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Botswana · Africa
U.S. visas issued to nationals of Botswana
The reports below contain preliminary data which are subject to change. Beginning with FY 2020, individual monthly issuance reports should not be aggregated, as this will not provide an accurate issuance total for the fiscal year to date. Instead, refer to our annual Report of the Visa Office for final full Fiscal Year statistics.
Nationals of Botswana were issued 234 U.S. nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, up 49% on September 2024 (157), the 113th largest nationality of 203 in the month's table.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 1,851 nonimmigrant visas issued to nationals of Botswana in FY2024, 0% of the 10,969,936 issued worldwide and the 153rd largest nationality of 197. The previous year's figure was 1,881 (FY2023).
The largest classes in September 2025 were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 167, G2 (other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family) with 26 and G4 (international organization officer or employee, and immediate family) with 7.
The Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (visitor) visa applicants who are nationals of Botswana was 38.44% in FY2025, below the Africa median of 55.57%; it was 32.44% in FY2024. The rate covers B visas only and is the Department's own calculation, counting each applicant once by their final status in the year.
In the Diversity Visa program, 7 entrants chargeable to Botswana were selected for DV-2026, 0% of all selectees that year; the count was 7 for DV-2025. Selection is not a visa; the Department's pages explain that selectees must still qualify and that more are selected than there are visas.
The U.S. post in Botswana (Gaborone) issued 276 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, to applicants of all nationalities.
Nonimmigrant issuances by month
Compared with the Africa region and the world
| Measure | Botswana | Africa (54 nationalities) | All nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 1,851 | 539,434 | 10,969,936 |
| Median nationality, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | — | 2,955 | 7,901 |
| Nonimmigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 234 | 23,471 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | +49% | — | -11% |
| Immigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 0 | — | 45,966 |
| B-visa adjusted refusal rate, FY2025 | 38.44% | 55.57% | 31.28% |
| DV-2026 selectees | 7 | — | 129,516 |
Fiscal-year rows are the Department's Report of the Visa Office tables; monthly rows are the September 2025 report alone. Region and world refusal figures are medians across the nationalities listed in the Department's table for that year; regions follow the Report of the Visa Office grouping.
Visa classes, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued, FY2024 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 1,067 | 57.6% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 262 | 14.2% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 160 | 8.6% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 103 | 5.6% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 78 | 4.2% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 26 | 1.4% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 25 | 1.4% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 22 | 1.2% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 18 | 1% |
| Q1 | Participant in an international cultural exchange program | 16 | 0.9% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 11 | 0.6% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 10 | 0.5% |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 9 | 0.5% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 6 | 0.3% |
| H2A | Temporary worker performing agricultural services | 5 | 0.3% |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 5 | 0.3% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 5 | 0.3% |
| M1 | Vocational student and other nonacademic student | 5 | 0.3% |
| C3 | Foreign government official, immediate family, attendant, servant or personal employee, in transit | 3 | 0.2% |
| E3D | Spouse or child of Australian specialty occupation professional | 3 | 0.2% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 2 | 0.1% |
| O3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 | 2 | 0.1% |
| A3 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A1 or A2, or immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 1 | 0.1% |
| G3 | Representative of nonrecognized or nonmember foreign government to international organization, and immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| K2 | Child of K-1 | 1 | 0.1% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 1 | 0.1% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 1 | 0.1% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 1 | 0.1% |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 1 | 0.1% |
From the Department's annual NIV detail table (nationality by class). Older symbol spellings in the table (B-1,2; H-1B) are shown in the current form.
