Visa Processing Time Estimator
Estimated visa-issuance date from filing, by embassy operating days.
Written and maintained by Paul Clark, Redmoon Software · Rules last verified · Sources
These calculators are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal, financial, or professional advice.
How the Visa Processing Time Estimator works
The Visa Processing Time Estimator projects an issuance date from the day an application is filed, counting the processing window in the embassy's working days rather than raw calendar days. Enter the filing or biometrics date and the number of business days the mission quotes, and it adds them across a working calendar — skipping weekends and public holidays — to return an estimated ready-by date.
Consular sections run on their own operating calendar, and it is rarely just weekends. Embassies observe both the holidays of the host country and many of their home country's, so an American consulate abroad may close for both July 4 and a local national day. A processing window quoted as "fifteen working days" can therefore span three calendar weeks once those closures are removed — which is exactly why a calendar-day guess so often comes up short.
Treat the result as a planning estimate, not a guarantee. Published processing times are averages; administrative processing, requests for additional documents, and peak-season backlogs all extend them without notice. Run the mission's stated figure for a baseline ready-by date, then add a defensive margin before booking non-refundable travel — the estimate tells you the earliest reasonable date, not the promised one.
Worked example
An applicant files on Monday July 6 and the consulate quotes fifteen business days. Counting fifteen working days forward — skipping three weekends and a mid-month public holiday the mission observes — lands the estimated issuance on Tuesday July 28, roughly 22 calendar days out rather than the 15 a naive count would suggest. Booking travel for July 20 on the strength of "fifteen days" would have been a week early.
Frequently asked questions
Is the processing time counted in business days?
Yes, always. The estimator adds the quoted window as working days, skipping weekends and the public holidays for the calendar you select, because consular sections process applications only on their operating days. There is no calendar-day mode and no way to switch one on — clearing the holiday calendar removes only the holidays, never the weekends. So if a mission quotes its figure in calendar days, convert it down before you enter it (subtract roughly two days for every week of the quote); enter the raw calendar figure and the tool will project a date well past what the mission meant.
Whose holidays should I apply — the host country or the applicant's?
The embassy's. Consulates typically close on host-country public holidays plus several of their own national holidays, so select the calendar that best matches the mission handling your case. When in doubt, check the specific embassy's posted holiday schedule, since these closures are the single biggest reason an estimate slips.
Why is the estimated date sometimes still wrong?
Because published processing times are averages, not commitments. Administrative processing, a request for further evidence, or seasonal volume can extend the window well beyond the quoted figure. Use the projected date as the earliest reasonable ready-by date and build in a buffer before committing to non-refundable plans — this is general planning information, not immigration advice.
What this calculator does not do
A limitation you know about costs far less than one you find after the deadline. These are the specific things this tool cannot work out for you.
- These are estimates from published averages, not a commitment. Individual cases vary widely by service centre and workload.
- It does not account for a Request for Evidence, which stops the clock until you respond.
Where these rules come from
The periods this calculator applies are taken from the primary sources below rather than from secondary summaries. Verify against them before relying on a date that matters.
- USCIS — Check case processing times
The published ranges this estimate is built from; they move month to month.