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Lusaka · Zambia

Visa issuances and wait times at the U.S. post in Lusaka

Monthly tables Mar 2017 to Sep 2025 · 170th of 217 posts by nonimmigrant issuances in Sep 2025 · wait times read 1 Jul 2026

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."

Lusaka, Zambia: 207 nonimmigrant visas issued in September 2025, down 53% on September 2024 (440).

The largest classes that month were B1/B2 (temporary visitor for business and pleasure) with 94, 45.4% of the post's issuances, G2 (other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family) with 41, 19.8% of the post's issuances and C1/D (combined transit and crewmember visa) with 24, 11.6% of the post's issuances. Among the 211 posts that issued B1/B2 visas in September 2025, Lusaka ranks 167th by count; for F1 student visas it ranks 105th of 184.

On the immigrant side the post issued 24 immigrant visas in September 2025, led by DV (15) and FX (3); 25 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 shorter than the 6 months listed about six months earlier (2 Dec 2025). The average wait actually experienced by B1/B2 applicants interviewed in the previous month was 4.5 months.

Appointment wait times

Visitor B1/B2under ½ monthnext available appointment; median post 1 month
Student F, M, Junder ½ monthnext available appointment; median post under ½ month
Worker H, L, O, P, Qunder ½ monthnext available appointment; median post under ½ month

under 2 months2 to 6 monthsover 6 monthsnot listedRead from the Department's table 1 Jul 2026.

B1/B2 applicants interviewed in the previous month had waited an average of 4.5 months from fee payment to interview, per the Department's table; it publishes this average only where the next appointment is more than three months away. Crew and transit (C, D, C1/D): under ½ month.

207nonimmigrant visas, Sep 2025-53% vs Sep 2024 (440)
151nonimmigrant visas, Aug 2025+37% month on month
24immigrant visas, Sep 202525 in Sep 2024
0.03%share of worldwide nonimmigrant issuances, Sep 2025median post: 909 that month

