What are the processing times for E-2 visas in the summer of 2026? Great question, and the honest starting point is this: every single consulate runs on its own calendar. There is no one number. So before you book flights or hand in a lease, you need a little knowledge about the specific consulate where you will file. Let me walk you through how this actually works and what we are seeing right now.
Why There’s No Official E-2 Wait Time
Many visa types post online processing times. The E-2 is not one of them. The reason is built into the visa: officers have to review a large stack of documents before they will even schedule your interview. That review step does not fit neatly into a published wait-time tool, so you will not find a reliable countdown clock for the E-2.
Consulates handle that document review in one of three ways. Some take your application and let you schedule an interview right away. Some let you schedule but require all your documents two or three weeks before the date. And some say, in effect, send it to us, hang tight, do not call us, and we will let you know when you can schedule. Knowing which of those three styles your consulate uses tells you a lot about your timeline.
What We’re Seeing Country by Country
Here is a snapshot for summer 2026, with the firm caveat that these numbers move.
In London, things are taking a while. If you are British and looking at the E-2, you likely already know this, but interviews are running months out. Patience is the price of a London application right now.
In Canada, the volume is high because Canada processes a lot of E-2 cases. They have had a few bumps recently with system upgrades, but it appears they are running generally on track, somewhere around eight to ten weeks to get an interview.
In Australia, we have had good luck lately, with interviews coming through in roughly six or seven weeks. That was in Melbourne. Remember that Australia also has Sydney and Perth, and each runs on its own timeline, so your mileage will vary by city.
The Caveat at the End of Every Timeline
Now the warning that applies to all of it. Any timeline I give you could change by the end of this sentence. The consulate controls its own calendar, full stop. Treat every number above as a current snapshot, not a guarantee.
A lot shifted in September of 2025. There were changes to how consulates operate and to the interview system. The biggest one: now everyone has to attend the interview. That affects the fire codes inside the consulates. A consulate that used to run ten E-2 interviews a day, when it was usually just the applicant and spouse in the room, now has to account for every family member in the building, including a six-month-old baby or a three-year-old. Sometimes that pushes interview slots back.
There has been movement in the other direction too. Some changes opened up more room for E-2 applicants by limiting third country nationals at certain posts. That can be inconvenient in some cases, but in another way it clears the calendar a bit and makes space for treaty investors.
Plan for the Range, Not the Number
The practical move is to plan around a range and stay flexible. Know your consulate’s style, build in a cushion of several weeks, and keep your documents ready so nothing on your end adds delay. These are the processing times right now. By the time you file, they may have shifted again.
Have questions about your specific consulate or timeline? Give us a call anytime. We would love to speak with you about your E-2 visa.
About the author
Angie Rupert is the founder of Rupert Law. Her firm works exclusively on E-2 and E-1 visas, helping investors and entrepreneurs from treaty countries move to (and stay in) the United States.
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