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Saudi Arabia · Asia
U.S. visas issued to nationals of Saudi Arabia
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 Saudi Arabia were issued 4,508 U.S. nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, down 28% on September 2024 (6,229), the 23rd largest nationality of 203 in the month's table.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 69,525 nonimmigrant visas issued to nationals of Saudi Arabia in FY2024, 0.6% of the 10,969,936 issued worldwide and the 25th largest nationality of 197. The previous year's figure was 75,073 (FY2023).
The largest classes in September 2025 were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 3,371, A2 (other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family) with 697 and D (crewmember (sea or air)) with 109. 60 immigrant visas were issued to applicants chargeable to Saudi Arabia in the same month, led by IR1 (14) and DV (13).
The Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (visitor) visa applicants who are nationals of Saudi Arabia was 5.98% in FY2025, below the Asia median of 25.20%; it was 7.89% 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, 577 entrants chargeable to Saudi Arabia were selected for DV-2026, 0.4% of all selectees that year; the count was 420 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.
3 U.S. posts in Saudi Arabia (Dhahran, Jeddah and Riyadh) issued 5,240 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, to applicants of all nationalities.
Nonimmigrant issuances by month
Compared with the Asia region and the world
| Measure | Saudi Arabia | Asia (40 nationalities) | All nationalities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 69,525 | 3,601,133 | 10,969,936 |
| Median nationality, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | — | 17,838 | 7,901 |
| Nonimmigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 4,508 | 271,934 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | -28% | — | -11% |
| Immigrant visas, Sep 2025 | 60 | — | 45,966 |
| B-visa adjusted refusal rate, FY2025 | 5.98% | 25.20% | 31.28% |
| DV-2026 selectees | 577 | — | 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 | 54,151 | 77.9% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 5,798 | 8.3% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 4,301 | 6.2% |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 1,639 | 2.4% |
| D | Crewmember (sea or air) | 921 | 1.3% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 537 | 0.8% |
| M1 | Vocational student and other nonacademic student | 394 | 0.6% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 358 | 0.5% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 300 | 0.4% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 247 | 0.4% |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 217 | 0.3% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 181 | 0.3% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 125 | 0.2% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 78 | 0.1% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 77 | 0.1% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 65 | 0.1% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 38 | 0.1% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 29 | 0% |
| A3 | Attendant, servant, or personal employee of A1 or A2, or immediate family | 14 | 0% |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 11 | 0% |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 7 | 0% |
| B2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure | 6 | 0% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 6 | 0% |
| O3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 | 6 | 0% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 5 | 0% |
| O2 | Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O-1 | 5 | 0% |
| M2 | Spouse or child of vocational student | 4 | 0% |
| H3 | Trainee | 3 | 0% |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 1 | 0% |
| TD | Spouse or child of TN | 1 | 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 | 3,371 | 74.8% |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 697 | 15.5% |
| D | Crewmember (sea or air) | 109 | 2.4% |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 90 | 2% |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 67 | 1.5% |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 46 | 1% |
| M1 | Vocational student and other nonacademic student | 38 | 0.8% |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 24 | 0.5% |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 14 | 0.3% |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 10 | 0.2% |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 10 | 0.2% |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 8 | 0.2% |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 6 | 0.1% |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 5 | 0.1% |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 3 | 0.1% |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 3 | 0.1% |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 1 | 0% |
| H3 | Trainee | 1 | 0% |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 1 | 0% |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 1 | 0% |
| M2 | Spouse or child of vocational student | 1 | 0% |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 1 | 0% |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 1 | 0% |
Immigrant visa classes, September 2025 (foreign state of chargeability)
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 14 | 23.3% |
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 13 | 21.7% |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 11 | 18.3% |
| F3 | Family third preference: married son or daughter of U.S. citizen, spouse and child (F31, F32, F33, C31-C33, B31-B33) | 6 | 10% |
| F4 | Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, spouse and child (F41, F42, F43) | 4 | 6.7% |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 3 | 5% |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2 | 3.3% |
| F2B | Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or daughter of lawful permanent resident, and child (F24, F25, C24, C25, B24, B25) | 2 | 3.3% |
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 2 | 3.3% |
| E3 | Employment third preference: skilled worker or professional holding baccalaureate degree, spouse and child (E31, E32, E34, E35) | 1 | 1.7% |
| F2A | Family second preference (2A): spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (F21, F22, F23, C21-C23, B21-B23) | 1 | 1.7% |
| FX | Family second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3) | 1 | 1.7% |
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 | 133,235 | 85,456 | 38,789 | 810 | — |
| FY2016 | 109,590 | 78,241 | 24,158 | 731 | -18% |
| FY2017 | 77,910 | 52,573 | 17,988 | 548 | -29% |
| FY2018 | 86,136 | 57,464 | 20,445 | 683 | +11% |
| FY2019 | 86,019 | 58,940 | 19,139 | 659 | 0% |
| FY2020 | 30,107 | 22,256 | 4,140 | 190 | -65% |
| FY2021 | 20,020 | 7,404 | 7,744 | 315 | -34% |
| FY2022 | 52,775 | 37,338 | 8,391 | 457 | +164% |
| FY2023 | 75,073 | 58,513 | 9,026 | 641 | +42% |
| FY2024 | 69,525 | 54,195 | 7,092 | 741 | -7% |
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: Saudi Arabia. Grey bar: Asia 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 Saudi Arabia | Share of all selectees | All selectees |
|---|---|---|---|
| DV-2016 | 267 | 0.3% | 91,563 |
| DV-2017 | 253 | 0.3% | 83,910 |
| DV-2018 | 489 | 0.4% | 115,968 |
| DV-2019 | 630 | 0.7% | 87,610 |
| DV-2020 | 699 | 0.8% | 83,884 |
| DV-2021 | 1,126 | 0.9% | 132,404 |
| DV-2022 | 944 | 0.8% | 119,021 |
| DV-2023 | 658 | 0.6% | 119,262 |
| DV-2024 | 619 | 0.4% | 142,947 |
| DV-2025 | 420 | 0.3% | 131,060 |
| DV-2026 | 577 | 0.4% | 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 Saudi Arabia
- Dhahran: 961 nonimmigrant visas issued in Sep 2025, to applicants of all nationalities
- Jeddah: 1,070 nonimmigrant visas issued in Sep 2025, to applicants of all nationalities
- Riyadh: 3,209 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 Saudi Arabia?
The State Department's adjusted refusal rate for B (business and tourist) visas was 5.98% in FY2025 against a Asia median of 25.20%. 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 Saudi Arabia last year?
69,525 nonimmigrant visas in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 4,508 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for Saudi Arabia?
4,508 nonimmigrant visas, down 28% on September 2024 (6,229). Months are compared one to one; the Department says its monthly reports should not be added together.
Which visa classes do nationals of Saudi Arabia receive most?
B1/B2 (54,151), A2 (5,798), F1 (4,301), F2 (1,639) and D (921) in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office.
How many DV lottery selectees did Saudi Arabia have?
577 for DV-2026, 0.4% of all selectees. Earlier years: DV-2022 944, DV-2023 658, DV-2024 619, DV-2025 420. Being selected is not a visa; the Department selects more entrants than there are visas available.
Where do nationals of Saudi Arabia apply?
Dhahran, Jeddah and Riyadh are the U.S. posts in Saudi Arabia. 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.