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  1. US Visa Statistics
  2. South Africa
  3. B1/B2

Official US State Department data

B1/B2 visa statistics for South Africa

How many B1/B2 visas nationals of South Africa are issued, and what each US consulate in South Africa issues, month by month.

Data through February 2026

B1/B2 visas issued to nationals of South Africa

Every B1/B2 visa issued to a national of South Africa, at any US consulate in the world.

Visas issued to nationals of South Africa, last 12 months

Mar 2025 – Feb 2026

29,67329,673

Down 33%vs 43,970 in the 12 months before

Down 33% on the previous 12 months.

Monthly average
2.5k
Busiest month
3.1k
Mar 2025
Latest month
1.9k
Feb 2026Down 43%

Prev 12 moPrevious 12 months · 44k

Last 12 moLast 12 months · 30k

02k4k6k8k
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

The long view

State Dept publishes its annual totals by US government fiscal year, which runs October to September.

Point at a year for its exact count.

020k40k60k80k
48k
45k
46k
Pre-COVID peak52k
47k
23k
981
25k
Highest52k
46k
34k
12k
'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26

Striped: the current year so far.

FY2015: 48,432 visas; FY2016: 45,240 visas; FY2017: 46,427 visas; FY2018: 51,964 visas; FY2019: 46,540 visas; FY2020: 22,616 visas; FY2021: 981 visas; FY2022: 25,475 visas; FY2023: 52,112 visas; FY2024: 45,638 visas; FY2025: 33,531 visas; FY2026: 11,719 visas so far.

FY2025 had 33,531 visas (−27% on FY2024). That's 35% below the pre-pandemic peak (FY2018). FY2026 so far (Oct–Feb) is running 25% behind the same months of FY2025.

Show the monthly numbers
Visas issued per month, to nationals of South Africa
MonthVisas issuedA year earlierChange
February 20261,8963,352Down 43%
January 20262,5423,504Down 27%
December 20252,0222,033About flat, 0.5%
November 20252,1382,836Down 25%
October 20253,1213,852Down 19%
September 20252,3593,665Down 36%
August 20252,1364,334Down 51%
July 20252,2725,038Down 55%
June 20252,1093,620Down 42%
May 20252,9893,788Down 21%
April 20252,9524,546Down 35%
March 20253,1373,402Down 7.8%
February 20253,352–
January 20253,504–
December 20242,033–
November 20242,836–
October 20243,852–
September 20243,665–
August 20244,334–
July 20245,038–
June 20243,620–
May 20243,788–
April 20244,546–
March 20243,402–

Source: US Department of State monthly reports of nonimmigrant visas issued by nationality, and its annual Report of the Visa Office for earlier years. Nationals of South Africa who interview at a US consulate in another country are counted here, so these totals run higher than the consulate figures for South Africa.

B1/B2 visas issued in South Africa

How many B1/B2 visas the US consulates in South Africa issue each month, whether that's rising or falling, and where it's moving.

Visas issued in South Africa, last 12 months

Mar 2025 – Feb 2026

28,44628,446

Down 37%vs 45,034 in the 12 months before

Down 37% on the previous 12 months.

Monthly average
2.4k
Busiest month
3.2k
Mar 2025
Latest month
1.7k
Feb 2026Down 52%

Prev 12 moPrevious 12 months · 45k

Last 12 moLast 12 months · 28k

02k4k6k8k
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

Where visas are issued

Each consulate's last 12 months, against the 12 months before.

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • Johannesburg49% of total
    14kDown 42%
    13,996 visas in the last 12 months, 24,248 in the 12 months before
  • Cape Town35% of total
    9.8kDown 34%
    9,836 visas in the last 12 months, 14,853 in the 12 months before
  • Durban16% of total
    4.6kDown 22%
    4,614 visas in the last 12 months, 5,933 in the 12 months before

Johannesburg issues the most: 49% of the total. Johannesburg issued 42% fewer.

When visas are issued

Visas issued in South Africa each month. Darker means more.

JJanFFebMMarAAprMMayJJunJJulAAugSSepOOctNNovDDec
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Typical
9.3%
5.4%

Typical: each month's share of a year's visas, averaged over 2023–2025.

Busiest: July 2024: 5,221 visas

FewerMoreNo data

In 2023–2025, January was typically the busiest month and December the quietest.

Year by year

Calendar years, January to December.

  1. 2023

    48k

    Jan – Dec 2023

    First full year in this data
  2. 2024

    45k

    Jan – Dec 2024

    Down 6.4%vs 2023
  3. 2025

    31k

    Jan – Dec 2025

    Down 31%vs 2024
  4. 2026So far

    4k

    Jan–Feb · 2 of 12 months

    Down 43%vs same months a year earlier

2025 had 31,465 visas (−31% on 2024). 2026 so far (Jan–Feb) is running 43% behind the same months of 2025.

Show the monthly numbers
Visas issued per month, in South Africa
MonthVisas issuedA year earlierChange
February 20261,6733,452Down 52%
January 20262,3633,603Down 34%
December 20251,9852,123Down 6.5%
November 20252,0542,898Down 29%
October 20252,9774,074Down 27%
September 20252,1653,787Down 43%
August 20252,0304,557Down 55%
July 20252,1315,221Down 59%
June 20252,0253,676Down 45%
May 20252,9293,709Down 21%
April 20252,9364,638Down 37%
March 20253,1783,296Down 3.6%
February 20253,4523,627Down 4.8%
January 20253,6033,786Down 4.8%
December 20242,1232,506Down 15%
November 20242,8983,637Down 20%
October 20244,0743,782Up 7.7%
September 20243,7874,399Down 14%
August 20244,5575,103Down 11%
July 20245,2214,425Up 18%
June 20243,6764,099Down 10%
May 20243,7094,483Down 17%
April 20244,6383,950Up 17%
March 20243,2964,281Down 23%

Source: US Department of State monthly reports of nonimmigrant visas issued at each US consulate. These count visas issued, not interview appointments available.

B1/B2 approval rate: 72.2%Worldwide, FY2024. How it has moved since FY2019.All visa types for South AfricaEvery US visa issued to nationals of South Africa, by visa type, and each consulate's total.Worldwide statisticsWhich countries and visa types get the most US visas.