Months › December 2022
December 2022 · all posts · fiscal year 2023
U.S. visa issuances in December 2022
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 747,686 nonimmigrant visas in December 2022, about the same as the 739,257 of the previous month and +72% against the same month a year earlier (435,665).
45,945 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 38,397 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (42,568), Bogota (40,628) and Monterrey (40,240); 216 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 55.8%, BBBCC at 17.9% and F1 at 5.6% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Dec 2022
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Dec 2022
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 42,568 | 0 | -8% | 0% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 40,628 | 757 | +26% | +417% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 40,240 | 0 | -5% | +11% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 30,004 | 0 | +39% | +131% |
| Mumbai | India | 26,012 | 2,890 | +4% | +423% |
| Chennai | India | 23,908 | 0 | +4% | +306% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 23,206 | 0 | +23% | +11% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 21,715 | 353 | +21% | +107% |
| New Delhi | India | 20,012 | 56 | -4% | +56% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 18,721 | 76 | -25% | +46% |
| Manila | Philippines | 15,975 | 2,410 | -11% | +36% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 15,218 | 0 | +37% | +69% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 15,208 | 0 | +22% | +93% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 14,302 | 0 | -8% | +67% |
| Hyderabad | India | 14,254 | 0 | +8% | +114% |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 14,225 | 0 | +47% | +52% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 13,569 | 4,671 | +15% | +126% |
| London | United Kingdom | 11,137 | 392 | -20% | +160% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 11,013 | 5,218 | -4% | +277% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 9,765 | 483 | +29% | +13463% |
| Istanbul | Turkey | 8,725 | 0 | -7% | +126% |
| Cairo | Egypt | 7,845 | 458 | +1% | +308% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 7,821 | 0 | +53% | +151% |
| Tegucigalpa | Honduras | 7,766 | 277 | -6% | +169% |
| Jakarta | Indonesia | 7,743 | 40 | -2% | +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 2022 | Dec 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abuja | 592 | 1,922 | +225% |
| Lagos | 3,448 | 6,399 | +86% |
| Nuevo Laredo | 4,005 | 6,789 | +70% |
| Conakry | 203 | 327 | +61% |
| Hermosillo | 5,106 | 7,821 | +53% |
| Luxembourg | 200 | 296 | +48% |
| Brasilia | 9,669 | 14,225 | +47% |
| Melbourne | 1,151 | 1,681 | +46% |
Visa classes in Dec 2022
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 417,525 | 55.8% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 133,662 | 17.9% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 41,792 | 5.6% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 27,914 | 3.7% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 27,859 | 3.7% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 17,186 | 2.3% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 12,994 | 1.7% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 9,608 | 1.3% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 7,191 | 1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 7,018 | 0.9% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 5,815 | 0.8% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 4,007 | 0.5% |
| TN NAFTA professional | 3,850 | 0.5% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 3,849 | 0.5% |
| J2 Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 2,813 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 9,003 | 19.6% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 8,594 | 18.7% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 6,670 | 14.5% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 3,448 | 7.5% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 3,282 | 7.1% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 2,406 | 5.2% |
| DV Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 2,033 | 4.4% |
| E3 Employment third preference: skilled worker or p | 1,918 | 4.2% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 1,765 | 3.8% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 1,633 | 3.6% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1,128 | 2.5% |
| SQ3 Child of SQ1 | 805 | 1.8% |
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 2022?
747,686 nonimmigrant visas and 45,945 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in December 2022?
Mexico City (42,568), Bogota (40,628), Monterrey (40,240), Guadalajara (30,004) and Mumbai (26,012).
Which posts changed most in December 2022?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Abuja (+225%), Lagos (+86%) and Nuevo Laredo (+70%) and the largest falls Guangzhou (-59%), Beijing (-55%) and Asuncion (-50%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for December 2022. 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 2022, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.