Months › October 2023
October 2023 · all posts · fiscal year 2024
U.S. visa issuances in October 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 885,241 nonimmigrant visas in October 2023, about the same as the 849,400 of the previous month and +26% against the same month a year earlier (704,734).
46,695 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 44,750 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Monterrey (59,716), Sao Paulo (59,356) and Mexico City (50,084); 217 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 62%, BBBCC at 18.9% and C1/D at 3.7% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
← September 2023November 2023 →
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Oct 2023
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Oct 2023
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monterrey | Mexico | 59,716 | 0 | +24% | +31% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 59,356 | 0 | +29% | +204% |
| Mexico City | Mexico | 50,084 | 0 | -7% | +23% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 40,005 | 1,163 | -4% | +50% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 33,838 | 0 | -12% | +54% |
| Mumbai | India | 28,242 | 2,126 | +8% | +48% |
| Chennai | India | 27,162 | 0 | +5% | +44% |
| Manila | Philippines | 25,783 | 2,562 | +18% | +49% |
| New Delhi | India | 22,988 | 17 | +5% | +40% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 21,137 | 83 | 0% | -18% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 17,096 | 5,951 | +3% | +10% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 16,636 | 438 | -2% | -8% |
| Hyderabad | India | 15,311 | 0 | -5% | +72% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 15,017 | 0 | -9% | +58% |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 13,804 | 0 | -9% | +22% |
| Lima | Peru | 13,237 | 435 | -1% | +84% |
| Shanghai | China | 12,191 | 0 | +68% | +345% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 11,818 | 647 | +13% | +21% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 11,301 | 4,718 | +16% | +51% |
| London | United Kingdom | 11,218 | 382 | +1% | -17% |
| Porto Alegre | Brazil | 11,147 | 0 | +23% | +60% |
| Beijing | China | 10,906 | 0 | +5% | +553% |
| Hermosillo | Mexico | 10,364 | 0 | +16% | +23% |
| Quito | Ecuador | 8,800 | 0 | -6% | -35% |
| Kingston | Jamaica | 8,405 | 963 | +29% | +29% |
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 | Sep 2023 | Oct 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karachi | 3,377 | 6,109 | +81% |
| Nogales | 1,916 | 3,335 | +74% |
| Riyadh | 2,627 | 4,478 | +70% |
| Shanghai | 7,243 | 12,191 | +68% |
| Port Louis | 205 | 340 | +66% |
| Dakar | 377 | 600 | +59% |
| Addis Ababa | 1,735 | 2,649 | +53% |
| Ottawa | 2,147 | 3,277 | +53% |
Visa classes in Oct 2023
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 548,536 | 62% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 166,956 | 18.9% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 32,324 | 3.7% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 16,388 | 1.9% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 16,357 | 1.8% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 15,581 | 1.8% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 13,255 | 1.5% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 9,122 | 1% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 8,666 | 1% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 8,643 | 1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 5,270 | 0.6% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5,044 | 0.6% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 4,113 | 0.5% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 3,771 | 0.4% |
| K1 Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 3,523 | 0.4% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 11,839 | 25.4% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 7,471 | 16% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 4,757 | 10.2% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 3,340 | 7.2% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 2,581 | 5.5% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 2,141 | 4.6% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2,139 | 4.6% |
| DV Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 1,868 | 4% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 1,841 | 3.9% |
| I5 Investor pilot program (regional center) in targ | 1,337 | 2.9% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 1,295 | 2.8% |
| SQ3 Child of SQ1 | 1,201 | 2.6% |
Oct in other years
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 2018 | 699,265 | 41,692 |
| Oct 2019 | 710,468 | 39,966 |
| Oct 2020 | 124,078 | 8,687 |
| Oct 2021 | 296,442 | 36,245 |
| Oct 2022 | 704,734 | 44,750 |
| Oct 2023 | 885,241 | 46,695 |
| Oct 2024 | 977,715 | 62,832 |
Questions and answers
How many U.S. visas were issued in October 2023?
885,241 nonimmigrant visas and 46,695 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in October 2023?
Monterrey (59,716), Sao Paulo (59,356), Mexico City (50,084), Bogota (40,005) and Guadalajara (33,838).
Which posts changed most in October 2023?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Karachi (+81%), Nogales (+74%) and Riyadh (+70%) and the largest falls Tel Aviv (-70%), Jerusalem (-55%) and Beirut (-45%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for October 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 October 2023, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.