Nationalities › Nicaragua
Nicaragua · North America
U.S. visas issued to nationals of Nicaragua
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 Nicaragua were issued 1,506 U.S. nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, up 66% on September 2024 (906), the 54th largest nationality of 203 in the month's table.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 17,491 nonimmigrant visas issued to nationals of Nicaragua in FY2024, 0.2% of the 10,969,936 issued worldwide and the 63rd largest nationality of 197. The previous year's figure was 17,422 (FY2023).
The largest classes in September 2025 were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 1,403, H2A (temporary worker performing agricultural services) with 27 and C1/D (combined transit and crewmember visa) with 18. 99 immigrant visas were issued to applicants chargeable to Nicaragua in the same month, led by IR1 (38) and IR2 (21).
The Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (visitor) visa applicants who are nationals of Nicaragua was 53.15% in FY2025, above the North America median of 38.12%; it was 58.71% 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, 167 entrants chargeable to Nicaragua were selected for DV-2026, 0.1% of all selectees that year; the count was 86 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 Nicaragua (Managua) issued 1,380 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, to applicants of all nationalities.
Nonimmigrant issuances by month
Compared with the North America region and the world
| Measure | Nicaragua | North America (22 nationalities) | All nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 17,491 | 3,215,329 | 10,969,936 |
| Median nationality, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | — | 16,925 | 7,901 |
| Nonimmigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 1,506 | 251,623 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | +66% | — | -11% |
| Immigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 99 | — | 45,966 |
| B-visa adjusted refusal rate, FY2025 | 53.15% | 38.12% | 31.28% |
| DV-2026 selectees | 167 | — | 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 | 14,100 | 80.6% |
| H2A | Temporary worker performing agricultural services | 1,198 | 6.8% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 608 | 3.5% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 498 | 2.8% |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 238 | 1.4% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 233 | 1.3% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 114 | 0.7% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 109 | 0.6% |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 54 | 0.3% |
| K2 | Child of K-1 | 39 | 0.2% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 36 | 0.2% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 32 | 0.2% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 28 | 0.2% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 25 | 0.1% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 24 | 0.1% |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 24 | 0.1% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 21 | 0.1% |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 21 | 0.1% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 16 | 0.1% |
| B2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure | 16 | 0.1% |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 13 | 0.1% |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 7 | 0% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 6 | 0% |
| TD | Spouse or child of TN | 6 | 0% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 4 | 0% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 4 | 0% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 4 | 0% |
| T3 | Child of T1 | 4 | 0% |
| U3 | Child of U-1 | 3 | 0% |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 2 | 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 | 1,403 | 93.2% |
| H2A | Temporary worker performing agricultural services | 27 | 1.8% |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 18 | 1.2% |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 10 | 0.7% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 8 | 0.5% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 7 | 0.5% |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 6 | 0.4% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 6 | 0.4% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 4 | 0.3% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 4 | 0.3% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 2 | 0.1% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 2 | 0.1% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 2 | 0.1% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 1 | 0.1% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 1 | 0.1% |
| K2 | Child of K-1 | 1 | 0.1% |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 1 | 0.1% |
Immigrant visa classes, September 2025 (foreign state of chargeability)
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 38 | 38.4% |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 21 | 21.2% |
| F4 | Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, spouse and child (F41, F42, F43) | 9 | 9.1% |
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 7 | 7.1% |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 5 | 5.1% |
| FX | Family second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3) | 5 | 5.1% |
| F2A | Family second preference (2A): spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (F21, F22, F23, C21-C23, B21-B23) | 4 | 4% |
| F3 | Family third preference: married son or daughter of U.S. citizen, spouse and child (F31, F32, F33, C31-C33, B31-B33) | 4 | 4% |
| F2B | Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or daughter of lawful permanent resident, and child (F24, F25, C24, C25, B24, B25) | 3 | 3% |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 1% |
| CR2 | Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 1% |
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 1 | 1% |
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 | 19,656 | 17,415 | 311 | 600 | — |
| FY2016 | 19,254 | 16,904 | 343 | 685 | -2% |
| FY2017 | 19,201 | 16,687 | 361 | 747 | 0% |
| FY2018 | 12,970 | 10,935 | 321 | 691 | -32% |
| FY2019 | 12,865 | 10,637 | 384 | 866 | -1% |
| FY2020 | 7,598 | 6,189 | 157 | 840 | -41% |
| FY2021 | 4,900 | 3,113 | 273 | 916 | -36% |
| FY2022 | 17,177 | 14,562 | 421 | 1,198 | +251% |
| FY2023 | 17,422 | 14,484 | 367 | 1,272 | +1% |
| FY2024 | 17,491 | 14,724 | 375 | 1,417 | 0% |
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: Nicaragua. Grey bar: North America 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 Nicaragua | Share of all selectees | All selectees |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV-2016 | 58 | 0.1% | 91,563 |
| DV-2017 | 9 | 0% | 83,910 |
| DV-2018 | 51 | 0% | 115,968 |
| DV-2019 | 15 | 0% | 87,610 |
| DV-2020 | 23 | 0% | 83,884 |
| DV-2021 | 69 | 0.1% | 132,404 |
| DV-2022 | 18 | 0% | 119,021 |
| DV-2023 | 77 | 0.1% | 119,262 |
| DV-2024 | 117 | 0.1% | 142,947 |
| DV-2025 | 86 | 0.1% | 131,060 |
| DV-2026 | 167 | 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 Nicaragua
- Managua: 1,380 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 Nicaragua?
The State Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (business and tourist) visas was 53.15% in FY2025 against a North America median of 38.12%. 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 Nicaragua last year?
17,491 nonimmigrant visas in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 1,506 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for Nicaragua?
1,506 nonimmigrant visas, up 66% on September 2024 (906). Months are compared one to one; the Department says its monthly reports should not be added together.
Which visa classes do nationals of Nicaragua receive most?
B1/B2 (14,100), H2A (1,198), B1 (608), C1/D (498) and C1 (238) in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office.
How many DV lottery selectees did Nicaragua have?
167 for DV-2026, 0.1% of all selectees. Earlier years: DV-2022 18, DV-2023 77, DV-2024 117, DV-2025 86. Being selected is not a visa; the Department selects more entrants than there are visas available.
Where do nationals of Nicaragua apply?
Managua is the U.S. post in Nicaragua. 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.