H-1B Stamping in India, December 2026: 221(g) Odds and Wait Times by Consulate
As of 14 November 2026, across 506 H-1B and H-4 221(g) cases reported at the five U.S. consular posts in India (444 H-1B, 62 H-4), the median case was approved the same day as the interview among 154 cases with both dates; 82% cleared within a week and 90% within 21 days. 261 cases (52%) were pending when last reported, 175 of them 60 or more days after the interview.
221(g) wait by Indian consulate
H-1B and H-4 cases only. Median, 75th and 90th percentile are days from interview to approval among cases with both dates; with fewer than 5 such cases we show “too few” rather than a number. “Last 60 days” counts interviews since 15 September 2026; its median only covers cases that have already cleared, so it understates the wait while slow cases are still open.
| Consulate | Cases (H-1B / H-4) | Cleared | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Pending | Last 60 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | 249 (233 / 16) | 120 | same day | 3 days | 14 days | 118 (47%) | 13 interviews, 5 pending; median 1 day |
| Hyderabad | 226 (181 / 45) | 97 | 1 day | 6 days | 23 days | 127 (56%) | 20 interviews, 11 pending; median 1 day |
| Mumbai | 15 (15 / 0) | 8 | too few | too few | too few | 7 (47%) | none reported |
| New Delhi | 14 (13 / 1) | 7 | too few | too few | too few | 7 (50%) | none reported |
| Kolkata | 2 (2 / 0) | 0 | too few | too few | too few | 2 (100%) | none reported |
A post with few reports is not necessarily a quiet post: these are cases applicants chose to share, not consulate totals. Cleared means approved, issued or passport returned; pending is the status as last reported.
What gets asked
Requests recorded in 172 of 506 H-1B/H-4 cases at these posts, counted once per case.
- Social media links / handles — 76 cases
- LCA — 39 cases
- I-797 approval notice — 24 cases
- Payslips — 18 cases
- W-2 — 17 cases
- I-129 petition — 14 cases
- Passport — 14 cases
- Court records — 11 cases
- Additional documents (unspecified) — 7 cases
- Client / vendor letter — 7 cases
Dropbox vs interview
Dropbox is the interview-waiver route: documents are dropped off and no officer interview takes place.
| Route | Cases | Cleared | Median | Within a week | Pending |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interview | 368 | 160 | 1 day | 79% | 195 (53%) |
| Dropbox | 130 | 67 | same day | 94% | 63 (48%) |
8 cases did not say which route they took and are left out. The two groups are not like-for-like (dropbox is for renewals that qualify), so read this as what happened, not as a choice.
Social-media 221(g)s: Chennai and Hyderabad
H-1B/H-4 cases where the slip asked for social-media handles or links.
- Chennai: 23 cases; median 3 days to approval across 12 dated cases, 75% within 6 days; 10 still pending after 20 or more days.
- Hyderabad: 53 cases; median 1 day to approval across 28 dated cases, 75% within 10 days; 22 still pending after 20 or more days.
Before you fly
- Make sure every social-media handle you have used in the last five years is listed on your DS-160, and that profiles are set to public, as current State Department guidance for H-1B and H-4 applicants asks.
- Carry your I-797 approval notice, recent payslips and an employment verification letter. If you work at a client site through a consulting employer, carry the client letter and LCA too.
- Bring your DS-160 confirmation and appointment confirmation, and know your petition details well enough to explain your role. See the H-1B interview questions people report being asked, including Chennai and Hyderabad.
- Leave slack in your return date. Most cases above cleared quickly, but a minority waited weeks; the table shows how long the slow end runs at each post.
If you get a 221(g)
- Read the slip carefully and do exactly what it asks, in the format and through the channel it names. The white slip explainer covers what the common slips mean.
- If you are asked to email documents, use the address and subject-line format on the slip. Addresses seen in reports are collected on 221(g) email addresses.
- Track your case on CEAC. “Refused” is the normal placeholder during administrative processing; see what each CEAC status means.
- Follow the step-by-step 221(g) playbook for what to do at each stage and when to follow up.
Questions
How long does a 221(g) take for H-1B stamping in India?
Across 154 H-1B and H-4 cases at Chennai, Hyderabad, Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata with both an interview and an approval date, the median is same day; 75% cleared within 4 days and 90% within 21 days. 261 of 506 tracked cases are still pending, so the slow tail is real.
Which Indian consulate is fastest for H-1B 221(g)?
Among posts with at least 5 dated H-1B/H-4 cases: Chennai median same day (80 dated cases); Hyderabad median 1 day (71 dated cases). Posts with fewer dated cases are not ranked.
What documents do Indian consulates ask for after an H-1B 221(g)?
Most often recorded across 172 H-1B/H-4 cases that listed what was requested: Social media links / handles (76); LCA (39); I-797 approval notice (24); Payslips (18); W-2 (17); I-129 petition (14).
Is dropbox (interview waiver) faster than an interview for H-1B 221(g) in India?
In tracked cases, dropbox 221(g)s had a median of same day (31 dated cases) and in-person interview 221(g)s 1 day (122 dated cases). 48% of dropbox and 53% of interview cases are still pending.
More: H-1B 221(g) tracker · H-4 221(g) tracker · methodology. Figures come from reports applicants share publicly, anonymised, and are recomputed on every visit. Many H-1B holders travel home in December; these numbers describe cases reported so far, not appointment availability. Community data, not legal advice.