Months › May 2017
May 2017 · all posts · fiscal year 2017
U.S. visa issuances in May 2017
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.
U.S. posts issued 883,999 nonimmigrant visas in May 2017, about the same as the 735,004 of the previous month.
55,074 immigrant visas were issued in the month.
The largest posts were Shanghai (55,087), Beijing (54,729) and Guangzhou (42,179); 223 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 64.7%, BBBCC at 7.6% and J1 at 7.1% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to May 2017
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in May 2017
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shanghai | China | 55,087 | 0 | +37% | — |
| Beijing | China | 54,729 | 0 | +45% | — |
| Guangzhou | China | 42,179 | 3,907 | +3453% | — |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 35,816 | 0 | +12% | — |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 32,044 | 48 | +21% | — |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 27,993 | 0 | +26% | — |
| Mumbai | India | 27,200 | 1,630 | +18% | — |
| Chennai | India | 25,624 | 0 | +15% | — |
| Bogota | Colombia | 21,083 | 611 | +3% | — |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 20,466 | 0 | -37% | — |
| New Delhi | India | 18,036 | 1,063 | +18% | — |
| Hyderabad | India | 17,107 | 0 | +13% | — |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 16,830 | 5,155 | -12% | — |
| London | United Kingdom | 15,344 | 304 | +20% | — |
| Manila | Philippines | 14,986 | 2,256 | +2% | — |
| Chengdu | China | 13,843 | 0 | +3% | — |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 13,599 | 0 | +10% | — |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 12,902 | 0 | +19% | — |
| Moscow | Russia | 11,962 | 558 | -12% | — |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 10,036 | 321 | +9% | — |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 9,383 | 1,350 | +4% | — |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 9,163 | 2,694 | +26% | — |
| Lagos | Nigeria | 8,909 | 483 | +13% | — |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 8,649 | 0 | +16% | — |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 8,263 | 194 | +23% | — |
Biggest movers on the previous month
Posts with at least 200 nonimmigrant issuances in both months. A move in the count is a move in visas issued; it does not by itself say anything about demand or approval rates.
Visa classes in May 2017
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 571,558 | 64.7% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 67,411 | 7.6% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 62,678 | 7.1% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 47,316 | 5.4% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 24,044 | 2.7% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 20,803 | 2.4% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 11,122 | 1.3% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 10,076 | 1.1% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 9,740 | 1.1% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 6,605 | 0.7% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 6,506 | 0.7% |
| B2 Temporary visitor for pleasure | 5,005 | 0.6% |
| B1 Temporary visitor for business | 4,005 | 0.5% |
| J2 Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 3,516 | 0.4% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,426 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 6,966 | 12.6% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 6,661 | 12.1% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 4,264 | 7.7% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 3,659 | 6.6% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 3,225 | 5.9% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 2,555 | 4.6% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 2,511 | 4.6% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 2,433 | 4.4% |
| DV3 Immigrant visa class DV3 (no description in the | 2,188 | 4% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 2,060 | 3.7% |
| DV2 Immigrant visa class DV2 (no description in the | 1,906 | 3.5% |
| F11 Immigrant visa class F11 (no description in the | 1,661 | 3% |
May in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| May 2017 | 883,999 | 55,074 |
| May 2020 | 40,939 | 697 |
| May 2021 | 247,222 | 26,204 |
| May 2022 | 668,835 | 42,096 |
| May 2023 | 1,013,283 | 57,068 |
| May 2024 | 1,070,656 | 58,778 |
| May 2025 | 897,937 | 46,751 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in May 2017?
883,999 nonimmigrant visas and 55,074 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in May 2017?
Shanghai (55,087), Beijing (54,729), Guangzhou (42,179), Mexico City (35,816) and Buenos Aires (32,044).
Which posts changed most in May 2017?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Guangzhou (+3453%), Oslo (+114%) and Caracas (+85%) and the largest falls Monterrey (-37%), Nuevo Laredo (-36%) and Halifax (-29%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for May 2017. Data through 30 Sep 2025.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Monthly Nonimmigrant and Immigrant Visa Issuances by Post and Visa Class for May 2017, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.