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

0496992VisitorsStudents and exchange visitorsTemporary workersDiplomatic, official and international organisationTransit and crewOther nonimmigrant classesOct 2022Apr 2023Oct 2023Apr 2024Oct 2024Apr 2025Oct 2022: 697 (Visitors 431, Students and exchange visitors 21, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 28, Transit and crew 212, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Nov 2022: 882 (Visitors 548, Students and exchange visitors 73, Temporary workers 8, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 46, Transit and crew 207, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Dec 2022: 622 (Visitors 369, Students and exchange visitors 86, Temporary workers 8, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 41, Transit and crew 118, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Jan 2023: 551 (Visitors 342, Students and exchange visitors 45, Temporary workers 7, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 45, Transit and crew 111, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Feb 2023: 684 (Visitors 477, Students and exchange visitors 48, Temporary workers 4, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 48, Transit and crew 104, Other nonimmigrant classes 3)Mar 2023: 693 (Visitors 515, Students and exchange visitors 35, Temporary workers 2, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 29, Transit and crew 110, Other nonimmigrant classes 2)Apr 2023: 992 (Visitors 764, Students and exchange visitors 49, Temporary workers 10, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 40, Transit and crew 125, Other nonimmigrant classes 4)May 2023: 848 (Visitors 566, Students and exchange visitors 97, Temporary workers 8, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 85, Transit and crew 91, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Jun 2023: 661 (Visitors 463, Students and exchange visitors 87, Temporary workers 7, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 29, Transit and crew 74, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Jul 2023: 690 (Visitors 413, Students and exchange visitors 151, Temporary workers 9, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 41, Transit and crew 76, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Aug 2023: 361 (Visitors 223, Students and exchange visitors 44, Temporary workers 8, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 49, Transit and crew 35, Other nonimmigrant classes 2)Sep 2023: 416 (Visitors 246, Students and exchange visitors 27, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 70, Transit and crew 64, Other nonimmigrant classes 4)Oct 2023: 301 (Visitors 224, Students and exchange visitors 17, Temporary workers 4, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 32, Transit and crew 24, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Nov 2023: 342 (Visitors 213, Students and exchange visitors 18, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 52, Transit and crew 51, Other nonimmigrant classes 3)Dec 2023: 211 (Visitors 101, Students and exchange visitors 65, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 15, Transit and crew 25, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Jan 2024: 292 (Visitors 186, Students and exchange visitors 59, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 24, Transit and crew 18, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Feb 2024: 342 (Visitors 246, Students and exchange visitors 22, Temporary workers 3, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 41, Transit and crew 29, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Mar 2024: 300 (Visitors 191, Students and exchange visitors 62, Temporary workers 2, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 24, Transit and crew 19, Other nonimmigrant classes 2)Apr 2024: 375 (Visitors 277, Students and exchange visitors 33, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 42, Transit and crew 18, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)May 2024: 392 (Visitors 265, Students and exchange visitors 81, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 30, Transit and crew 10, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Jun 2024: 328 (Visitors 200, Students and exchange visitors 81, Temporary workers 12, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 23, Transit and crew 11, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Jul 2024: 423 (Visitors 237, Students and exchange visitors 109, Temporary workers 7, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 58, Transit and crew 11, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Aug 2024: 246 (Visitors 125, Students and exchange visitors 71, Temporary workers 5, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 26, Transit and crew 18, Other nonimmigrant classes 1)Sep 2024: 440 (Visitors 229, Students and exchange visitors 30, Temporary workers 17, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 149, Transit and crew 15, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Oct 2024: 268 (Visitors 184, Students and exchange visitors 12, Temporary workers 1, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 38, Transit and crew 21, Other nonimmigrant classes 12)Nov 2024: 267 (Visitors 203, Students and exchange visitors 21, Temporary workers 1, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 27, Transit and crew 10, Other nonimmigrant classes 5)Dec 2024: 318 (Visitors 219, Students and exchange visitors 55, Temporary workers 7, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 15, Transit and crew 16, Other nonimmigrant classes 6)Jan 2025: 202 (Visitors 172, Students and exchange visitors 15, Temporary workers 3, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 8, Transit and crew 4, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Feb 2025: 318 (Visitors 264, Students and exchange visitors 22, Temporary workers 2, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 17, Transit and crew 13, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Mar 2025: 372 (Visitors 298, Students and exchange visitors 25, Temporary workers 4, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 30, Transit and crew 15, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Apr 2025: 424 (Visitors 320, Students and exchange visitors 35, Temporary workers 1, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 48, Transit and crew 20, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)May 2025: 350 (Visitors 245, Students and exchange visitors 74, Temporary workers 3, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 13, Transit and crew 15, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Jun 2025: 266 (Visitors 183, Students and exchange visitors 49, Temporary workers 3, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 12, Transit and crew 19, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)Jul 2025: 235 (Visitors 140, Students and exchange visitors 66, Temporary workers 1, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 17, Transit and crew 5, Other nonimmigrant classes 6)Aug 2025: 151 (Visitors 75, Students and exchange visitors 31, Temporary workers 4, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 35, Transit and crew 3, Other nonimmigrant classes 3)Sep 2025: 207 (Visitors 94, Students and exchange visitors 25, Temporary workers 2, Diplomatic, official and international organisation 57, Transit and crew 29, Other nonimmigrant classes 0)
Nonimmigrant visas issued at Lusaka by month, stacked by broad class group.

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 Zambia and the world, September 2025

Sep 2025LusakaZambiaAll posts
Nonimmigrant visas issued207207823,557
Change on Sep 2024-53%—-11%
Immigrant visas issued242445,966
Visitors share45.4%—82.5%
Students and exchange visitors share12.1%—2.9%
Temporary workers share1%—9.4%
Diplomatic, official and international organisation share27.5%—2.1%
Transit and crew share14%—2.9%
Other nonimmigrant classes share0%—0.2%
B1/B2 next appointmentunder ½ month—median 1 month
F, M, J next appointmentunder ½ month—median under ½ month

All figures are from the September 2025 tables. The country column adds the posts located in Zambia within that one month; it is not the count for nationals of Zambia, which is on the Zambia nationality page.

