Months › May 2018
May 2018 · all posts · fiscal year 2018
U.S. visa issuances in May 2018
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 888,450 nonimmigrant visas in May 2018, about the same as the 859,147 of the previous month and +1% against the same month a year earlier (883,999).
45,036 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 55,074 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (48,264), Shanghai (45,994) and Beijing (42,371); 223 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 62.5%, BBBCC at 9.2% and J1 at 7% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to May 2018
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in May 2018
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 48,264 | 0 | +30% | +35% |
| Shanghai | China | 45,994 | 0 | +9% | -17% |
| Beijing | China | 42,371 | 0 | +7% | -23% |
| Guangzhou | China | 40,824 | 2,143 | +29% | -3% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 31,258 | 50 | -7% | -2% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 30,526 | 0 | -29% | +49% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 27,808 | 0 | -9% | -1% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 25,073 | 632 | +25% | +19% |
| Mumbai | India | 24,026 | 1,934 | -9% | -12% |
| Chennai | India | 19,862 | 0 | -13% | -22% |
| Manila | Philippines | 19,155 | 2,522 | +2% | +28% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 17,165 | 0 | +13% | +26% |
| New Delhi | India | 16,017 | 674 | -1% | -11% |
| London | United Kingdom | 15,628 | 368 | +9% | +2% |
| Hyderabad | India | 15,158 | 0 | 0% | -11% |
| Chengdu | China | 15,111 | 0 | +27% | +9% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 14,603 | 0 | -4% | +13% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 11,800 | 4,657 | -19% | -30% |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 10,539 | 1,045 | 0% | +12% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 10,202 | 446 | -9% | +2% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 10,136 | 1,601 | +10% | +11% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,684 | 0 | +5% | +12% |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 9,263 | 146 | +18% | +12% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 7,978 | 370 | +62% | +7% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 7,908 | 0 | -3% | +18% |
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.
Largest rises
| Post | Apr 2018 | May 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Perth | 227 | 557 | +145% |
| Budapest | 442 | 1,063 | +140% |
| Tallinn | 208 | 367 | +76% |
| Madrid | 2,593 | 4,351 | +68% |
| Seoul | 4,938 | 7,978 | +62% |
| Kinshasa | 436 | 698 | +60% |
| Oslo | 826 | 1,319 | +60% |
| Auckland | 994 | 1,583 | +59% |
Largest falls
| Post | Apr 2018 | May 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Managua | 962 | 301 | -69% |
| Nuevo Laredo | 4,507 | 1,947 | -57% |
| Sofia | 3,641 | 2,164 | -41% |
| Bishkek | 331 | 211 | -36% |
| Monterrey | 42,980 | 30,526 | -29% |
| Pristina | 415 | 298 | -28% |
| Skopje | 1,291 | 934 | -28% |
| Porto Alegre | 7,278 | 5,384 | -26% |
Visa classes in May 2018
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 555,358 | 62.5% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 81,652 | 9.2% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 61,872 | 7% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 43,483 | 4.9% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 28,479 | 3.2% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 24,116 | 2.7% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 11,463 | 1.3% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 10,707 | 1.2% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 9,252 | 1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,694 | 0.6% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,682 | 0.6% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 5,089 | 0.6% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 4,881 | 0.5% |
| B2 Temporary visitor for pleasure | 4,446 | 0.5% |
| B1 Temporary visitor for business | 3,824 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 7,102 | 15.8% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 6,506 | 14.4% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 3,430 | 7.6% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 3,384 | 7.5% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 2,166 | 4.8% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 2,157 | 4.8% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 1,927 | 4.3% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 1,782 | 4% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 1,611 | 3.6% |
| DV3 Immigrant visa class DV3 (no description in the | 1,231 | 2.7% |
| F24 Immigrant visa class F24 (no description in the | 1,216 | 2.7% |
| F42 Immigrant visa class F42 (no description in the | 1,137 | 2.5% |
May in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| May 2018 | 888,450 | 45,036 |
| 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 2018?
888,450 nonimmigrant visas and 45,036 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in May 2018?
Mexico City (48,264), Shanghai (45,994), Beijing (42,371), Guangzhou (40,824) and Buenos Aires (31,258).
Which posts changed most in May 2018?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Perth (+145%), Budapest (+140%) and Tallinn (+76%) and the largest falls Managua (-69%), Nuevo Laredo (-57%) and Sofia (-41%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for May 2018. 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 2018, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.