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  1. US Visa Statistics
  2. South Korea

Official US State Department data

US visa statistics for South Korea

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

Data through February 2026

Visas issued to nationals of South Korea, last 12 months

Mar 2025 – Feb 2026

71,51571,515

About flat, 0.9%vs 72,157 in the 12 months before

About the same as the previous 12 months (−0.9%). But the last 3 months ran 31% above the same months a year earlier.

Monthly average
6k
Busiest month
8.4k
Jul 2025
Latest month
6k
Feb 2026Up 52%

Prev 12 moPrevious 12 months · 72k

Last 12 moLast 12 months · 72k

02.5k5k7.5k10k13k
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 South Korea 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

    Down 5.7%

    14k

    19% of the total, last 12 months

    13,714 visas in the last 12 months, 14,545 in the 12 months before

  • F-1

    Academic students

    Down 19%

    11k

    16% of the total, last 12 months

    11,491 visas in the last 12 months, 14,265 in the 12 months before

  • J-1

    Exchange visitors

    Down 17%

    7.3k

    10% of the total, last 12 months

    7,334 visas in the last 12 months, 8,871 in the 12 months before

  • E-2

    Treaty investors

    Up 9%

    6.3k

    8.8% of the total, last 12 months

    6,288 visas in the last 12 months, 5,767 in the 12 months before

  • C-1/D

    Airline and ship crews

    About flat, 1.1%

    5.6k

    7.8% of the total, last 12 months

    5,558 visas in the last 12 months, 5,621 in the 12 months before

  • L-1

    Intracompany transferees

    Up 45%

    4.1k

    5.7% of the total, last 12 months

    4,106 visas in the last 12 months, 2,830 in the 12 months before

Other visa types

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • L-25.5% of total

    Spouses and children of L-1 transferees

    4kUp 20%
    3,960 visas in the last 12 months, 3,306 in the 12 months before
  • B-15.1% of total

    Business visitors

    3.7kUp 22750%
    3,656 visas in the last 12 months, 16 in the 12 months before
  • A-24.4% of total

    Foreign government officials

    3.1kDown 8.2%
    3,119 visas in the last 12 months, 3,398 in the 12 months before
  • J-24% of total

    Spouses and children of J-1 visitors

    2.9kDown 15%
    2,894 visas in the last 12 months, 3,424 in the 12 months before
  • H-1B2.8% of total

    Specialty occupation workers

    2kDown 18%
    2,006 visas in the last 12 months, 2,459 in the 12 months before
  • P-12% of total

    Athletes and entertainment groups

    1.5kUp 26%
    1,462 visas in the last 12 months, 1,163 in the 12 months before

B1/B2 visas made up 19% of the visas issued to nationals of South Korea in the last 12 months. F-1 fell 19% and J-1 fell 17% on the 12 months before.

US consulates in South Korea

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

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • Seoul100% of the country
    70kAbout flat, 0.6%
    70,453 visas in the last 12 months, 70,064 in the 12 months before

Together they issued 70,453 visas in the last 12 months. That differs from the total to nationals of South Korea 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 South Korea each month. Darker means more.

JJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNovDDec
2023
2024
2025
2026
Typical
14%
5.7%

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

Busiest: July 2024: 10,819 visas

FewerMoreNo data

In 2024–2025, July was typically the busiest month and September the quietest.

Year by year

Calendar years, January to December.

  1. 2024

    74k

    Jan – Dec 2024

    First full year in this data
  2. 2025

    68k

    Jan – Dec 2025

    Down 8.5%vs 2024
  3. 2026So far

    12k

    Jan–Feb · 2 of 12 months

    Up 47%vs same months a year earlier

2025 had 67,726 visas (−8.5% on 2024). 2026 so far (Jan–Feb) is running 47% ahead of the same months of 2025.

Show the monthly numbers
Visas issued per month, to nationals of South Korea
MonthVisas issuedA year earlierChange
February 20265,9973,949Up 52%
January 20265,8504,109Up 42%
December 20256,8066,223Up 9.4%
November 20256,6714,926Up 35%
October 20254,3914,748Down 7.5%
September 20254,4053,559Up 24%
August 20256,2525,325Up 17%
July 20258,42210,819Down 22%
June 20256,4478,153Down 21%
May 20256,5138,919Down 27%
April 20255,5476,872Down 19%
March 20254,2144,555Down 7.5%
February 20253,9494,339Down 9%
January 20254,1095,577Down 26%
December 20246,2237,501Down 17%
November 20244,9264,733Up 4.1%
October 20244,7484,507Up 5.3%
September 20243,5593,768Down 5.5%
August 20245,3255,730Down 7.1%
July 202410,8199,061Up 19%
June 20248,1539,202Down 11%
May 20248,9197,167Up 24%
April 20246,8725,319Up 29%
March 20244,5554,695About flat, 3%

Look up a visa type for South Korea

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.