Posts › Colombo › January 2024
Colombo · Sri Lanka · January 2024
Visas issued at Colombo in January 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.
Nonimmigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Jan 2024 | Share | Dec 2023 | Jan 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B1/B2 | Temporary visitor for business and pleasure | 636 | 72.3% | 579 | 591 |
| C1/D | Combined transit and crewmember visa | 70 | 8% | 70 | 61 |
| F1 | Student in an academic or language training program | 35 | 4% | 56 | 46 |
| H1B | Temporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse | 22 | 2.5% | 26 | 18 |
| A2 | Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family | 14 | 1.6% | 6 | 9 |
| C1 | Alien in transit | 13 | 1.5% | 7 | 37 |
| H4 | Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-3 | 13 | 1.5% | 6 | 8 |
| J1 | Exchange visitor | 13 | 1.5% | 4 | 12 |
| G4 | International organization officer or employee, and immediate family | 12 | 1.4% | 13 | 13 |
| G2 | Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family | 11 | 1.3% | 9 | 7 |
| J2 | Spouse or child of exchange visitor | 7 | 0.8% | 3 | 3 |
| L1 | Intracompany transferee (executive, managerial, and specialized personnel continuing employment with international firm or corporation) | 7 | 0.8% | 4 | 8 |
| P3 | Artist or entertainer in a culturally unique program | 7 | 0.8% | 7 | 0 |
| L2 | Spouse or child of intracompany transferee | 5 | 0.6% | 5 | 10 |
| R1 | Alien in a religious occupation | 4 | 0.5% | 4 | 1 |
| G1 | Principal resident representative of recognized foreign government to international organization, staff, or immediate family | 3 | 0.3% | 0 | 4 |
| F2 | Spouse or child of F1 | 2 | 0.2% | 10 | 3 |
| M1 | Vocational student and other nonacademic student | 2 | 0.2% | 4 | 0 |
| A1 | Ambassador, public minister, career diplomat or consular officer, or immediate family | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 5 |
| E2 | Treaty investor, spouse or child | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 3 |
| K1 | Fiance(e) of U.S. citizen | 1 | 0.1% | 3 | 0 |
| O1 | Person with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business or athletics | 1 | 0.1% | 0 | 3 |
Immigrant classes
| Class | Description (State Department) | Jan 2024 | Share | Dec 2023 | Jan 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DV | Diversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3) | 27 | 32.9% | 0 | 16 |
| IR5 | Parent of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age | 27 | 32.9% | 22 | 19 |
| CR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen (conditional status) | 11 | 13.4% | 14 | 5 |
| IR1 | Spouse of U.S. citizen | 9 | 11% | 6 | 2 |
| E2 | Employment second preference: professional holding advanced degree or alien of exceptional ability, spouse and child (E21-E23) | 3 | 3.7% | 1 | 0 |
| EW | Employment third preference, other worker (subgroup numerical limit), spouse and child (EW3, EW4, EW5) | 1 | 1.2% | 0 | 0 |
| F1 | Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12) | 1 | 1.2% | 1 | 2 |
| F4 | Family fourth preference: brother or sister of U.S. citizen at least 21 years of age, spouse and child (F41, F42, F43) | 1 | 1.2% | 9 | 4 |
| IR2 | Child of U.S. citizen | 1 | 1.2% | 1 | 0 |
| IW | Certain spouses of deceased U.S. citizens, and their children (IW1, IW2) | 1 | 1.2% | 0 | 0 |
Context
| January 2024 | Colombo | All posts |
|---|---|---|
| Nonimmigrant visas | 880 | 875,162 |
| Change on previous month | +8% | +16% |
| Change on same month a year earlier | +4% | +4% |
| Immigrant visas | 82 | 50,517 |
Nearest wait-time reading on or before the end of Jan 2024 (6 Jan 2024): B1/B2 next available 7 days; F, M, J 7 days; H, L, O, P, Q 6 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 · Dec 2023 · Nov 2023 · Oct 2023. Back to the Colombo page.
Questions and answers
How many visas did Colombo issue in January 2024?
880 nonimmigrant visas and 82 immigrant visas, per the State Department's monthly tables for January 2024. That was the 120th largest nonimmigrant count among 216 posts that month.
How did January 2024 compare with the month before and a year earlier at Colombo?
December 2023: 816 nonimmigrant visas (+8% to Jan 2024). January 2023: 849 (+4%).
Which classes made up the month?
B1/B2 636 (72.3%), C1/D 70 (8%), F1 35 (4%), H1B 22 (2.5%), A2 14 (1.6%).
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 January 2024, public domain. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.