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Visa issuances and wait times at the U.S. post in Seoul
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. On wait times the Department says: "New appointments are added regularly, so you may get an appointment sooner" and "The average wait times we report do not guarantee a visa applicant will get an appointment within a specific time."
The U.S. embassy or consulate in Seoul, South Korea, issued 4,351 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, the most recent month in the State Department's monthly tables, up 27% on September 2024 (3,420).
The largest classes that month were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 1,265, 29.1% of the post's issuances, E2 (treaty investor, spouse or child) with 478, 11% of the post's issuances and C1/D (combined transit and crewmember visa) with 364, 8.4% of the post's issuances. Among the 211 posts that issued B1/B2 visas in September 2025, Seoul ranks 68th by count; for F1 student visas it ranks 9th of 184.
On the immigrant side the post issued 321 immigrant visas in September 2025, led by I5 (94) and IR1 (59); 181 in September 2024.
The Department publishes annual totals separately, in its Report of the Visa Office; this site does not add monthly reports together, so the month-by-month table below is read one month at a time.
The Department's Global Visa Wait Times table read on 1 Jul 2026 listed the next available appointment as under ½ month for a visitor (B1/B2) interview, under ½ month for students and exchange visitors (F, M, J) and under ½ month for petition-based workers (H, L, O, P, Q). For visitor visas that is the same as the under ½ month listed about six months earlier (2 Dec 2025).
Appointment wait times
under 2 months2 to 6 monthsover 6 monthsnot listedRead from the Department's table 1 Jul 2026.
The Department publishes annual totals separately, in its Report of the Visa Office; monthly reports are not summed on this site.
Monthly issuances by broad class, last 36 months
VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classes
Groups follow the Department's visa symbols: visitors (B), students and exchange visitors (F, M, J), temporary workers (H, L, O, P, Q, E, R, TN, I), diplomatic and official (A, G, NATO), transit and crew (C, D), other. Hover a month for its counts. Each bar is one monthly report.
Compared with South Korea and the world, September 2025
| Sep 2025 | Seoul | South Korea | All posts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas issued | 4,351 | 4,351 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | +27% | — | -11% |
| Immigrant visas issued | 321 | 321 | 45,966 |
| Visitors share | 29.1% | — | 82.5% |
| Students and exchange visitors share | 17.8% | — | 2.9% |
| Temporary workers share | 37.1% | — | 9.4% |
| Diplomatic, official and international organisation share | 7.2% | — | 2.1% |
| Transit and crew share | 8.4% | — | 2.9% |
| Other nonimmigrant classes share | 0.4% | — | 0.2% |
| B1/B2 next appointment | under ½ month | — | median 1 month |
| F, M, J next appointment | under ½ month | — | median under ½ month |
All figures are from the September 2025 tables. The country column adds the posts located in South Korea within that one month; it is not the count for nationals of South Korea, which is on the South Korea nationality page.
Visa classes issued, September 2025
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share | Rank among posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 1,265 | 29.1% | 68 of 211 |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 478 | 11% | 4 of 68 |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 364 | 8.4% | 10 of 171 |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 340 | 7.8% | 7 of 194 |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 287 | 6.6% | 3 of 144 |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 279 | 6.4% | 6 of 169 |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 251 | 5.8% | 3 of 133 |
| P1 | Internationally recognized athlete or member of internationally recognized entertainment group | 236 | 5.4% | 1 of 110 |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 187 | 4.3% | 9 of 184 |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 169 | 3.9% | 2 of 124 |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 157 | 3.6% | 11 of 163 |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 69 | 1.6% | 3 of 104 |
| O2 | Person accompanying and assisting in the artistic or athletic performance by O-1 | 59 | 1.4% | 3 of 83 |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 49 | 1.1% | 13 of 137 |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 30 | 0.7% | 11 of 132 |
| I | Representative of foreign information media, spouse and children | 28 | 0.6% | 9 of 119 |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 17 | 0.4% | 23 of 96 |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 15 | 0.3% | 76 of 157 |
| O3 | Spouse or child of O-1 or O-2 | 13 | 0.3% | 7 of 84 |
| M1 | Vocational student and other nonacademic student | 10 | 0.2% | 15 of 91 |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 9 | 0.2% | 11 of 96 |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 8 | 0.2% | 34 of 137 |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 5 | 0.1% | 49 of 128 |
| CW1 | Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands transitional worker | 4 | 0.1% | 2 of 6 |
| CW2 | Spouse or child of CW-1 | 3 | 0.1% | 2 of 3 |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 3 | 0.1% | 27 of 57 |
| H2B | Temporary worker performing other services | 3 | 0.1% | 58 of 88 |
| R2 | Spouse or child of R1 | 3 | 0.1% | 20 of 42 |
| TD | Spouse or child of TN | 3 | 0.1% | 8 of 23 |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 2 | 0% | 50 of 87 |
| C3 | Foreign government official, immediate family, attendant, servant or personal employee, in transit | 2 | 0% | 39 of 49 |
| E1 | Treaty trader, spouse or child | 2 | 0% | 22 of 27 |
