Months › September 2023
September 2023 · all posts · fiscal year 2023
U.S. visa issuances in September 2023
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 849,400 nonimmigrant visas in September 2023, about the same as the 938,911 of the previous month and +18% against the same month a year earlier (718,175).
40,799 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 57,186 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (54,000), Monterrey (48,124) and Sao Paulo (46,004); 217 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 61.1%, BBBCC at 19.3% and C1/D at 3.6% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Sep 2023
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Sep 2023
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 54,000 | 3 | +14% | -5% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 48,124 | 0 | -8% | -7% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 46,004 | 0 | -23% | +125% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 41,770 | 879 | +2% | +97% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 38,574 | 0 | +15% | +20% |
| Mumbai | India | 26,094 | 2,772 | +25% | +32% |
| Chennai | India | 25,959 | 0 | +9% | +106% |
| Manila | Philippines | 21,921 | 2,050 | -3% | +36% |
| New Delhi | India | 21,827 | 22 | +13% | 0% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 21,122 | 88 | -26% | -22% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 17,034 | 558 | -28% | +8% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 16,527 | 5,631 | +4% | -7% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 16,435 | 0 | -4% | +43% |
| Hyderabad | India | 16,108 | 0 | +25% | +27% |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 15,210 | 0 | -18% | +55% |
| Lima | Peru | 13,333 | 378 | -1% | +161% |
| Tel Aviv | Israel | 11,532 | 0 | -26% | -10% |
| London | United Kingdom | 11,147 | 341 | -16% | -1% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 10,500 | 505 | -14% | +8% |
| Beijing | China | 10,343 | 0 | -37% | +232% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 9,782 | 4,500 | +3% | +24% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 9,325 | 0 | -26% | -31% |
| Porto Alegre | Brazil | 9,051 | 0 | -35% | +29% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 8,930 | 0 | +1% | +20% |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 7,390 | 399 | -18% | +25% |
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 | Aug 2023 | Sep 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harare | 502 | 860 | +71% |
| Ulaanbaatar | 772 | 1,267 | +64% |
| Kolkata | 2,228 | 3,429 | +54% |
| Manama | 420 | 637 | +52% |
| Merida | 2,787 | 3,874 | +39% |
| Windhoek | 220 | 288 | +31% |
| Naples | 345 | 437 | +27% |
| Praia | 270 | 342 | +27% |
Largest falls
| Post | Aug 2023 | Sep 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osaka/Kobe | 2,621 | 1,162 | -56% |
| Port Louis | 467 | 205 | -56% |
| Luanda | 692 | 338 | -51% |
| Halifax | 702 | 349 | -50% |
| Kampala | 971 | 524 | -46% |
| Phnom Penh | 1,455 | 801 | -45% |
| Addis Ababa | 2,998 | 1,735 | -42% |
| Florence | 456 | 264 | -42% |
Visa classes in Sep 2023
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 518,810 | 61.1% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 163,748 | 19.3% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 30,256 | 3.6% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 19,919 | 2.3% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 14,592 | 1.7% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 13,298 | 1.6% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 9,902 | 1.2% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 9,232 | 1.1% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 8,888 | 1% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 7,902 | 0.9% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,791 | 0.7% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,207 | 0.6% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 4,066 | 0.5% |
| G2 Other representative of recognized foreign membe | 3,854 | 0.5% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 3,190 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 9,789 | 24% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 6,497 | 15.9% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 4,710 | 11.5% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 3,528 | 8.6% |
| DV Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 2,502 | 6.1% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 2,476 | 6.1% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 2,418 | 5.9% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1,714 | 4.2% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 1,253 | 3.1% |
| E2 Employment second preference: professional holdi | 1,219 | 3% |
| EW Employment third preference, other worker (subgr | 1,175 | 2.9% |
| F2A Family second preference (2A): spouse or child o | 832 | 2% |
Sep in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 2019 | 646,938 | 39,473 |
| Sep 2020 | 111,034 | 14,894 |
| Sep 2021 | 290,312 | 47,454 |
| Sep 2022 | 718,175 | 57,186 |
| Sep 2023 | 849,400 | 40,799 |
| Sep 2024 | 925,157 | 57,983 |
| Sep 2025 | 823,557 | 45,966 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in September 2023?
849,400 nonimmigrant visas and 40,799 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in September 2023?
Mexico City (54,000), Monterrey (48,124), Sao Paulo (46,004), Bogota (41,770) and Guadalajara (38,574).
Which posts changed most in September 2023?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Harare (+71%), Ulaanbaatar (+64%) and Kolkata (+54%) and the largest falls Osaka/Kobe (-56%), Port Louis (-56%) and Luanda (-51%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for September 2023. 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 September 2023, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.