Visa classes issued, September 2025

ClassDescription (State Department)IssuedShareRank among posts
B1/B2Temporary visitor for business and pleasure9445.4%167 of 211
G2Other representative of recognized foreign member government to international organization, and immediate family4119.8%33 of 157
C1/DCombined transit and crewmember visa2411.6%96 of 171
A2Other foreign government official or employee, or immediate family125.8%90 of 169
F1Student in an academic or language training program125.8%105 of 184
J2Spouse or child of exchange visitor83.9%42 of 124
C1Alien in transit52.4%24 of 87
J1Exchange visitor52.4%151 of 194
G4International organization officer or employee, and immediate family41.9%64 of 137
H1BTemporary worker of distinguished merit and ability performing services other than as a registered nurse10.5%155 of 163
H4Spouse or child of H-1B/B1/C, H-2A/B, or H-310.5%128 of 137

Immigrant visa classes

ClassDescription (State Department)IssuedShareRank among posts
DVDiversity immigrant (DV1, DV2, DV3)1562.5%55 of 96
FXFamily second preference, exempt from country limitations: spouse or child of lawful permanent resident (FX1, FX2, FX3, CX1-CX3, BX1-BX3)312.5%49 of 84
IR1Spouse of U.S. citizen312.5%103 of 115
IR2Child of U.S. citizen28.3%92 of 103
F1Family first preference: unmarried son or daughter of U.S. citizen, and child (F11, F12, B11, B12)14.2%77 of 82

Ranks are among posts in the same month's table. Earlier months are linked from the month-by-month table below.

Seasonality

Jan90
Feb85
Mar105
Apr108
May121
Jun109
Jul128
Aug132
Sep110
Oct91
Nov83
Dec98
Which months are busiest at Lusaka. Index over 7 complete calendar years; 100 is an average month, darker is busier.

