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  1. US Visa Statistics
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Official US State Department data

US visa statistics for China

How many US visas nationals of China are issued, and for what, plus what the US consulates in China issue.

Data through February 2026

Visas issued to nationals of China, last 12 months

Mar 2025 – Feb 2026

1,020,2611,020,261

About flat, 1.9%vs 1,001,174 in the 12 months before

About the same as the previous 12 months (+1.9%). But the last 3 months ran 16% below the same months a year earlier.

Monthly average
85k
Busiest month
109k
Mar 2025
Latest month
62k
Feb 2026Down 30%

Prev 12 moPrevious 12 months · 1M

Last 12 moLast 12 months · 1.02M

025k50k75k100k125k
Mar '24Apr '24May '24Jun '24Jul '24Aug '24Sep '24Oct '24Nov '24Dec '24Jan '25Feb '25Mar '25Apr '25May '25Jun '25Jul '25Aug '25Sep '25Oct '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26

What the visas are for

Visas issued to nationals of China by visa type. The last 12 months in orange, the 12 before in grey; each chart has its own scale.

  • B1/B2

    Business and tourist visitors

    Up 7.1%

    891k

    87% of the total, last 12 months

    891,230 visas in the last 12 months, 832,472 in the 12 months before

  • F-1

    Academic students

    Down 30%

    55k

    5.4% of the total, last 12 months

    55,295 visas in the last 12 months, 79,118 in the 12 months before

  • H-1B

    Specialty occupation workers

    Down 27%

    22k

    2.2% of the total, last 12 months

    22,324 visas in the last 12 months, 30,582 in the 12 months before

  • J-1

    Exchange visitors

    Down 16%

    12k

    1.2% of the total, last 12 months

    12,109 visas in the last 12 months, 14,462 in the 12 months before

  • C-1/D

    Airline and ship crews

    Down 11%

    10k

    1% of the total, last 12 months

    10,483 visas in the last 12 months, 11,820 in the 12 months before

  • L-1

    Intracompany transferees

    About flat, 2.6%

    6.5k

    0.6% of the total, last 12 months

    6,471 visas in the last 12 months, 6,306 in the 12 months before

Other visa types

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • L-20.5% of total

    Spouses and children of L-1 transferees

    4.7kDown 4.6%
    4,742 visas in the last 12 months, 4,973 in the 12 months before
  • H-40.4% of total

    Spouses and children of H workers

    3.9kDown 15%
    3,919 visas in the last 12 months, 4,600 in the 12 months before
  • B-10.3% of total

    Business visitors

    2.7kDown 13%
    2,682 visas in the last 12 months, 3,077 in the 12 months before
  • J-20.2% of total

    Spouses and children of J-1 visitors

    1.8kDown 34%
    1,830 visas in the last 12 months, 2,791 in the 12 months before
  • O-10.2% of total

    People with extraordinary ability

    1.7kAbout flat, 1.9%
    1,687 visas in the last 12 months, 1,720 in the 12 months before
  • P-30.1% of total

    Culturally unique artists and entertainers

    1.1kDown 19%
    1,074 visas in the last 12 months, 1,320 in the 12 months before

B1/B2 visas made up 87% of the visas issued to nationals of China in the last 12 months. F-1 fell 30% and H-1B fell 27% on the 12 months before.

US consulates in China

Every visa each consulate issued, to any nationality, in the last 12 months against the 12 months before.

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • Guangzhou29% of the country
    255kUp 25%
    254,757 visas in the last 12 months, 203,652 in the 12 months before
  • Beijing26% of the country
    230kDown 13%
    229,906 visas in the last 12 months, 264,636 in the 12 months before
  • Shanghai25% of the country
    221kDown 21%
    221,429 visas in the last 12 months, 278,561 in the 12 months before
  • Shenyang11% of the country
    97kUp 73%
    97,366 visas in the last 12 months, 56,317 in the 12 months before
  • Wuhan9.3% of the country
    83kUp 34%
    82,865 visas in the last 12 months, 62,027 in the 12 months before

Guangzhou issues the most: 29% of the total. Shenyang grew the most (+73%); Shanghai issued 21% fewer.

Together they issued 886,323 visas in the last 12 months. That differs from the total to nationals of China above, which also counts nationals who applied in other countries and leaves out other nationalities who applied here.

When visas are issued

Visas issued to nationals of China each month. Darker means more.

JJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNovDDec
2023
2024
2025
2026
Typical
6.8%
9.3%

Typical: each month's share of a year's visas, averaged over 2024–2025.

Busiest: March 2025: 109,135 visas

FewerMoreNo data

In 2024–2025, December was typically the busiest month and February the quietest.

Year by year

Calendar years, January to December.

  1. 2024

    943k

    Jan – Dec 2024

    First full year in this data
  2. 2025

    1.04M

    Jan – Dec 2025

    Up 11%vs 2024
  3. 2026So far

    146k

    Jan–Feb · 2 of 12 months

    Down 14%vs same months a year earlier

2025 had 1,044,147 visas (+11% on 2024). 2026 so far (Jan–Feb) is running 14% behind the same months of 2025.

Show the monthly numbers
Visas issued per month, to nationals of China
MonthVisas issuedA year earlierChange
February 202661,52587,724Down 30%
January 202684,92982,616About flat, 2.8%
December 202582,351100,692Down 18%
November 202574,53088,616Down 16%
October 202573,64779,195Down 7%
September 202592,09871,105Up 30%
August 202582,65286,799Down 4.8%
July 202583,08791,769Down 9.5%
June 202577,21182,181Down 6%
May 202594,32289,145Up 5.8%
April 2025104,77474,097Up 41%
March 2025109,13567,235Up 62%
February 202587,72448,543Up 81%
January 202582,61663,153Up 31%
December 2024100,69246,393Up 117%
November 202488,61655,111Up 61%
October 202479,19543,776Up 81%
September 202471,10538,372Up 85%
August 202486,79948,458Up 79%
July 202491,76945,895Up 100%
June 202482,18154,846Up 50%
May 202489,14550,331Up 77%
April 202474,09746,331Up 60%
March 202467,23546,906Up 43%

Look up a visa type for China

Monthly trend, each consulate's numbers, the busiest months and the long view.

  • H-1B
  • H-4
  • F-1
  • F-2
  • B1/B2
  • J-1
  • J-2
  • L-1
  • L-2
  • M-1

About these numbers

Visas issued, not appointments
Every number here is a visa the US State Department issued. It shows demand and how much the consulates process, not how many interview slots are open.
By nationality or by consulate
“Issued to nationals of India” counts Indian citizens wherever they applied. “Issued in India” counts what the US consulates in India issued, to anyone. The two differ, so each number says which one it is.
Last 12 months
The 12 months up to the latest month State Dept has published, compared with the 12 months before. Monthly reports arrive a few months late. Calendar years run January to December.

Source: US Department of State.Monthly nonimmigrant visa issuancesNonimmigrant visa statisticsFY2019 reporting methodologyCheck Visa Slots isn't affiliated with the US government.