Months › December 2024
December 2024 · all posts · fiscal year 2025
U.S. visa issuances in December 2024
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 884,739 nonimmigrant visas in December 2024, about the same as the 811,088 of the previous month and +17% against the same month a year earlier (755,973).
50,944 immigrant visas were issued in the month, against 46,279 a year earlier.
The largest posts were Mexico City (54,521), Monterrey (48,846) and Bogota (39,760); 216 posts appear in the month's tables.
B1/B2 at 60.2%, BBBCC at 19.1% and H1B at 3.8% made up the largest shares of the month's nonimmigrant issuances.
Worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, 24 months to Dec 2024
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Largest posts in Dec 2024
| Post | Country | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs prior month | vs year earlier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mexico City | Mexico | 54,521 | 1 | +37% | +15% |
| Monterrey | Mexico | 48,846 | 0 | -19% | +16% |
| Bogota | Colombia | 39,760 | 829 | +1% | +29% |
| Sao Paulo | Brazil | 36,029 | 0 | +5% | -18% |
| New Delhi | India | 33,653 | 49 | +52% | +93% |
| Guadalajara | Mexico | 32,493 | 0 | +6% | -12% |
| Shanghai | China | 31,371 | 0 | +33% | +184% |
| Chennai | India | 28,375 | 0 | +46% | +71% |
| Guangzhou | China | 25,304 | 2,965 | -2% | +255% |
| Hyderabad | India | 23,824 | 0 | +14% | +25% |
| Buenos Aires | Argentina | 23,056 | 47 | -4% | +3% |
| Beijing | China | 17,784 | 0 | -4% | +16% |
| Santo Domingo | Dominican Republic | 16,864 | 3,074 | +19% | +57% |
| Manila | Philippines | 16,397 | 2,368 | -3% | -1% |
| Ciudad Juarez | Mexico | 16,183 | 4,909 | +6% | +23% |
| Rio de Janeiro | Brazil | 14,235 | 192 | +51% | -2% |
| Tijuana | Mexico | 13,747 | 0 | -8% | +78% |
| Brasilia | Brazil | 13,687 | 0 | +27% | +4% |
| Mumbai | India | 12,839 | 2,218 | +5% | -46% |
| Lima | Peru | 11,572 | 481 | +39% | -5% |
| London | United Kingdom | 11,208 | 300 | -8% | +32% |
| Guayaquil | Ecuador | 10,810 | 789 | +44% | +20% |
| Porto Alegre | Brazil | 10,247 | 0 | +9% | -21% |
| Guatemala City | Guatemala | 9,869 | 683 | +8% | +25% |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Vietnam | 9,122 | 1,314 | +40% | +19% |
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 2024 | Dec 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baku | 418 | 1,121 | +168% |
| Merida | 1,710 | 3,222 | +88% |
| Florence | 284 | 513 | +81% |
| Islamabad | 2,653 | 4,489 | +69% |
| Wuhan | 4,695 | 7,801 | +66% |
| Yaounde | 312 | 519 | +66% |
| Nogales | 1,852 | 3,002 | +62% |
| New Delhi | 22,147 | 33,653 | +52% |
Largest falls
| Post | Nov 2024 | Dec 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manama | 674 | 459 | -32% |
| Ottawa | 3,362 | 2,284 | -32% |
| Abu Dhabi | 3,508 | 2,523 | -28% |
| Belmopan | 814 | 593 | -27% |
| Johannesburg | 2,204 | 1,619 | -27% |
| Asuncion | 1,527 | 1,142 | -25% |
| Kingston | 8,661 | 6,556 | -24% |
| Georgetown | 3,060 | 2,345 | -23% |
Visa classes in Dec 2024
Nonimmigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 532,187 | 60.2% |
| BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card | 169,228 | 19.1% |
| H1B Temporary worker of distinguished merit and abil | 33,213 | 3.8% |
| F1 Student in an academic or language training prog | 32,363 | 3.7% |
| C1/D Combined transit and crewmember visa | 22,218 | 2.5% |
| J1 Exchange visitor | 15,141 | 1.7% |
| H4 Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 11,919 | 1.3% |
| H2A Temporary worker performing agricultural service | 10,040 | 1.1% |
| L1 Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, | 7,102 | 0.8% |
| L2 Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 6,933 | 0.8% |
| A2 Other foreign government official or employee, o | 4,638 | 0.5% |
| E2 Treaty investor, spouse or child | 4,146 | 0.5% |
| H2B Temporary worker performing other services | 3,488 | 0.4% |
| BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Li | 2,838 | 0.3% |
| K1 Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 2,836 | 0.3% |
Immigrant
| Class | Issued | Share |
|---|---|---|
| IR5 Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 10,736 | 21.1% |
| IR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen | 8,067 | 15.8% |
| F4 Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U | 4,580 | 9% |
| IR2 Child of U.S. citizen | 4,484 | 8.8% |
| FX Family second preference, exempt from country li | 3,654 | 7.2% |
| DV Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 3,412 | 6.7% |
| SQ3 Child of SQ1 | 2,073 | 4.1% |
| F2A Family second preference (2A): spouse or child o | 1,914 | 3.8% |
| F3 Family third preference: married son or daughter | 1,585 | 3.1% |
| CR1 Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1,425 | 2.8% |
| F2B Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or | 1,408 | 2.8% |
| F1 Family first preference: unmarried son or daught | 1,309 | 2.6% |
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 2024?
884,739 nonimmigrant visas and 50,944 immigrant visas, according to the State Department's monthly tables, which the Department describes as preliminary.
Which posts issued the most visas in December 2024?
Mexico City (54,521), Monterrey (48,846), Bogota (39,760), Sao Paulo (36,029) and New Delhi (33,653).
Which posts changed most in December 2024?
Among posts with at least 200 issuances in both months, the largest rises on the previous month were Baku (+168%), Merida (+88%) and Florence (+81%) and the largest falls Manama (-32%), Ottawa (-32%) and Abu Dhabi (-28%).
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class for December 2024. 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 2024, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.