221(g) Approval Odds by Consulate
The question everyone asks before (and after) the interview — answered with outcome data from 1007 community-tracked cases instead of guesses.
The odds, post by post
Shown for consulates with 10+ tracked cases; rate columns need 5+ decided/resolved cases. “Stuck risk” = share of cases that pass two weeks without a decision. Timing columns count only cases that reached a decision, so they describe finished waits rather than ongoing ones — how these numbers are calculated.
How to read these numbers
- These are work-visa cases (H1B, H4, L1, L2) — the population this page is about. Student and visitor cases sit in a different risk profile and are tracked separately. Across every decided case here, none ended in a 214(b) refusal — so the useful question is speed, not outcome.
- Getting a 221(g) is now the norm, not a red flag: since the Dec 15, 2025 social-media rule, nearly every stamping interview at the big India posts ends with a brief slip.
- The distribution is bimodal. High same-week clearance and high stuck-risk coexist: most cases clear fast, but cases passing ~2 weeks tend to sit for months.
- Self-reported data. People with problems post more than people who breeze through, so stuck-risk numbers likely overstate reality — treat them as upper bounds.
Improve your own odds
The one variable you control is the submission email. Cases following the correct format (passport + DS-160 number in the subject, sent same-day) dominate the fast lane.
Quick answers
What are the odds a 221(g) case gets approved?
Very high. Across 1007 tracked H1B/H4/L1 stamping cases, 447 have reached a decision and none was refused under 214(b) — in this dataset a 221(g) on a work-visa case has never ended in a 214(b) denial. (214(b) refusals do occur on visitor and student cases, which are tracked separately.) Most 221(g)s are procedural — social-media checks since December 2025 — not a signal that something is wrong with your application.
What are the chances of getting a 221(g) at all in 2026?
Since the December 15, 2025 social-media vetting rule, community reports indicate a brief 221(g) has become near-universal at the large India posts for H1B/H4 stamping — the meaningful question is no longer whether you get one, but how fast it clears, which is what this page measures.
Which consulate clears 221(g) cases the fastest?
In current community data, Chennai shows the fastest median among high-volume posts. The India posts (Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai) cluster at 0–1 day medians when the submission email is formatted correctly.
What is the risk of getting stuck for months?
The overall risk of a case passing two weeks without a decision is 44% in tracked data. Once a case passes roughly two weeks, waits of 60+ days become common — see the playbook for the day-14 audit and day-30 inquiry steps.