Months › November 2018
November 2018 · all posts · fiscal year 2019
U.S. visa issuances in November 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 634,246 nonimmigrant visas in November 2018, about the same as the 699,265 of the previous month and 0% against the same month a year earlier (635,861).
38,653 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 39,402 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (49,105), Shanghai (26,702) and Beijing (24,459); 223 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 61.3%, BBBCC at 13.9% and C1/D at 3.7% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Nov 2018
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Nov 2018
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 49,105 | 0 | -17% | +29% |
| Shanghai | China | 26,702 | 0 | +3% | -10% |
| Beijing | China | 24,459 | 0 | +2% | -21% |
| Guangzhou | China | 21,536 | 2,378 | +12% | -7% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 20,750 | 0 | -14% | -7% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 20,730 | 0 | -1% | +2% |
| Mumbai | India | 17,141 | 1,692 | -10% | +11% |
| Chennai | India | 16,912 | 0 | +19% | +4% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 16,784 | 564 | -15% | -1% |
| Manila | Philippines | 14,245 | 2,145 | -26% | +15% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 13,637 | 0 | -14% | +21% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 13,456 | 35 | -22% | -53% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 13,446 | 0 | -2% | -6% |
| New Delhi | India | 12,037 | 212 | +22% | -1% |
| Lima | Peru | 9,948 | 469 | +1% | +15% |
| Hyderabad | India | 9,367 | 0 | -5% | -13% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 9,256 | 246 | -6% | -8% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,114 | 0 | -14% | +15% |
| London | United Kingdom | 8,590 | 351 | -21% | -1% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 7,924 | 75 | -19% | +18% |
| Moscow | Russia | 7,409 | 293 | -10% | +134% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 6,996 | 3,508 | -5% | +26% |
| Toronto | Canada | 6,969 | 0 | -4% | +49% |
| Chengdu | China | 6,908 | 0 | +3% | -11% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 6,546 | 3,650 | -32% | -52% |
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 Nov 2018
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 388,657 | 61.3% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 88,223 | 13.9% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 23,220 | 3.7% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 20,003 | 3.2% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 17,584 | 2.8% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 13,937 | 2.2% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 13,611 | 2.1% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 8,839 | 1.4% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 7,309 | 1.2% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 7,123 | 1.1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,693 | 0.9% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,531 | 0.9% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 3,844 | 0.6% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,219 | 0.5% |
| B1 Temporary visitor for business | 2,782 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 5,688 | 14.7% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 4,249 | 11% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 2,962 | 7.7% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2,934 | 7.6% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 1,987 | 5.1% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 1,921 | 5% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 1,821 | 4.7% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 1,715 | 4.4% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 1,356 | 3.5% |
| F42 Immigrant visa class F42 (no description in the | 1,200 | 3.1% |
| F11 Immigrant visa class F11 (no description in the | 1,015 | 2.6% |
| F33 Immigrant visa class F33 (no description in the | 959 | 2.5% |
Nov in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 2018 | 634,246 | 38,653 |
| Nov 2019 | 613,287 | 35,446 |
| Nov 2020 | 124,500 | 10,138 |
| Nov 2021 | 391,022 | 35,647 |
| Nov 2022 | 739,257 | 45,577 |
| Nov 2023 | 815,973 | 45,437 |
| Nov 2024 | 811,088 | 49,612 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in November 2018?
634,246 nonimmigrant visas and 38,653 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in November 2018?
Mexico City (49,105), Shanghai (26,702), Beijing (24,459), Guangzhou (21,536) and Sao Paulo (20,750).
Which posts changed most in November 2018?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Seoul (+46%), Osaka/Kobe (+35%) and Asuncion (+26%) and the largest falls Surabaya (-43%), Port Louis (-42%) and Yaounde (-41%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for November 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 November 2018, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.