Months › September 2018
September 2018 · all posts · fiscal year 2018
U.S. visa issuances in September 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 620,175 nonimmigrant visas in September 2018, fewer than the 824,176 of the previous month and -5% against the same month a year earlier (652,056).
38,788 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 35,796 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (40,888), Beijing (26,920) and Shanghai (26,124); 223 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 64.4%, BBBCC at 12.7% and C1/D at 3.7% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Sep 2018
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Sep 2018
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 40,888 | 0 | -17% | +25% |
| Beijing | China | 26,920 | 0 | -24% | -22% |
| Shanghai | China | 26,124 | 0 | -39% | -29% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 21,171 | 0 | -17% | +21% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 18,676 | 0 | -35% | -17% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 17,987 | 514 | -19% | +12% |
| Guangzhou | China | 17,466 | 1,910 | -43% | -28% |
| Chennai | India | 17,325 | 0 | -38% | +13% |
| Mumbai | India | 16,193 | 1,314 | -21% | +8% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 15,583 | 0 | +3% | +11% |
| Manila | Philippines | 15,474 | 2,176 | -21% | -16% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 15,400 | 63 | -24% | -44% |
| New Delhi | India | 11,471 | 241 | -31% | +3% |
| Hyderabad | India | 10,659 | 0 | -26% | +8% |
| London | United Kingdom | 9,840 | 288 | -30% | +2% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,578 | 0 | -14% | +8% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 8,556 | 0 | -42% | -25% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 8,460 | 249 | -26% | -16% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 8,036 | 2,928 | -41% | -33% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 7,769 | 514 | -1% | +16% |
| Lima | Peru | 7,308 | 423 | -12% | -1% |
| Chengdu | China | 7,279 | 0 | -35% | -6% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 6,800 | 2,370 | -23% | -13% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 6,558 | 40 | -6% | -2% |
| Warsaw | Poland | 6,383 | 218 | +11% | +9% |
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 | Aug 2018 | Sep 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest | 510 | 762 | +49% |
| Pristina | 219 | 297 | +36% |
| Dakar | 447 | 589 | +32% |
| Luanda | 410 | 539 | +31% |
| Cairo | 3,181 | 4,060 | +28% |
| Abu Dhabi | 2,106 | 2,488 | +18% |
| Astana | 521 | 584 | +12% |
| Dubai | 2,926 | 3,257 | +11% |
Largest falls
| Post | Aug 2018 | Sep 2018 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Addis Ababa | 1,931 | 850 | -56% |
| Seoul | 7,840 | 3,496 | -55% |
| Jerusalem | 2,847 | 1,400 | -51% |
| Kigali | 486 | 237 | -51% |
| Osaka/Kobe | 2,537 | 1,294 | -49% |
| Milan | 1,285 | 681 | -47% |
| Kolkata | 4,414 | 2,439 | -45% |
| Hanoi | 3,663 | 2,058 | -44% |
Visa classes in Sep 2018
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 399,144 | 64.4% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 78,881 | 12.7% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 22,951 | 3.7% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 12,290 | 2% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 12,236 | 2% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 10,377 | 1.7% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 10,028 | 1.6% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 9,364 | 1.5% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 7,221 | 1.2% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,722 | 0.9% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 5,535 | 0.9% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,099 | 0.8% |
| G2 Other representative of recognized foreign membe | 4,333 | 0.7% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 4,161 | 0.7% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,127 | 0.5% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 6,062 | 15.6% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 4,584 | 11.8% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 3,053 | 7.9% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 3,021 | 7.8% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 2,908 | 7.5% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 1,868 | 4.8% |
| DV3 Immigrant visa class DV3 (no description in the | 1,543 | 4% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 1,500 | 3.9% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 1,499 | 3.9% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 1,449 | 3.7% |
| DV2 Immigrant visa class DV2 (no description in the | 1,258 | 3.2% |
| F42 Immigrant visa class F42 (no description in the | 1,097 | 2.8% |
Sep in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2018 | 620,175 | 38,788 |
| Sep 2020 | 111,034 | 14,894 |
| Sep 2021 | 290,312 | 47,454 |
| Sep 2022 | 718,175 | 57,186 |
| Sep 2023 | 849,400 | 40,799 |
| Sep 2024 | 925,157 | 57,983 |
| Sep 2025 | 823,557 | 45,966 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in September 2018?
620,175 nonimmigrant visas and 38,788 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in September 2018?
Mexico City (40,888), Beijing (26,920), Shanghai (26,124), Monterrey (21,171) and Sao Paulo (18,676).
Which posts changed most in September 2018?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Budapest (+49%), Pristina (+36%) and Dakar (+32%) and the largest falls Addis Ababa (-56%), Seoul (-55%) and Jerusalem (-51%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for September 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 September 2018, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.