H-1B 221(g) Tracker
H-1B work visa stamping cases only — 827 community-reported 221(g)s (23% of everything tracked), with wait times by consulate, what posts ask H-1B workers for, and how often a H-1B 221(g) actually ends badly. Updated as reports arrive.
H-1B 221(g) wait by consulate
Posts with at least five tracked H-1B cases, largest first. Median is interview to approval across resolved cases. For comparison, the median across all visa types is 2 days. Posts with a dedicated H-1B page are linked.
| Consulate | H1B cases | Pending | Resolved | Median | 75th pct | Email req |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai · H1B page | 221 | 106 | 106 | same day | 2d | 59% |
| Hyderabad · H1B page | 160 | 90 | 65 | 1d | 6d | 73% |
| London · H1B page | 25 | 15 | 10 | — | — | 50% |
| Dubai | 14 | 6 | 7 | — | — | 67% |
| Mumbai | 14 | 6 | 8 | — | — | — |
| Toronto | 13 | 7 | 6 | same day | 1d | 100% |
| New Delhi | 13 | 7 | 5 | — | — | 43% |
| Islamabad | 9 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 67% |
| Kathmandu | 7 | 5 | 2 | — | — | 100% |
| Manila | 7 | 2 | 5 | 1d | 7d | 40% |
| Singapore | 7 | 2 | 5 | — | — | — |
| Calgary | 7 | 1 | 6 | — | — | — |
| Bogota | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | — | — |
| Muscat | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — |
| Sydney | 5 | 2 | 3 | — | — | 100% |
H-1B interview volume & pending backlog
Tracked H-1B interviews per month, and how many are still pending today.
Days-to-approval distribution
Resolved H-1B cases, every post.
What posts ask H-1B workers for
Most frequent document requests on H-1B 221(g)s, grouped by type. 69% of H-1B cases that reported it were asked to submit by email. Document types only — never anyone’s actual documents.
- Social media links / handles — 94 requests
- LCA — 43 requests
- I-797 approval notice — 28 requests
- Payslips — 23 requests
- Passport — 21 requests
- I-129 petition — 20 requests
- W-2 — 20 requests
- Court records — 15 requests
- CV / resume — 13 requests
- Employment letter / job details — 12 requests
- Additional documents (unspecified) — 11 requests
- DS-160 confirmation — 9 requests
Related
What officers asked at the window: H-1B interview questions — 254 reports.
H-1B pages by consulate
- H-1B 221(g) at Chennai — 221 cases, 106 resolved
- H-1B 221(g) at Hyderabad — 160 cases, 65 resolved
- H-1B 221(g) at London — 25 cases, 10 resolved
Other visa types
- F-1 221(g) tracker — 810 cases
- B-1/B-2 221(g) tracker — 473 cases
- H-4 221(g) tracker — 108 cases
Recent H-1B reports
Newest first, fully anonymized.
| Reported | Consulate | Status | Interview | Approved | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-01 | Toronto | pending | 2026-08-17 | — | — |
| 2026-10-01 | Chennai | issued | 2026-09-03 | 2026-09-17 | 14 |
| 2026-09-30 | Islamabad | issued | 2026-06-11 | 2026-09-28 | 109 |
| 2026-09-29 | Islamabad | pending | 2026-09-21 | — | — |
| 2026-09-29 | — | pending | 2026-09-29 | — | — |
| 2026-09-29 | Dubai | pending | 2026-09-29 | — | — |
| 2026-09-28 | Istanbul | pending | 2026-09 | — | — |
| 2026-09-27 | — | pending | 2026-04 | — | — |
| 2026-09-26 | Chennai | issued | 2026-09-22 | 2026-09-22 | 0 |
| 2026-09-25 | Chennai | issued | 2026-09-18 | 2026-09-22 | 4 |
| 2026-09-24 | — | pending | 2026-09-23 | — | — |
| 2026-09-24 | Chennai | issued | 2026-09-21 | 2026-09-22 | 1 |
H-1B 221(g) — quick answers
How long does H-1B 221(g) administrative processing take in 2026?
Across 382 resolved community-reported H-1B cases, the median is 1 day from interview to approval; 75% clear within 7 days and 90% within 28 days. 417 tracked H-1B cases are still pending and 251 have waited 60 or more days.
Which consulates are slowest for H-1B 221(g)?
By median among posts with 5 or more H-1B cases: Hyderabad 1d (160 cases), Manila 1d (7 cases), Chennai same day (221 cases), Toronto same day (13 cases). Fastest: Chennai same day, Toronto same day, Hyderabad 1d.
Can a H-1B 221(g) end in a refusal?
In this dataset no H-1B 221(g) has been reported ending in a 214(b) refusal; every resolved case was approved or issued. People with refusals report less often, so treat that as a floor on the real rate, not the rate itself.
Waiting on a H-1B 221(g)?
See where your case sits against every tracked H-1B timeline, and grab the submission email template.