Months › December 2019
December 2019 · all posts · fiscal year 2020
U.S. visa issuances in December 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 650,760 nonimmigrant visas in December 2019, about the same as the 613,287 of the previous month and +7% against the same month a year earlier (605,652).
40,666 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 35,750 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (49,570), Shanghai (25,181) and Guangzhou (24,073); 222 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 55.3%, BBBCC at 14.3% and H1B at 5.3% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Dec 2019
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Dec 2019
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 49,570 | 0 | +4% | +31% |
| Shanghai | China | 25,181 | 0 | +23% | -8% |
| Guangzhou | China | 24,073 | 2,796 | +29% | +2% |
| Beijing | China | 23,591 | 0 | +5% | -2% |
| Mumbai | India | 22,512 | 1,863 | +14% | +42% |
| Chennai | India | 22,472 | 0 | +25% | +22% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 21,637 | 0 | +12% | -6% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 19,387 | 0 | -5% | +25% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 15,693 | 50 | -11% | +2% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 15,668 | 0 | +22% | +14% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 14,913 | 396 | +4% | +4% |
| Manila | Philippines | 14,658 | 1,294 | -4% | 0% |
| New Delhi | India | 14,656 | 40 | +16% | +3% |
| Hyderabad | India | 13,876 | 0 | +18% | +15% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 11,867 | 0 | +22% | +3% |
| Lima | Peru | 9,101 | 322 | -19% | +22% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 8,567 | 0 | -22% | +19% |
| Matamoros | Mexico | 8,465 | 0 | +43% | +61% |
| London | United Kingdom | 8,262 | 298 | -2% | -5% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 8,018 | 3,456 | +10% | +34% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 7,935 | 3,676 | +41% | +46% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 7,562 | 333 | +17% | -31% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 7,223 | 481 | -5% | +34% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 7,147 | 0 | -5% | +33% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 7,043 | 533 | +9% | -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 | Nov 2019 | Dec 2019 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luanda | 249 | 457 | +84% |
| Helsinki | 280 | 476 | +70% |
| Sarajevo | 243 | 410 | +69% |
| Port-au-Prince | 1,576 | 2,421 | +54% |
| Prague | 619 | 926 | +50% |
| Rome | 878 | 1,294 | +47% |
| Tokyo | 3,639 | 5,275 | +45% |
| Matamoros | 5,907 | 8,465 | +43% |
Largest falls
| Post | Nov 2019 | Dec 2019 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krakow | 813 | 471 | -42% |
| Warsaw | 2,591 | 1,632 | -37% |
| Johannesburg | 2,783 | 1,848 | -34% |
| Georgetown | 506 | 344 | -32% |
| Baku | 672 | 479 | -29% |
| Cape Town | 1,719 | 1,255 | -27% |
| Suva | 333 | 247 | -26% |
| Vancouver | 4,593 | 3,400 | -26% |
Visa classes in Dec 2019
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 359,641 | 55.3% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 93,260 | 14.3% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 34,776 | 5.3% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 30,798 | 4.7% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 22,227 | 3.4% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 20,165 | 3.1% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 13,618 | 2.1% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 9,122 | 1.4% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 8,845 | 1.4% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 7,732 | 1.2% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 7,039 | 1.1% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 5,465 | 0.8% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 5,381 | 0.8% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,249 | 0.5% |
| J2 Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 3,175 | 0.5% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 5,611 | 13.8% |
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 5,477 | 13.5% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 2,956 | 7.3% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 2,935 | 7.2% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 2,482 | 6.1% |
| FX1 Immigrant visa class FX1 (no description in the | 2,472 | 6.1% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2,120 | 5.2% |
| F42 Immigrant visa class F42 (no description in the | 1,838 | 4.5% |
| FX2 Immigrant visa class FX2 (no description in the | 1,622 | 4% |
| DV1 Immigrant visa class DV1 (no description in the | 1,400 | 3.4% |
| F24 Immigrant visa class F24 (no description in the | 1,365 | 3.4% |
| FX3 Immigrant visa class FX3 (no description in the | 960 | 2.4% |
Dec in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 2018 | 605,652 | 35,750 |
| Dec 2019 | 650,760 | 40,666 |
| Dec 2020 | 157,225 | 11,233 |
| Dec 2021 | 435,665 | 38,397 |
| Dec 2022 | 747,686 | 45,945 |
| Dec 2023 | 755,973 | 46,279 |
| Dec 2024 | 884,739 | 50,944 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in December 2019?
650,760 nonimmigrant visas and 40,666 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in December 2019?
Mexico City (49,570), Shanghai (25,181), Guangzhou (24,073), Beijing (23,591) and Mumbai (22,512).
Which posts changed most in December 2019?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Luanda (+84%), Helsinki (+70%) and Sarajevo (+69%) and the largest falls Krakow (-42%), Warsaw (-37%) and Johannesburg (-34%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for December 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 December 2019, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.