Visa classes › Students and exchange visitors (F, M, J) › F1
F1 · nonimmigrant visa · Students and exchange visitors
F1: Student in an academic or language training program
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.
F1 is the State Department's symbol for "Student in an academic or language training program". 7,536 F1 nonimmigrant visas were issued worldwide in September 2025, down 18% on September 2024 (9,151), 0.9% of the month's nonimmigrant issuances and the 9th largest class of 70.
For the full fiscal year the Department's Report of the Visa Office lists 400,737 F1 visas in FY2024, 3.7% of all nonimmigrant visas issued that year and the 3rd largest class of 76. The previous year's figure was 445,418 (FY2023).
184 posts issued at least one F1 visa in September 2025. The largest were Beijing (489, 6.5%), Paris (388, 5.1%) and Tokyo (364, 4.8%).
By nationality, the largest groups that month were China - mainland (1,418), India (706) and Japan (415).
Issuances by month
Compared with its group and all nonimmigrant classes
| Measure | F1 | Students and exchange visitors group | All nonimmigrant classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visas issued, FY2024, Report of the Visa Office | 400,737 | 786,615 | 10,969,936 |
| Visas issued, Sep 2025 | 7,536 | 24,110 | 823,557 |
| Change on Sep 2024 | -18% | — | -11% |
| Share of nonimmigrant issuances, Sep 2025 | 0.9% | 2.9% | 100% |
Posts issuing the most F1 visas, September 2025
184 posts issued at least one in the month. Shares of the month's F1 total: Beijing 6.5%, Paris 5.1%, Tokyo 4.8%, Shanghai 4.6%, Guangzhou 4.5%.
By nationality, September 2025
| Nationality | Issued, Sep 2025 | Share of F1 |
|---|---|---|
| China - mainland | 1,418 | 18.8% |
| India | 706 | 9.4% |
| Japan | 415 | 5.5% |
| France | 385 | 5.1% |
| Vietnam | 321 | 4.3% |
| Colombia | 237 | 3.1% |
| Brazil | 207 | 2.7% |
| Mexico | 195 | 2.6% |
| Korea, South | 190 | 2.5% |
| Thailand | 182 | 2.4% |
| Italy | 176 | 2.3% |
| Spain | 140 | 1.9% |
| Germany | 121 | 1.6% |
| Turkey | 110 | 1.5% |
| Pakistan | 109 | 1.4% |
| Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 104 | 1.4% |
| Peru | 101 | 1.3% |
| Nigeria | 94 | 1.2% |
| Kenya | 93 | 1.2% |
| Saudi Arabia | 90 | 1.2% |
Fiscal years, Report of the Visa Office
| Fiscal year (Oct–Sep) | F1 issued | Change |
|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | 644,233 | — |
| FY2016 | 471,728 | -27% |
| FY2017 | 393,573 | -17% |
| FY2018 | 362,929 | -8% |
| FY2019 | 364,204 | 0% |
| FY2020 | 111,387 | -69% |
| FY2021 | 357,839 | +221% |
| FY2022 | 411,131 | +15% |
| FY2023 | 445,418 | +8% |
| FY2024 | 400,737 | -10% |
The Department's annual NIV detail table, worldwide total row for this symbol. No monthly reports are summed.
Other classes in the same group
- J1 Exchange visitor (13,392 in Sep 2025)
- J2 Spouse or child of exchange visitor (1,729 in Sep 2025)
- F2 Spouse or child of F1 (903 in Sep 2025)
- M1 Vocational student and other nonacademic student (544 in Sep 2025)
- M2 Spouse or child of vocational student (6 in Sep 2025)
Questions and answers
What is a F1 visa?
The State Department's symbol list describes F1 as "Student in an academic or language training program". It is a nonimmigrant (temporary) class.
How many F1 visas were issued last year?
400,737 in FY2024, Report of the Visa Office, the Department's final annual figure. In September 2025, the latest monthly report, 7,536 were issued.
How does September 2025 compare with a year earlier for F1?
7,536 issued, down 18% on September 2024 (9,151).
Which posts issue the most F1 visas?
In September 2025: Beijing (489), Paris (388), Tokyo (364), Shanghai (344) and Guangzhou (342), out of 184 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.