| E2C | Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands investor, spouse or child | 1 | 0% | 2 of 2 |
Immigrant visa classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Issued | Share | Rank among posts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I5 | Investor pilot program (regional center) in targeted area, spouse and child (I51-I53) | 94 | 29.3% | 2 of 18 |
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 59 | 18.4% | 31 of 115 |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 49 | 15.3% | 5 of 99 |
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 44 | 13.7% | 39 of 109 |
| F3 | Family third preference: married son or daughter of U.S. citizen, spouse and child (F31, F32, F33, C31-C33, B31-B33) | 22 | 6.9% | 20 of 65 |
| F2A | Family second preference (2A): spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (F21, F22, F23, C21-C23, B21-B23) | 11 | 3.4% | 23 of 73 |
| E3 | Employment third preference: skilled worker or professional holding baccalaureate degree, spouse and child (E31, E32, E34, E35) | 9 | 2.8% | 7 of 35 |
| F4 | Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, spouse and child (F41, F42, F43) | 9 | 2.8% | 41 of 73 |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 6 | 1.9% | 34 of 82 |
| F2B | Family second preference (2B): unmarried son or daughter of lawful permanent resident, and child (F24, F25, C24, C25, B24, B25) | 6 | 1.9% | 24 of 58 |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 4 | 1.2% | 75 of 103 |
| RU3 | Child of RU1 | 2 | 0.6% | 1 of 1 |
| CR2 | Child of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 1 | 0.3% | 37 of 39 |
| FX | Family second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3) | 1 | 0.3% | 84 of 84 |
| IR3 | Orphan adopted abroad by U.S. citizen | 1 | 0.3% | 8 of 8 |
| RH1 | Employment creation (EB-5) reserved visa, high unemployment area, regional center, principal | 1 | 0.3% | 1 of 1 |
| RU1 | Employment creation (EB-5) reserved visa, high unemployment area, principal | 1 | 0.3% | 1 of 1 |
| RU2 | Spouse of RU1 | 1 | 0.3% | 1 of 1 |
Ranks are among posts in the same month's table. Earlier months are linked from the month-by-month table below.
Seasonality
Wait-time history
Visitor B1/B2Student F, M, JWorker H, L, O, P, Q
Month by month
| Month | Nonimmigrant | Immigrant | vs same month prior year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 2025 | 4,351 | 321 | +27% |
| Aug 2025 | 6,114 | 461 | +18% |
| Jul 2025 | 8,318 | 385 | -20% |
| Jun 2025 | 6,402 | 374 | -16% |
| May 2025 | 6,258 | 423 | -28% |
| Apr 2025 | 5,380 | 402 | -21% |
| Mar 2025 | 4,088 | 347 | -9% |
| Feb 2025 | 3,889 | 318 | -10% |
| Jan 2025 | 3,972 | 291 | -29% |
| Dec 2024 | 6,270 | 378 | -15% |
| Nov 2024 | 4,670 | 374 | +1% |
| Oct 2024 | 4,578 | 537 | +1% |
| Sep 2024 | 3,420 | 181 | -10% |
| Aug 2024 | 5,185 | 360 | -10% |
| Jul 2024 | 10,391 | 143 | +14% |
| Jun 2024 | 7,645 | 650 | -16% |
| May 2024 | 8,703 | 596 | +20% |
| Apr 2024 | 6,838 | 564 | +25% |
| Mar 2024 | 4,503 | 555 | -9% |
| Feb 2024 | 4,316 | 430 | -14% |
| Jan 2024 | 5,600 | 673 | +20% |
| Dec 2023 | 7,409 | 371 | +12% |
| Nov 2023 | 4,645 | 646 | -7% |
| Oct 2023 | 4,540 | 517 | -3% |
One row per monthly report; the rows are not added together. Each month links to the post's class breakdown for that month. Global totals for any month: September 2025.
Questions and answers
How many visas did the U.S. post in Seoul issue last month?
4,351 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, the latest month in the State Department's monthly issuance tables, and 321 immigrant visas. In September 2024 the post issued 3,420 nonimmigrant visas.
What is the wait for a visitor visa interview in Seoul?
The Department's Global Visa Wait Times table, read on 1 Jul 2026, listed the next available B1/B2 interview appointment as under ½ month away (under 2 months). The Department updates the table monthly and says new appointments are added regularly, so an applicant may get an appointment sooner.
What is the wait for a student visa interview in Seoul?
The next available F, M or J appointment was listed as under ½ month away on 1 Jul 2026. Student appointments are scheduled separately from visitor appointments at most posts.
Which visa classes does Seoul issue most?
In September 2025: B1/B2 (1,265, 29.1%), E2 (478, 11%), C1/D (364, 8.4%), J1 (340, 7.8%) and L1 (287, 6.6%). 33 nonimmigrant classes appear in the post's table for the month.
Is visa volume at Seoul rising or falling?
September 2025: 4,351 nonimmigrant visas, up 27% on September 2024 (3,420). The month-by-month series on this page shows the path one month at a time; the Department notes that monthly reports are preliminary and subject to change and should not be added together.
How many visas does Seoul issue in a year?
The Department publishes annual totals separately, in its Report of the Visa Office, and says its monthly reports should not be aggregated, so this site shows no yearly figure for a post. The annual tables by nationality are on the nationality pages.
What does the issuance count for Seoul not tell you?
It is the number of visas issued, not the number of applications received or interviews held, and it says nothing about the outcome of any individual application. The Department publishes refusal rates only for B visas by nationality, not by post.
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs publishes monthly nonimmigrant and immigrant visa issuance tables by post and visa class, and a Global Visa Wait Times table. Issuances on this page run March 2017 to September 2025; wait times are read from the Department's table and kept as dated snapshots (44 readings for this post).
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 (latest NIV table, latest IV table), public domain; Global Visa Wait Times table, read on the dates shown. Issuance data through 30 Sep 2025; site generated 30 Sep 2026. Errors in processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections.