US transit visa for Indian passport holders

Before you book a connection through the United States

1. 1Decide first whether you need to pass through the US at all; for many journeys to Latin America or the Caribbean, a connection in Europe avoids it.
2. 2If a US connection is unavoidable and you hold no US visa, apply for a C-1 and allow for long interview waits.
3. 3Keep the itinerary prearranged and continuous, because the C-1 rules expect no unreasonable layover.
4. 4Carry the visa or entry permission for the country after the US.
5. 5If you already hold a valid B1/B2, ask the airline to confirm it will accept it for your transit.

Why there is no airside transit in the US

Most international hubs let passengers wait in a sealed area between flights. The US does not offer that to visa-required travellers. The State Department’s 9 FAM 402.4, dated 14 February 2024, records that the Transit Without Visa programme, which once allowed it, “has been suspended indefinitely”. It is widely documented that every international arrival is processed by US border officers, so an Indian passport holder needs a visa to be admitted, even for a two-hour connection.

Indians are not eligible for the Visa Waiver Program, so that route is closed too. A traveller from India connecting at New York, Chicago, San Francisco or any other US airport needs either a C-1 transit visa or another valid US visa.

The C-1 transit visa

The C-1 is for passengers in “immediate and continuous transit”. The FAM explains that “immediate” assumes “a prearranged itinerary without any unreasonable layover privileges”. At the interview, applicants must show that they intend to pass straight through, that they hold “a common carrier ticket or other evidence of transportation arrangements”, that they have enough money, and that they are allowed to enter the next country.

The C-1 is applied for like any US visa from India: an online application, a fee and an interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi or a consulate in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad or Kolkata. The standard application fee is reported at US$185. A separate visa integrity fee was created by a law signed on 4 July 2025; when it is collected in India was not clear when this page was checked.

Waiting times and recent changes

Interview waits for visitor visas in India were reported in September 2026 at about 12 months in Hyderabad, 11.5 in Mumbai, 10 in New Delhi, 7.5 in Chennai and 6.5 in Kolkata. Check the State Department’s current figures for the C-1 before you plan a trip that depends on one.

Two 2025 changes also matter. From 2 September 2025 most interview waivers ended, and from 6 September 2025 applicants must apply in their country of nationality or residence. Indians living in the UAE can apply there as residents.

Sightseeing on a US layover

The C-1 covers transit only. The FAM says a passenger who wants to visit during a layover needs a visa for that purpose, which for Indians normally means a B1/B2. Travellers who already hold a valid B1/B2 commonly use it for transit too; the FAM section read for this page does not say so in terms, so confirm with your airline.

Why the desk avoids US connections on flight reservations

A flight reservation is an airline booking held without payment. The desk does not route a reservation through a US airport unless the traveller already holds a valid US visa. For a Canadian, Latin American or Caribbean trip, a US connection would add a visa the applicant may not be able to obtain before travel, given the interview waits. A route through Europe, where Indians can now transit Frankfurt, Munich or Amsterdam airside, is usually the realistic choice.

If you do hold a US visa and a US connection is the natural route, show it on one booking with a continuous connection, as the C-1 rules describe. Each airline decides how long it holds a reservation, so it varies. Order it for the day you submit.

United States airports questions, answered