Months › September 2019
September 2019 · all posts · fiscal year 2019
U.S. visa issuances in September 2019
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 646,938 nonimmigrant visas in September 2019, about the same as the 742,031 of the previous month and +4% against the same month a year earlier (620,175).
39,473 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 38,788 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (49,435), Shanghai (26,391) and Sao Paulo (23,402); 221 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 63.7%, BBBCC at 13% and C1/D at 3.8% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Sep 2019
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Sep 2019
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 49,435 | 0 | -19% | +21% |
| Shanghai | China | 26,391 | 0 | -5% | +1% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 23,402 | 0 | -24% | +25% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 20,692 | 0 | -7% | -2% |
| Chennai | India | 19,882 | 0 | +2% | +15% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 18,422 | 542 | +17% | +2% |
| Beijing | China | 18,026 | 0 | -31% | -33% |
| Manila | Philippines | 17,529 | 1,634 | +2% | +13% |
| Mumbai | India | 17,393 | 1,313 | -14% | +7% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 16,740 | 50 | -30% | +9% |
| New Delhi | India | 13,852 | 43 | -5% | +21% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 11,867 | 0 | -16% | +39% |
| Guangzhou | China | 11,811 | 2,694 | -44% | -32% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 11,003 | 0 | -27% | -29% |
| Hyderabad | India | 10,133 | 0 | +5% | -5% |
| Lima | Peru | 9,309 | 484 | +17% | +27% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 8,691 | 346 | +15% | +12% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 8,284 | 0 | -3% | -14% |
| London | United Kingdom | 7,969 | 254 | -36% | -19% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 7,965 | 257 | -26% | -6% |
| Moscow | Russia | 7,778 | 471 | -7% | +38% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 7,704 | 2,401 | -9% | -4% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 7,259 | 3,512 | -27% | +7% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 6,451 | 0 | -3% | +1% |
| Warsaw | Poland | 6,307 | 243 | -1% | -1% |
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 2019 | Sep 2019 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Porto Alegre | 3,621 | 5,902 | +63% |
| Baghdad | 364 | 549 | +51% |
| Istanbul | 3,794 | 5,598 | +48% |
| Riyadh | 2,566 | 3,798 | +48% |
| Skopje | 375 | 509 | +36% |
| Bucharest | 3,178 | 4,304 | +35% |
| Astana | 733 | 983 | +34% |
| Nuevo Laredo | 2,494 | 3,318 | +33% |
Largest falls
| Post | Aug 2019 | Sep 2019 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Madrid | 4,643 | 2,220 | -52% |
| Osaka/Kobe | 2,352 | 1,145 | -51% |
| Port-au-Prince | 1,277 | 653 | -49% |
| Kigali | 518 | 278 | -46% |
| Port Louis | 369 | 202 | -45% |
| Guangzhou | 21,002 | 11,811 | -44% |
| Seoul | 7,798 | 4,356 | -44% |
| Colombo | 1,188 | 686 | -42% |
Visa classes in Sep 2019
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 412,135 | 63.7% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 83,970 | 13% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 24,587 | 3.8% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 14,928 | 2.3% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 12,938 | 2% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 12,632 | 2% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 9,412 | 1.5% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 8,607 | 1.3% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 8,261 | 1.3% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 6,653 | 1% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 6,299 | 1% |
| G2 Other representative of recognized foreign membe | 4,420 | 0.7% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 3,887 | 0.6% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 3,438 | 0.5% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,282 | 0.5% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 4,087 | 10.4% |
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 4,086 | 10.4% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 3,597 | 9.1% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 2,797 | 7.1% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 2,462 | 6.2% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 2,359 | 6% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 2,173 | 5.5% |
| DV3 Immigrant visa class DV3 (no description in the | 1,842 | 4.7% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1,816 | 4.6% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 1,727 | 4.4% |
| F42 Immigrant visa class F42 (no description in the | 1,667 | 4.2% |
| F24 Immigrant visa class F24 (no description in the | 1,636 | 4.1% |
Sep in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2019 | 646,938 | 39,473 |
| 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 2019?
646,938 nonimmigrant visas and 39,473 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in September 2019?
Mexico City (49,435), Shanghai (26,391), Sao Paulo (23,402), Monterrey (20,692) and Chennai (19,882).
Which posts changed most in September 2019?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Porto Alegre (+63%), Baghdad (+51%) and Istanbul (+48%) and the largest falls Madrid (-52%), Osaka/Kobe (-51%) and Port-au-Prince (-49%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for September 2019. 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 2019, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.