Months › February 2021
February 2021 · all posts · fiscal year 2021
U.S. visa issuances in February 2021
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 168,361 nonimmigrant visas in February 2021, about the same as the 138,544 of the previous month and -71% against the same month a year earlier (578,893).
13,202 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 37,658 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Monterrey (22,148), Mexico City (16,741) and Chennai (10,474); 217 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 30.8%, BBBCC at 20.1% and H2A at 13.4% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Feb 2021
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Feb 2021
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | Mexico | 22,148 | 0 | +39% | -13% |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 16,741 | 0 | +51% | -62% |
| Chennai | India | 10,474 | 0 | +236% | -59% |
| New Delhi | India | 9,761 | 27 | +88% | -27% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,473 | 0 | +25% | -15% |
| Manila | Philippines | 6,364 | 825 | +11% | -68% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 5,508 | 621 | +44% | -48% |
| Mumbai | India | 4,720 | 838 | +21% | -80% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 4,109 | 0 | +11% | -74% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 4,065 | 126 | -17% | -53% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 3,769 | 0 | +16% | -37% |
| Hyderabad | India | 3,189 | 0 | +24% | -75% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 2,545 | 0 | +74% | -68% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 2,319 | 89 | +30% | -45% |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 2,260 | 58 | 0% | -46% |
| Nuevo Laredo | Mexico | 2,173 | 0 | +10% | -33% |
| Matamoros | Mexico | 2,164 | 0 | +68% | -49% |
| Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 1,949 | 70 | +11% | -41% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 1,803 | 0 | +9% | -86% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 1,790 | 58 | -13% | -73% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 1,548 | 178 | +12% | -92% |
| Tokyo | Japan | 1,533 | 70 | -17% | -61% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 1,455 | 1,476 | -45% | -80% |
| Lima | Peru | 1,410 | 15 | -41% | -86% |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 1,332 | 33 | +6% | -75% |
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 | Jan 2021 | Feb 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chennai | 3,119 | 10,474 | +236% |
| Cape Town | 279 | 901 | +223% |
| Johannesburg | 374 | 968 | +159% |
| New Delhi | 5,187 | 9,761 | +88% |
| Kyiv | 384 | 700 | +82% |
| Buenos Aires | 389 | 696 | +79% |
| Almaty | 253 | 444 | +75% |
| Hermosillo | 1,466 | 2,545 | +74% |
Largest falls
| Post | Jan 2021 | Feb 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | 2,683 | 1,299 | -52% |
| Singapore | 1,203 | 654 | -46% |
| Ciudad Juarez | 2,632 | 1,455 | -45% |
| Lima | 2,396 | 1,410 | -41% |
| Hanoi | 379 | 230 | -39% |
| Kingston | 1,576 | 1,009 | -36% |
| Milan | 324 | 208 | -36% |
| Taipei | 697 | 446 | -36% |
Visa classes in Feb 2021
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 51,786 | 30.8% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 33,897 | 20.1% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 22,516 | 13.4% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 12,167 | 7.2% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 7,439 | 4.4% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 7,254 | 4.3% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 3,834 | 2.3% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 3,376 | 2% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 3,331 | 2% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 2,391 | 1.4% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 2,322 | 1.4% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 2,274 | 1.4% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 2,144 | 1.3% |
| TN NAFTA professional | 1,531 | 0.9% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 1,524 | 0.9% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 5,877 | 44.5% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 2,705 | 20.5% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2,171 | 16.4% |
| E3 Employment third preference: skilled worker or p | 1,020 | 7.7% |
| CR2 Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 200 | 1.5% |
| SQ Immigrant visa class SQ (no description in the D | 165 | 1.2% |
| I5 Investor pilot program (regional center) in targ | 151 | 1.1% |
| SB1 Returning resident | 127 | 1% |
| SE Certain employees or former employees of the U.S | 127 | 1% |
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 116 | 0.9% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 113 | 0.9% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 101 | 0.8% |
Feb in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 2019 | 628,837 | 34,710 |
| Feb 2020 | 578,893 | 37,658 |
| Feb 2021 | 168,361 | 13,202 |
| Feb 2022 | 484,571 | 35,942 |
| Feb 2023 | 853,572 | 46,951 |
| Feb 2024 | 861,383 | 51,563 |
| Feb 2025 | 914,989 | 51,058 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in February 2021?
168,361 nonimmigrant visas and 13,202 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in February 2021?
Monterrey (22,148), Mexico City (16,741), Chennai (10,474), New Delhi (9,761) and Tijuana (9,473).
Which posts changed most in February 2021?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Chennai (+236%), Cape Town (+223%) and Johannesburg (+159%) and the largest falls Ho Chi Minh City (-52%), Singapore (-46%) and Ciudad Juarez (-45%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for February 2021. 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 February 2021, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.