Visa classes, September 2025
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 167 | 71.4% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 26 | 11.1% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 7 | 3% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 7 | 3% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 5 | 2.1% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 5 | 2.1% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 4 | 1.7% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 4 | 1.7% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 3 | 1.3% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 2 | 0.9% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 1 | 0.4% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 1 | 0.4% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 1 | 0.4% |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 1 | 0.4% |
Nonimmigrant issuances by fiscal year, Report of the Visa Office
| Fiscal year | All classes | Visitors (B) | Students, exchange (F, M, J) | Temporary workers | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | 1,502 | 1,076 | 188 | 36 | — |
| FY2016 | 1,423 | 990 | 195 | 66 | -5% |
| FY2017 | 1,501 | 973 | 178 | 21 | +5% |
| FY2018 | 1,437 | 953 | 147 | 71 | -4% |
| FY2019 | 1,475 | 1,026 | 188 | 36 | +3% |
| FY2020 | 668 | 497 | 57 | 5 | -55% |
| FY2021 | 221 | 13 | 115 | 9 | -67% |
| FY2022 | 1,421 | 874 | 206 | 38 | +543% |
| FY2023 | 1,881 | 1,091 | 256 | 41 | +32% |
| FY2024 | 1,851 | 1,069 | 282 | 64 | -2% |
Fiscal years run October to September. Every row is the Department's final annual detail table for that year; the visitor, student and worker columns add the table's class columns within one year. No monthly reports are summed.
Adjusted B-visa refusal rate by fiscal year
Dark bar: Botswana. Grey bar: Africa median for the same year. The Department's rate covers B visas only; it counts each applicant once, in the status in which the fiscal year ended, so an applicant refused and later issued in the same year counts as an issuance. Source tables: FY2023, FY2024, FY2025.
Diversity Visa selectees by program year
| Program year | Selectees chargeable to Botswana | Share of all selectees | All selectees |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV-2016 | 4 | 0% | 91,563 |
| DV-2017 | 15 | 0% | 83,910 |
| DV-2018 | 10 | 0% | 115,968 |
| DV-2019 | 3 | 0% | 87,610 |
| DV-2020 | 2 | 0% | 83,884 |
| DV-2021 | 3 | 0% | 132,404 |
| DV-2022 | 4 | 0% | 119,021 |
| DV-2023 | 9 | 0% | 119,262 |
| DV-2024 | 16 | 0% | 142,947 |
| DV-2025 | 7 | 0% | 131,060 |
| DV-2026 | 7 | 0% | 129,516 |
Counts of selected entrants as published on the Department's "selected entrants" pages; no names are published or held. Selection is not a visa: the Department selects more entrants than visas available, and DV visas are issued only to selectees who qualify before the program year ends.
U.S. posts in Botswana
- Gaborone: 276 nonimmigrant visas issued in Sep 2025, to applicants of all nationalities
Questions and answers
What is the U.S. visa refusal rate for nationals of Botswana?
The State Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (business and tourist) visas was 38.44% in FY2025 against a Africa median of 55.57%. The Department publishes this rate only for B visas and only by nationality; it counts each applicant once, by the status in which the year ended.
How many U.S. visas were issued to nationals of Botswana last year?
1,851 nonimmigrant visas in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 234 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for Botswana?
234 nonimmigrant visas, up 49% on September 2024 (157). Months are compared one to one; the Department says its monthly reports should not be added together.
Which visa classes do nationals of Botswana receive most?
B1/B2 (1,067), A2 (262), J1 (160), F1 (103) and G2 (78) in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office.
How many DV lottery selectees did Botswana have?
7 for DV-2026, 0% of all selectees. Earlier years: DV-2022 4, DV-2023 9, DV-2024 16, DV-2025 7. Being selected is not a visa; the Department selects more entrants than there are visas available.
Where do nationals of Botswana apply?
Gaborone is the U.S. post in Botswana. Nationals may also apply at posts elsewhere, subject to each post's rules, so the nationality figures on this page and the post figures are different counts.
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by nationality, the annual Report of the Visa Office detail tables, the annual adjusted B-visa refusal rate tables and the Diversity Visa selectee pages. Data through 30 Sep 2025.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuances by Nationality and Visa Class; Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances by Foreign State of Chargeability or Place of Birth and Visa Class; Report of the Visa Office NIV detail tables (workbook); Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality; Diversity Visa selected entrants pages. All public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.