Months › April 2021
April 2021 · all posts · fiscal year 2021
U.S. visa issuances in April 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 247,833 nonimmigrant visas in April 2021, about the same as the 260,493 of the previous month and +429% against the same month a year earlier (46,855).
24,841 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 1,521 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Monterrey (34,628), Mexico City (32,977) and Chennai (11,731); 218 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 30.6%, BBBCC at 15.4% and H2A at 14.8% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Apr 2021
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Apr 2021
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | Mexico | 34,628 | 0 | -21% | +21% |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 32,977 | 0 | +5% | +22032% |
| Chennai | India | 11,731 | 0 | -17% | — |
| New Delhi | India | 9,670 | 44 | -27% | +483400% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,514 | 0 | -18% | +128% |
| Manila | Philippines | 6,145 | 1,167 | -35% | +614400% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 5,979 | 1,567 | -30% | +16508% |
| Hyderabad | India | 5,919 | 0 | +7% | +42179% |
| Lima | Peru | 5,797 | 111 | +100% | +115840% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 5,728 | 0 | +57% | +81729% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 4,664 | 73 | +23% | +6203% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 4,591 | 0 | +31% | +2824% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 4,498 | 0 | -11% | +122% |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 4,377 | 233 | +31% | +579% |
| Nuevo Laredo | Mexico | 4,047 | 0 | +16% | +22% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 3,904 | 248 | -3% | +64967% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 3,683 | 333 | +43% | +19284% |
| Matamoros | Mexico | 3,444 | 0 | +17% | +257% |
| Tokyo | Japan | 3,207 | 166 | +25% | +1643% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 2,889 | 285 | +19% | +1007% |
| San Jose | Costa Rica | 2,432 | 49 | -19% | +739% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 2,422 | 0 | +28% | +9215% |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 2,406 | 180 | -22% | +640% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 2,323 | 1,960 | -41% | +3905% |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 2,173 | 102 | +7% | — |
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 | Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Astana | 311 | 981 | +215% |
| Jerusalem | 658 | 1,585 | +141% |
| Karachi | 314 | 679 | +116% |
| Ciudad Juarez | 998 | 2,143 | +115% |
| Lima | 2,903 | 5,797 | +100% |
| La Paz | 641 | 1,043 | +63% |
| Asuncion | 215 | 342 | +59% |
| Jeddah | 875 | 1,370 | +57% |
Largest falls
| Post | Mar 2021 | Apr 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka | 961 | 261 | -73% |
| Mumbai | 5,104 | 2,146 | -58% |
| Beijing | 481 | 248 | -48% |
| Managua | 627 | 351 | -44% |
| Yekaterinburg | 902 | 523 | -42% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 3,911 | 2,323 | -41% |
| Santiago | 1,009 | 622 | -38% |
| Manila | 9,393 | 6,145 | -35% |
Visa classes in Apr 2021
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 75,794 | 30.6% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 38,044 | 15.4% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 36,596 | 14.8% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 16,359 | 6.6% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 13,939 | 5.6% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 10,172 | 4.1% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 9,882 | 4% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 7,977 | 3.2% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 6,820 | 2.8% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 5,028 | 2% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 3,575 | 1.4% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 3,002 | 1.2% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 2,691 | 1.1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 2,477 | 1% |
| TN NAFTA professional | 2,138 | 0.9% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 5,358 | 21.6% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 4,925 | 19.8% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 3,648 | 14.7% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 2,890 | 11.6% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1,431 | 5.8% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 1,235 | 5% |
| E3 Employment third preference: skilled worker or p | 999 | 4% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 848 | 3.4% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 665 | 2.7% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 584 | 2.4% |
| DV Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 534 | 2.1% |
| SQ Immigrant visa class SQ (no description in the D | 370 | 1.5% |
Apr in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 2019 | 808,859 | 38,573 |
| Apr 2020 | 46,855 | 1,521 |
| Apr 2021 | 247,833 | 24,841 |
| Apr 2022 | 605,651 | 41,862 |
| Apr 2023 | 850,597 | 49,640 |
| Apr 2024 | 1,054,900 | 57,383 |
| Apr 2025 | 993,250 | 48,193 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in April 2021?
247,833 nonimmigrant visas and 24,841 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in April 2021?
Monterrey (34,628), Mexico City (32,977), Chennai (11,731), New Delhi (9,670) and Tijuana (9,514).
Which posts changed most in April 2021?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Astana (+215%), Jerusalem (+141%) and Karachi (+116%) and the largest falls Dhaka (-73%), Mumbai (-58%) and Beijing (-48%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for April 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 April 2021, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.