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Bulgaria · Europe
U.S. visas issued to nationals of Bulgaria
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 Bulgaria were issued 985 U.S. nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, down 22% on September 2024 (1,266), the 65th largest nationality of 203 in the month's table.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 20,141 nonimmigrant visas issued to nationals of Bulgaria in FY2024, 0.2% of the 10,969,936 issued worldwide and the 58th largest nationality of 197. The previous year's figure was 20,601 (FY2023).
The largest classes in September 2025 were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 848, C1/D (combined transit and crewmember visa) with 51 and G2 (other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family) with 18. 39 immigrant visas were issued to applicants chargeable to Bulgaria in the same month, led by IR5 (18) and DV (7).
The Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (visitor) visa applicants who are nationals of Bulgaria was 5.11% in FY2025, below the Europe median of 15.20%; it was 6.02% 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, 142 entrants chargeable to Bulgaria were selected for DV-2026, 0.1% of all selectees that year; the count was 107 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 Bulgaria (Sofia) issued 875 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, to applicants of all nationalities.
Nonimmigrant issuances by month
Compared with the Europe region and the world
| Measure | Bulgaria | Europe (55 nationalities) | All nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 20,141 | 1,012,314 | 10,969,936 |
| Median nationality, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | — | 8,239 | 7,901 |
| Nonimmigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 985 | 68,373 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | -22% | — | -11% |
| Immigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 39 | — | 45,966 |
| B-visa adjusted refusal rate, FY2025 | 5.11% | 15.20% | 31.28% |
| DV-2026 selectees | 142 | — | 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 | 13,990 | 69.5% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 3,948 | 19.6% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 776 | 3.9% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 199 | 1% |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 162 | 0.8% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 160 | 0.8% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 150 | 0.7% |
| NATO2 | Other representative of member state to NATO and immediate family; dependents of member of a force entering under the NATO agreements; members of such a force if issued visas | 140 | 0.7% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 61 | 0.3% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 58 | 0.3% |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 57 | 0.3% |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 55 | 0.3% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 53 | 0.3% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 51 | 0.3% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 47 | 0.2% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 45 | 0.2% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 38 | 0.2% |
| P3 | Artist or entertainer in a culturally unique program | 33 | 0.2% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 22 | 0.1% |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 17 | 0.1% |
| B2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure | 13 | 0.1% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 9 | 0% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 6 | 0% |
| O3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 | 6 | 0% |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 5 | 0% |
| G3 | Representative of nonrecognized or nonmember foreign government to international organization, and immediate family | 5 | 0% |
| O2 | Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O-1 | 5 | 0% |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 4 | 0% |
| H2A | Temporary worker performing agricultural services | 4 | 0% |
| H3 | Trainee | 4 | 0% |
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 | 848 | 86.1% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 51 | 5.2% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 18 | 1.8% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 17 | 1.7% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 8 | 0.8% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 5 | 0.5% |
| NATO2 | Other representative of member state to NATO and immediate family; dependents of member of a force entering under the NATO agreements; members of such a force if issued visas | 5 | 0.5% |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 4 | 0.4% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 4 | 0.4% |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 4 | 0.4% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 3 | 0.3% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 3 | 0.3% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 3 | 0.3% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 3 | 0.3% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 2 | 0.2% |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 2 | 0.2% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 1 | 0.1% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 1 | 0.1% |
| NATO4 | Official of NATO (other than those classifiable as NATO-1), and immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| O3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 | 1 | 0.1% |
Immigrant visa classes, September 2025 (foreign state of chargeability)
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 18 | 46.2% |
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 7 | 17.9% |
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 5 | 12.8% |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 3 | 7.7% |
| IH3 | Child adopted abroad by U.S. citizen under Hague Convention | 2 | 5.1% |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 2.6% |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 1 | 2.6% |
| F4 | Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, spouse and child (F41, F42, F43) | 1 | 2.6% |
| SB1 | Returning resident | 1 | 2.6% |
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 | 20,854 | 11,030 | 6,720 | 870 | — |
| FY2016 | 20,921 | 11,647 | 5,855 | 1,082 | 0% |
| FY2017 | 20,330 | 12,349 | 5,221 | 734 | -3% |
| FY2018 | 20,531 | 13,123 | 4,825 | 700 | +1% |
| FY2019 | 22,517 | 14,932 | 4,982 | 770 | +10% |
| FY2020 | 9,748 | 6,966 | 1,259 | 382 | -57% |
| FY2021 | 4,469 | 1,927 | 1,006 | 455 | -54% |
| FY2022 | 14,027 | 9,636 | 2,496 | 634 | +214% |
| FY2023 | 20,601 | 15,005 | 3,708 | 598 | +47% |
| FY2024 | 20,141 | 14,163 | 4,171 | 561 | -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: Bulgaria. Grey bar: Europe 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 Bulgaria | Share of all selectees | All selectees |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV-2016 | 865 | 0.9% | 91,563 |
| DV-2017 | 666 | 0.8% | 83,910 |
| DV-2018 | 776 | 0.7% | 115,968 |
| DV-2019 | 411 | 0.5% | 87,610 |
| DV-2020 | 343 | 0.4% | 83,884 |
| DV-2021 | 348 | 0.3% | 132,404 |
| DV-2022 | 220 | 0.2% | 119,021 |
| DV-2023 | 161 | 0.1% | 119,262 |
| DV-2024 | 142 | 0.1% | 142,947 |
| DV-2025 | 107 | 0.1% | 131,060 |
| DV-2026 | 142 | 0.1% | 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 Bulgaria
- Sofia: 875 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 Bulgaria?
The State Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (business and tourist) visas was 5.11% in FY2025 against a Europe median of 15.20%. 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 Bulgaria last year?
20,141 nonimmigrant visas in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 985 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for Bulgaria?
985 nonimmigrant visas, down 22% on September 2024 (1,266). Months are compared one to one; the Department says its monthly reports should not be added together.
Which visa classes do nationals of Bulgaria receive most?
B1/B2 (13,990), J1 (3,948), C1/D (776), F1 (199) and H2B (162) in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office.
How many DV lottery selectees did Bulgaria have?
142 for DV-2026, 0.1% of all selectees. Earlier years: DV-2022 220, DV-2023 161, DV-2024 142, DV-2025 107. Being selected is not a visa; the Department selects more entrants than there are visas available.
Where do nationals of Bulgaria apply?
Sofia is the U.S. post in Bulgaria. 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.