US Visa Appointment in India: The Complete 2026 Guide
Everything you need to book a US visa appointment in India in 2026 — DS-160, fee payment, OFC and Consular scheduling, wait times, and how to get an earlier date.
This is a step-by-step guide to booking a US non-immigrant visa appointment in India in 2026. The process is: complete Form DS-160, pay the MRV fee, create a profile on the official scheduling platform, then book two appointments — a biometrics slot at an OFC (Offsite Facilitation Center) and a visa interview at a US Consulate/Embassy. OFC and Consular locations can be chosen independently. Appointment availability is controlled by the official system and can change minute-to-minute, which is why applicants use monitoring. AppointVisa is a technology-assisted US visa appointment assistance service for applicants in India. Customers submit a request for free; a dedicated booking team monitors availability and works the request, and payment is only due once the agreed appointment is secured — backed by a 100% money-back guarantee (a small, 100% refundable pre-payment).
- You need two appointments: an OFC (biometrics) slot and a Consular (interview) slot — they can be in different cities.
- Prerequisites are a completed DS-160, a paid MRV fee, and a scheduling-platform profile.
- Availability changes constantly; earlier dates open when others cancel, so continuous monitoring is what wins earlier slots.
- AppointVisa monitors and books on your behalf, charges only after the appointment is secured, and refunds fully if no booking is made.
What a US visa appointment actually involves
For most non-immigrant categories (B1/B2, F1, J1, H1B and more) the US visa process in India involves two separate appointments: a biometrics appointment at an OFC (Offsite Facilitation Center) and a visa interview at a US Consulate or the Embassy.
These are booked through the official scheduling platform after you have completed the prerequisites. The single most important thing to understand is that appointment availability is not fixed — slots open and close as applicants book, cancel and reschedule.
Step 1 — Complete your DS-160
Form DS-160 is the online non-immigrant visa application. You will receive a confirmation barcode; keep it safe, because you cannot schedule without it. Accuracy matters — mistakes can cause problems at the interview.
Step 2 — Pay the MRV fee and create your profile
Pay the visa application (MRV) fee using one of the accepted methods, then create your applicant profile on the official scheduling platform. Only after the payment is recognised can you access the scheduling calendar.
Step 3 — Book your OFC and Consular appointments
Choose your OFC location and your Consular location. A powerful and often-missed detail: these are independent. Your biometrics can be in Mumbai while your interview is in Delhi if that gets you an earlier or more convenient combination.
- OFC locations: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad
- Consular locations: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad
- You can mix and match OFC and Consular cities
Step 4 — Getting an earlier date
The first date the system shows you is rarely the earliest date that will ever exist. As people reschedule and cancel, earlier slots appear and disappear within seconds. Catching them reliably requires near-continuous monitoring — which is exactly what a technology-assisted service automates.
Where AppointVisa fits in
You can do all of this yourself. Many applicants prefer to hand the monitoring and booking to a dedicated team so they don't have to refresh the calendar for days. AppointVisa does that — you submit a free request, we confirm your readiness, monitor availability, and book. You pay only after the appointment is secured, with a full money-back guarantee if we don't book.
Let our team secure your appointment
Submit a free request. We monitor availability and book on your behalf — pay only after we secure your appointment, backed by our 100% money-back guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
Can my OFC and Consular appointments be in different cities?
Yes. The two appointments are independent, so you can complete biometrics in one city and interview in another if that gives you an earlier or more convenient slot.
How far in advance should I start?
As early as possible. Because earlier slots appear when others cancel, more monitoring time means more chances to catch an earlier date.
Does AppointVisa guarantee a specific date?
No. Availability is controlled by the official system, so no honest service can guarantee a specific date. AppointVisa guarantees effort and a full refund if no appointment is booked.
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