Posts › Cotonou › December 2023
Cotonou · Benin · December 2023
Visas issued at Cotonou in December 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.
Nonimmigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Dec 2023 | Share | Nov 2023 | Dec 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 74 | 62.7% | 132 | 102 |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 33 | 28% | 20 | 26 |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 4 | 3.4% | 3 | 4 |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 1 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
| C2 | Alien in transit to United Nations Headquarters district | 1 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
| D | Crewmember (sea or air) | 1 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 1 | 0.8% | 1 | 2 |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 1 | 0.8% | 2 | 1 |
| K2 | Child of K-1 | 1 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 1 | 0.8% | 0 | 0 |
Immigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Dec 2023 | Share | Nov 2023 | Dec 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 20 | 42.6% | 28 | 5 |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 10 | 21.3% | 10 | 8 |
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 7 | 14.9% | 7 | 7 |
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 6 | 12.8% | 4 | 4 |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 2.1% | 2 | 1 |
| CR2 | Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 2.1% | 0 | 0 |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 1 | 2.1% | 1 | 1 |
| FX | Family second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3) | 1 | 2.1% | 0 | 2 |
Context
| December 2023 | Cotonou | All posts |
|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas | 118 | 755,973 |
| Change on previous month | -29% | -7% |
| Change on same month a year earlier | -17% | +1% |
| Immigrant visas | 47 | 46,279 |
Nearest wait-time reading on or before the end of Dec 2023 (17 Dec 2023): B1/B2 next available 269 days; F, M, J 269 days; H, L, O, P, Q 269 days.
Other months at this post: Sep 2025 · Aug 2025 · Jul 2025 · Jun 2025 · May 2025 · Apr 2025 · Mar 2025 · Feb 2025 · Jan 2025 · Dec 2024 · Nov 2024 · Oct 2024 · Sep 2024 · Aug 2024 · Jul 2024 · Jun 2024 · May 2024 · Apr 2024 · Mar 2024 · Feb 2024 · Jan 2024 · Nov 2023 · Oct 2023. Back to the Cotonou page.
Questions and answers
How many visas did Cotonou issue in December 2023?
118 nonimmigrant visas and 47 immigrant visas, per the State Department's monthly tables for December 2023. That was the 188th largest nonimmigrant count among 217 posts that month.
How did December 2023 compare with the month before and a year earlier at Cotonou?
November 2023: 166 nonimmigrant visas (-29% to Dec 2023). December 2022: 142 (-17%).
Which classes made up the month?
B1/B2 74 (62.7%), F1 33 (28%), A2 4 (3.4%), C1 1 (0.8%), C2 1 (0.8%).
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, Monthly Nonimmigrant Visa Issuances by Post and Visa Class and Monthly Immigrant Visa Issuances by Post and Visa Class for December 2023, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.