Months › May 2020
May 2020 · all posts · fiscal year 2020
U.S. visa issuances in May 2020
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 40,939 nonimmigrant visas in May 2020, about the same as the 46,855 of the previous month and -95% against the same month a year earlier (857,267).
697 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 39,393 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Monterrey (17,684), Tijuana (6,012) and Ho Chi Minh City (1,864); 173 posts appear in the month's tables.
H2A at 64.3%, B1/B2 at 10.7% and H2B at 9.8% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to May 2020
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in May 2020
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | Mexico | 17,684 | 0 | -38% | -34% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 6,012 | 0 | +44% | -43% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 1,864 | 60 | +3114% | -83% |
| Kyiv | Ukraine | 1,355 | 15 | +1756% | -73% |
| Nuevo Laredo | Mexico | 1,354 | 0 | -59% | -66% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 1,133 | 0 | -44% | -81% |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 855 | 4 | +33% | -89% |
| Matamoros | Mexico | 847 | 0 | -12% | -78% |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 707 | 21 | +118% | -84% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 457 | 3 | +58% | -93% |
| Chennai | India | 427 | 0 | — | -98% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 401 | 13 | +54% | -95% |
| Belgrade | Serbia | 382 | 3 | — | -81% |
| Taipei | Taiwan | 310 | 33 | +101% | -92% |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 304 | 7 | +48% | -97% |
| Islamabad | Pakistan | 302 | 8 | +351% | -84% |
| Hanoi | Vietnam | 295 | 0 | +515% | -92% |
| Rangoon | Burma | 286 | 1 | +112% | -85% |
| Cape Town | South Africa | 260 | 0 | +12900% | -88% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 238 | 2 | +222% | -99% |
| Tokyo | Japan | 236 | 18 | +28% | -95% |
| Sydney | Australia | 228 | 12 | +40% | -93% |
| Bucharest | Romania | 211 | 3 | +185% | -97% |
| Amsterdam | Netherlands | 202 | 5 | +73% | -92% |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 202 | 0 | +36% | -100% |
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 2020 | May 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Guatemala City | 325 | 707 | +118% |
| San Jose | 290 | 457 | +58% |
| Seoul | 261 | 401 | +54% |
| Hong Kong | 206 | 304 | +48% |
| Tijuana | 4,181 | 6,012 | +44% |
| Kingston | 645 | 855 | +33% |
| Matamoros | 964 | 847 | -12% |
| Monterrey | 28,570 | 17,684 | -38% |
Largest falls
| Post | Apr 2020 | May 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nuevo Laredo | 3,307 | 1,354 | -59% |
| Hermosillo | 2,025 | 1,133 | -44% |
| Monterrey | 28,570 | 17,684 | -38% |
| Matamoros | 964 | 847 | -12% |
| Kingston | 645 | 855 | +33% |
| Tijuana | 4,181 | 6,012 | +44% |
| Hong Kong | 206 | 304 | +48% |
| Seoul | 261 | 401 | +54% |
Visa classes in May 2020
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 26,342 | 64.3% |
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 4,400 | 10.7% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 4,015 | 9.8% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 1,806 | 4.4% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 636 | 1.6% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 562 | 1.4% |
| A1 Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or | 243 | 0.6% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 242 | 0.6% |
| NATO2 Other representative of member state to NATO and | 240 | 0.6% |
| D Crewmember (sea or air) | 238 | 0.6% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 206 | 0.5% |
| G4 International organization officer or employee, | 202 | 0.5% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 185 | 0.5% |
| C3 Foreign government official, immediate family, a | 158 | 0.4% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 150 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 301 | 43.2% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 147 | 21.1% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 141 | 20.2% |
| CR2 Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 20 | 2.9% |
| IH3 Child adopted abroad by U.S. citizen under Hague | 15 | 2.2% |
| SB1 Returning resident | 8 | 1.1% |
| E35 Immigrant visa class E35 (no description in the | 7 | 1% |
| F43 Immigrant visa class F43 (no description in the | 7 | 1% |
| I52 Immigrant visa class I52 (no description in the | 5 | 0.7% |
| E31 Immigrant visa class E31 (no description in the | 4 | 0.6% |
| F41 Immigrant visa class F41 (no description in the | 4 | 0.6% |
| I51 Immigrant visa class I51 (no description in the | 4 | 0.6% |
May in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| May 2019 | 857,267 | 39,393 |
| 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 2020?
40,939 nonimmigrant visas and 697 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in May 2020?
Monterrey (17,684), Tijuana (6,012), Ho Chi Minh City (1,864), Kyiv (1,355) and Nuevo Laredo (1,354).
Which posts changed most in May 2020?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Guatemala City (+118%), San Jose (+58%) and Seoul (+54%) and the largest falls Nuevo Laredo (-59%), Hermosillo (-44%) and Monterrey (-38%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for May 2020. 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 2020, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.