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- October 14, 202617°
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- October 14, 202617°
U.S. visa appointment wait times updated for Ankara and Istanbul
The U.S. Department of State updated visa appointment wait times worldwide as of August 17, 2026. The new data shows that the next available interview for a B1/B2 visitor visa is approximately four months away in Ankara and four and a half months away in Istanbul. Wait times for student and work visas are significantly shorter.
Visa appointment data of particular interest to Turkish citizens planning to travel to the United States has been updated. The U.S. Department of State’s official “Global Visa Wait Times” system published new data on August 17, 2026.
The updated figures show significant differences in some categories between Ankara and Istanbul for nonimmigrant visa applications submitted from Türkiye.
New tourist visa appointments in Ankara are about four months away
According to the U.S. Department of State’s August 17 data, the next available appointment for an interview-required B1/B2 business and tourist visitor visa at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara is approximately four months away.
Another figure in the system also stands out. In Ankara, the average wait time was recorded as seven months for interviews attended by B1/B2 applicants during the previous month.
The difference between these two figures does not indicate a contradiction. The U.S. Department of State says that the “average wait time” shows the period between the payment of the visa fee and the interview date for people interviewed during the previous month, while the “next available appointment” refers to the estimated appointment wait time expected to be shown to someone applying today.
Wait time in Istanbul is four and a half months
At the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, the next available appointment in the B1/B2 category is approximately four and a half months away.
Under the current official figures, Ankara offers an appointment for tourist and business visitor visas approximately half a month earlier than Istanbul.
For Istanbul, the average wait time for the previous month in the B1/B2 category is listed as “NA,” meaning that no usable average wait time has been provided for this category.
Student visa figures are very different
For Turkish citizens planning to travel to the United States for education, wait times are considerably shorter than for B1/B2 visas.
In the F, M and J categories, which cover student and exchange programs, the next available interview is listed as follows:
- Ankara: less than 0.5 months
- Istanbul: approximately two months
As a result, there is a notable difference in appointment wait times between Ankara and Istanbul, particularly for student and exchange program applications.
Ankara leads for work visas
There is also a difference between Ankara and Istanbul in petition-based visa categories such as H, L, O, P and Q, which are important for people planning to work in the United States.
The updated figures show:
In Ankara: approximately one month
In Istanbul: less than 0.5 months
The next available interview can be obtained within these time frames.
For C, D and C1/D visas intended for crew members and transit travel, a wait time of approximately one month is shown for Istanbul. For Ankara, the current table lists “NA” for this category.
Important notice for applicants with appointments: Earlier dates may become available
The U.S. Department of State is also reminding applicants of an important point.
Embassies and consulates regularly add new appointment slots to the system.
Therefore, an applicant who books an appointment for four months from now may not necessarily have to wait the full four months. If an earlier date becomes available in the system, the existing appointment may be moved to an earlier date.
The U.S. Department of State therefore advises applicants seeking an earlier appointment to check the system regularly.
Wait times are not a guarantee
The published figures do not guarantee a specific appointment date.
Appointment wait times can change depending on consular capacity, application volume and the addition of new appointment slots to the system.
The U.S. Department of State updates wait times monthly. The department also says that the in-person interview requirement may be waived for some eligible applicants and that such cases are not included in the published wait times.
According to the latest official table dated August 17, 2026, applicants in Türkiye continue to face waits of several months, particularly for B1/B2 tourist and business visas, while much earlier appointment options are available for student and some work visa categories.
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