate last year than in 2022, a similar increase from five years ago before visas plummeted during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The U.S. issued 54 per cent more visitor visas out of its Vancouver Consulate last year than in 2022, a similar increase from five years ago before visa applications plummeted during the COVID-19 pandemic. (David P. Ball/CBC)

"If you don't meet the definition of a tourist, then nine times out of 10 it's going to be denied, unless you can prove that you are legitimately here to to to visit," he said. "The systems are backlogged … in particular, like a tourist visa.

"If you're applying for a study or a work permit, then it's usually prioritized because there would be a more of an economic benefit to that country."

Sharma said as he helped his friend navigate the booking system, they realized that by repeatedly refreshing the website he could get his appointment moved earlier. But not by much.

"He is right now in August 2025," Sharma said. "So he saved himself a year."