Wait-time history

0183365202220232024202520264 Nov 2022: B1/B2 9 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 91 Dec 2022: B1/B2 4 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 217 Jan 2023: B1/B2 24 days; F/M/J 9; H/L/O/P/Q 241 Feb 2023: B1/B2 10 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 106 Mar 2023: B1/B2 23 days; F/M/J 22; H/L/O/P/Q 2317 Apr 2023: B1/B2 24 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 249 Jun 2023: B1/B2 101 days; F/M/J 38; H/L/O/P/Q 10131 Jul 2023: B1/B2 79 days; F/M/J 44; H/L/O/P/Q 791 Aug 2023: B1/B2 79 days; F/M/J 44; H/L/O/P/Q 7920 Sep 2023: B1/B2 168 days; F/M/J 10; H/L/O/P/Q 16812 Oct 2023: B1/B2 170 days; F/M/J 27; H/L/O/P/Q 1705 Nov 2023: B1/B2 192 days; F/M/J 84; H/L/O/P/Q 19217 Dec 2023: B1/B2 304 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 3046 Jan 2024: B1/B2 139 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 1391 Feb 2024: B1/B2 135 days; F/M/J 24; H/L/O/P/Q 1356 Mar 2024: B1/B2 72 days; F/M/J 38; H/L/O/P/Q 729 Apr 2024: B1/B2 146 days; F/M/J 58; H/L/O/P/Q 1468 May 2024: B1/B2 245 days; F/M/J 35; H/L/O/P/Q 24517 Jun 2024: B1/B2 183 days; F/M/J 57; H/L/O/P/Q 1836 Jul 2024: B1/B2 213 days; F/M/J 47; H/L/O/P/Q 2137 Aug 2024: B1/B2 204 days; F/M/J 41; H/L/O/P/Q 20414 Sep 2024: B1/B2 198 days; F/M/J 2; H/L/O/P/Q 1982 Oct 2024: B1/B2 365 days; F/M/J 6; H/L/O/P/Q 36512 Nov 2024: B1/B2 363 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 3631 Dec 2024: B1/B2 42 days; F/M/J 20; H/L/O/P/Q 426 Jan 2025: B1/B2 220 days; F/M/J 52; H/L/O/P/Q 2207 Feb 2025: B1/B2 266 days; F/M/J 44; H/L/O/P/Q 2665 Mar 2025: B1/B2 266 days; F/M/J 44; H/L/O/P/Q 26616 Apr 2025: B1/B2 194 days; F/M/J 75; H/L/O/P/Q 981 May 2025: B1/B2 30 days; F/M/J 15; H/L/O/P/Q 304 Jun 2025: B1/B2 90 days; F/M/J 30; H/L/O/P/Q 902 Jul 2025: B1/B2 90 days; F/M/J 30; H/L/O/P/Q 903 Aug 2025: B1/B2 180 days; F/M/J 30; H/L/O/P/Q 1807 Sep 2025: B1/B2 30 days; F/M/J 30; H/L/O/P/Q 303 Oct 2025: B1/B2 300 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 3001 Nov 2025: B1/B2 7 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 3002 Dec 2025: B1/B2 180 days; F/M/J 30; H/L/O/P/Q 1806 Jan 2026: B1/B2 45 days; F/M/J 45; H/L/O/P/Q 458 Feb 2026: B1/B2 90 days; F/M/J 75; H/L/O/P/Q 907 Mar 2026: B1/B2 7 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 74 Apr 2026: B1/B2 7 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 714 May 2026: B1/B2 7 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 77 Jun 2026: B1/B2 45 days; F/M/J 75; H/L/O/P/Q 451 Jul 2026: B1/B2 7 days; F/M/J 7; H/L/O/P/Q 7

Visitor B1/B2Student F, M, JWorker H, L, O, P, Q

Next available appointment at Lusaka over time. Days to the next available appointment as listed on each reading date (44 readings, 4 Nov 2022 to 1 Jul 2026). From 1 May 2025 the Department publishes the estimate in half-month steps; those are shown as 30 days per month.

Month by month

MonthNonimmigrantImmigrantvs same month prior year
Sep 202520724-53%
Aug 202515140-39%
Jul 202523531-44%
Jun 202526639-19%
May 202535020-11%
Apr 202542421+13%
Mar 202537231+24%
Feb 202531829-7%
Jan 202520233-31%
Dec 202431819+51%
Nov 202426721-22%
Oct 20242686-11%
Sep 202444025+6%
Aug 202424615-32%
Jul 202442319-39%
Jun 202432812-50%
May 202439218-54%
Apr 202437520-62%
Mar 202430014-57%
Feb 20243427-50%
Jan 202429225-47%
Dec 202321111-66%
Nov 202334218-61%
Oct 202330116-57%

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.

Lusaka
Location of the U.S. post in Lusaka.This post Other posts in the country Outlines: Natural Earth.

Questions and answers

How many visas did the U.S. post in Lusaka issue last month?

207 nonimmigrant visas in September 2025, the latest month in the State Department's monthly issuance tables, and 24 immigrant visas. In September 2024 the post issued 440 nonimmigrant visas.

What is the wait for a visitor visa interview in Lusaka?

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 Lusaka?

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 Lusaka issue most?

In September 2025: B1/B2 (94, 45.4%), G2 (41, 19.8%), C1/D (24, 11.6%), A2 (12, 5.8%) and F1 (12, 5.8%). 11 nonimmigrant classes appear in the post's table for the month.

Is visa volume at Lusaka rising or falling?

September 2025: 207 nonimmigrant visas, down 53% on September 2024 (440). 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 Lusaka 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 Lusaka 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 1 Oct 2026. Errors in processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections.