Visa classes › Visitors (B) › B2
B2 · nonimmigrant visa · Visitors
B2: Temporary visitor for pleasure
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.
B2 is the State Department's symbol for "Temporary visitor for pleasure". 265 B2 nonimmigrant visas were issued worldwide in September 2025, down 75% on September 2024 (1,050), 0% of the month's nonimmigrant issuances and the 39th largest class of 70.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 12,072 B2 visas in FY2024, 0.1% of all nonimmigrant visas issued that year and the 27th largest class of 76. The previous year's figure was 8,085 (FY2023).
50 posts issued at least one B2 visa in September 2025. The largest were Bangkok (45, 17%), Buenos Aires (45, 17%) and Nassau (44, 16.6%).
By nationality, the largest groups that month were Thailand (45), Argentina (43) and China - mainland (43).
Issuances by month
Compared with its group and all nonimmigrant classes
| Measure | B2 | Visitors group | All nonimmigrant classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visas issued, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 12,072 | 8,453,374 | 10,969,936 |
| Visas issued, Sep 2025 | 265 | 679,462 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | -75% | — | -11% |
| Share of nonimmigrant issuances, Sep 2025 | 0% | 82.5% | 100% |
Posts issuing the most B2 visas, September 2025
50 posts issued at least one in the month. Shares of the month's B2 total: Bangkok 17%, Buenos Aires 17%, Nassau 16.6%, Guangzhou 5.3%, Helsinki 3.8%.
By nationality, September 2025
| Nationality | Issued, Sep 2025 | Share of B2 |
|---|---|---|
| Thailand | 45 | 17% |
| Argentina | 43 | 16.2% |
| China - mainland | 43 | 16.2% |
| Bahamas, The | 38 | 14.3% |
| Brazil | 9 | 3.4% |
| Finland | 9 | 3.4% |
| India | 7 | 2.6% |
| Jamaica | 7 | 2.6% |
| Philippines | 7 | 2.6% |
| South Africa | 6 | 2.3% |
| Guyana | 4 | 1.5% |
| Ireland | 4 | 1.5% |
| Russia | 4 | 1.5% |
| Ecuador | 3 | 1.1% |
| Germany | 3 | 1.1% |
| Mexico | 3 | 1.1% |
| Turkey | 3 | 1.1% |
| Belarus | 2 | 0.8% |
| Ghana | 2 | 0.8% |
| Pakistan | 2 | 0.8% |
Fiscal years, Report of the Visa Office
| Fiscal year (Oct–Sep) | B2 issued | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | 63,387 | — |
| FY2016 | 43,564 | -31% |
| FY2017 | 42,037 | -4% |
| FY2018 | 32,428 | -23% |
| FY2019 | 28,829 | -11% |
| FY2020 | 5,276 | -82% |
| FY2021 | 2,492 | -53% |
| FY2022 | 5,905 | +137% |
| FY2023 | 8,085 | +37% |
| FY2024 | 12,072 | +49% |
The Department's annual NIV detail table, worldwide total row for this symbol. No monthly reports are summed.
Other classes in the same group
- B1/B2 Temporary visitor for business and pleasure (525,902 in Sep 2025)
- BBBCC Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (149,591 in Sep 2025)
- B1 Temporary visitor for business (2,095 in Sep 2025)
- BBBCV Combination B-1/B-2 and Border Crossing Card (Lincoln Foil) (1,609 in Sep 2025)
Questions and answers
What is a B2 visa?
The State Department's symbol list describes B2 as "Temporary visitor for pleasure". It is a nonimmigrant (temporary) class.
How many B2 visas were issued last year?
12,072 in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 265 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for B2?
265 issued, down 75% on September 2024 (1,050).
Which posts issue the most B2 visas?
In September 2025: Bangkok (45), Buenos Aires (45), Nassau (44), Guangzhou (14) and Helsinki (10), out of 50 posts that issued any.
Where does this data come from?
The State Department's monthly nonimmigrant visa issuance tables by post and by nationality, March 2017 to September 2025, and the Report of the Visa Office annual NIV detail tables. Class descriptions are the Department's own.
Provenance
Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, monthly nonimmigrant visa issuance tables by post and by nationality, Mar 2017 to Sep 2025, and the Report of the Visa Office NIV detail tables, public domain. The class description is quoted from the Department's Nonimmigrant Visa Symbols list. Data through 30 Sep 2025. See corrections.