Sofia · Bulgaria · October 2023
Visas issued at Sofia 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.
Nonimmigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Oct 2023 | Share | Sep 2023 | Oct 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 1,074 | 87% | 921 | 1,141 |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 91 | 7.4% | 77 | 96 |
| NATO2 | Other representative of member state to NATO and immediate family; dependents of member of a force entering under the NATO agreements; members of such a force if issued visas | 10 | 0.8% | 7 | 3 |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 8 | 0.6% | 16 | 2 |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 7 | 0.6% | 3 | 2 |
| B1 | Temporary visitor for business | 5 | 0.4% | 21 | 2 |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 5 | 0.4% | 11 | 4 |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 5 | 0.4% | 5 | 2 |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 4 | 0.3% | 5 | 1 |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 4 | 0.3% | 1 | 3 |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 4 | 0.3% | 2 | 1 |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 3 | 0.2% | 4 | 8 |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 3 | 0.2% | 4 | 5 |
| O2 | Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O-1 | 3 | 0.2% | 1 | 2 |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 2 | 0.2% | 0 | 1 |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 2 | 0.2% | 3 | 4 |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 2 | 0.2% | 2 | 2 |
| B2 | Temporary visitor for pleasure | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 1 | 0.1% | 1 | 0 |
| TD | Spouse or child of TN | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 0 |
Immigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Oct 2023 | Share | Sep 2023 | Oct 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 15 | 44.1% | 8 | 9 |
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 5 | 14.7% | 3 | 2 |
| IH3 | Child adopted abroad by U.S. citizen under Hague Convention | 4 | 11.8% | 7 | 6 |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 3 | 8.8% | 3 | 1 |
| CR2 | Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 2 | 5.9% | 0 | 0 |
| SB1 | Returning resident | 2 | 5.9% | 0 | 1 |
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 1 | 2.9% | 1 | 3 |
| FX | Family second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3) | 1 | 2.9% | 0 | 3 |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 1 | 2.9% | 0 | 0 |
Context
| October 2023 | Sofia | All posts |
|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas | 1,235 | 885,241 |
| Change on previous month | +9% | +4% |
| Change on same month a year earlier | -4% | +26% |
| Immigrant visas | 34 | 46,695 |
Nearest wait-time reading on or before the end of Oct 2023 (12 Oct 2023): B1/B2 next available 4 days; F, M, J 7 days; H, L, O, P, Q 14 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 · Dec 2023 · Nov 2023. Back to the Sofia page.
Questions and answers
How many visas did Sofia issue in October 2023?
1,235 nonimmigrant visas and 34 immigrant visas, per the State Department's monthly tables for October 2023. That was the 110th largest nonimmigrant count among 217 posts that month.
How did October 2023 compare with the month before and a year earlier at Sofia?
September 2023: 1,134 nonimmigrant visas (+9% to Oct 2023). October 2022: 1,288 (-4%).
Which classes made up the month?
B1/B2 1,074 (87%), C1/D 91 (7.4%), NATO2 10 (0.8%), A2 8 (0.6%), I 7 (0.6%).
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 October 2023, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.