Months › December 2021
December 2021 · all posts · fiscal year 2022
U.S. visa issuances in December 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 435,665 nonimmigrant visas in December 2021, about the same as the 391,022 of the previous month and +177% against the same month a year earlier (157,225).
38,397 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 11,233 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (42,752), Monterrey (36,161) and Sao Paulo (20,869); 217 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 43.1%, BBBCC at 20.7% and F1 at 8.4% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Dec 2021
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Dec 2021
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 42,752 | 0 | +30% | +235% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 36,161 | 0 | -11% | +103% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 20,869 | 0 | +76% | +5967% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 12,997 | 0 | +44% | +254% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 12,821 | 147 | +9% | +3422% |
| New Delhi | India | 12,819 | 78 | +29% | +133% |
| Manila | Philippines | 11,748 | 1,877 | +15% | +93% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 10,481 | 854 | +119% | +10076% |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 9,361 | 0 | +86% | +6683% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 9,028 | 0 | +3% | +63% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 8,585 | 0 | -14% | +304% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 7,861 | 0 | +6% | +136% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 7,853 | 680 | -12% | +349% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 7,799 | 1,107 | +21% | +94% |
| Hyderabad | India | 6,671 | 0 | +15% | +353% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 6,016 | 2,377 | -8% | +9% |
| Chennai | India | 5,892 | 0 | +12% | +27% |
| Lima | Peru | 5,652 | 299 | -23% | +68% |
| Shanghai | China | 5,296 | 0 | -1% | +9031% |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 5,095 | 31 | -19% | +230% |
| Porto Alegre | Brazil | 5,060 | 0 | +20% | +15233% |
| Mumbai | India | 4,975 | 1,501 | +17% | -4% |
| Paris | France | 4,789 | 112 | +67% | +215% |
| Tokyo | Japan | 4,613 | 136 | +48% | +64% |
| Seoul | South Korea | 4,586 | 529 | -15% | +52% |
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 2021 | Dec 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucharest | 681 | 1,567 | +130% |
| Rio de Janeiro | 4,787 | 10,481 | +119% |
| Kyiv | 1,279 | 2,765 | +116% |
| Oslo | 331 | 663 | +100% |
| Brasilia | 5,041 | 9,361 | +86% |
| Warsaw | 1,187 | 2,155 | +82% |
| Podgorica | 254 | 458 | +80% |
| Sao Paulo | 11,876 | 20,869 | +76% |
Largest falls
| Post | Nov 2021 | Dec 2021 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 2,752 | 1,313 | -52% |
| Bridgetown | 720 | 359 | -50% |
| Asuncion | 888 | 455 | -49% |
| Ankara | 879 | 509 | -42% |
| Paramaribo | 509 | 305 | -40% |
| Kuwait City | 3,636 | 2,219 | -39% |
| Hermosillo | 5,026 | 3,117 | -38% |
| Accra | 960 | 633 | -34% |
Visa classes in Dec 2021
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 187,596 | 43.1% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 90,192 | 20.7% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 36,775 | 8.4% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 17,452 | 4% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 17,245 | 4% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 15,646 | 3.6% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 9,873 | 2.3% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 6,823 | 1.6% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 6,425 | 1.5% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,473 | 1.3% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 5,198 | 1.2% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,095 | 1.2% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,633 | 0.8% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 3,491 | 0.8% |
| TN NAFTA professional | 2,684 | 0.6% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 7,532 | 19.6% |
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 6,500 | 16.9% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 6,240 | 16.3% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 3,324 | 8.7% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 3,180 | 8.3% |
| E3 Employment third preference: skilled worker or p | 3,074 | 8% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 1,349 | 3.5% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 1,341 | 3.5% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 1,288 | 3.4% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 888 | 2.3% |
| E1 Employment first preference (priority workers): | 888 | 2.3% |
| EW Employment third preference, other worker (subgr | 581 | 1.5% |
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 2021?
435,665 nonimmigrant visas and 38,397 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in December 2021?
Mexico City (42,752), Monterrey (36,161), Sao Paulo (20,869), Guadalajara (12,997) and Buenos Aires (12,821).
Which posts changed most in December 2021?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Bucharest (+130%), Rio de Janeiro (+119%) and Kyiv (+116%) and the largest falls Abu Dhabi (-52%), Bridgetown (-50%) and Asuncion (-49%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for December 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 December 2021, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.