How Many O‑1 Visas Are Issued Per Year?

The most recent fiscal year with a published annual report is FY 2024, when the State Department issued 19,457 O-1 visas. FY 2025 has closed, but its annual Report of the Visa Office is not out yet; summing that year's monthly reports gives 20,015. The first five months of FY 2026, October 2025 through February 2026, list 7,971. USCIS approved 21,321 O-category petitions from October 2025 through June 2026, and 24.2% of the total petitions adjudicated received an RFE.

These statistics do not predict an individual case's success. An immigration attorney can help determine whether an applicant qualifies for an O-1A or O-1B.

How many O-1 visas are issued per year?

The last full-year figure published in the State Department's annual workload report is 19,457 O-1 visas for FY 2024. The available Fiscal Year 2026 monthly reports list 7,971 O-1 issuances from October 2025 through February 2026. The FY 2025 monthly sum of 20,015 is 5.4% higher than the final FY 2023 annual count of 18,994. However, because visa application statuses can change after monthly reports are published, this comparison does not confirm an increase in annual issuance.

These figures reflect O-1 visa stamps issued by U.S. consulates, not the total number of new O-1 petition approvals. They include first-time visas, renewals, and new visa stamps issued to those who already hold O-1 status and need to travel internationally. That means they cannot show how many O-1 holders now live in the United States.

Which countries receive the most O-1 visas?

So far, British, Chinese, and Indian nationals have received the most O-1 visa issuances in the data we have for Fiscal Year 2026. The figures below span consular visa stamp issuances between October 2025 and February 2026.

These rankings rarely fluctuate per month. The U.K. consistently takes the No. 1 spot for most O-1 visas issued, followed closely by India and China. Australia, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, and several Western European countries close out the remaining top 10 spots.

The throughline remains clear: Each of these countries has a foothold in the global arts, research, and sports industries. Examples of approved O-1 visa holders include high-profile figures such as pop stars and actors, along with thousands of lesser-known professionals whose work has demonstrated extraordinary impact in their fields.

O-1 consular visa issuance statistics

• December 2025 had the highest O-1 issuance total among the five available FY 2026 monthly reports. The State Department reported 1,948 O-1 issuances that month, followed by 1,796 in January 2026.
• Monthly O-1 issuances stayed above 1,200 in those five reports. Counts ranged from 1,266 in November 2025 to 1,948 in December 2025.
• FY 2025 monthly-report sum: The 12 monthly State Department reports add up to 20,015 O-1 issuance counts. This is an unofficial compilation, not a final annual total.
• FY 2024 visa applications: The State Department reported 19,457 O-1 issuances and 1,212 applications that remained refused at fiscal year-end, totaling 20,669 applications in its workload table.

O-1 request for evidence (RFE) statistics

• Nearly a quarter of completed O-category cases had received an RFE through Q3 of FY 2026. More specifically, 5,678 of 23,417 completions involved an RFE, or 24.2%.
• After an RFE, USCIS approved 66.8% of completed O-category cases through Q3 of FY 2026. That's 3,793 approvals out of 5,678 completions with an RFE over that period.
• The monthly RFE rate remained above 23% in June 2026. The share of completed cases with an RFE was 23.2% in April, 23.0% in May, and 23.7% in June.

O-1 approval rate statistics

Approval rates are tracked separately from issuance counts. For the current figures and how they have moved by quarter, see the full O-1 visa approval rate breakdown.

O-2 visa issuance statistics

• Between October 2025 and February 2026, the [State Department's monthly reports](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics/monthly-nonimmigrant-visa-issuances.html) list 5,042 O-2 issuances. Within these aggregate reports, British nationals received 975 O-2 issuances, the most of any country so far.
• In FY 2025, consular officers issued 15,356 O-2 visas. British nationals account for the largest share of these figures, with 2,919 O-2 issuance counts.
• The FY 2024 annual report states 13,922 O-2 visas were issued. Mexican nationals received the most O-2 visas that year, with 3,327 issuances.

O-3 visa issuance statistics

• Between October 2025 and February 2026, the [State Department's monthly reports](https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-statistics/nonimmigrant-visa-statistics/monthly-nonimmigrant-visa-issuances.html) list 2,185 O-3 issuances. Brazilian nationals received the most within these reports, with 277 O-3 issuances.
• The FY 2025 monthly reports add up to 6,209 O-3 issuance counts. Brazilian nationals once again accounted for the largest share, with 668 O-3 issuance counts.
• The FY 2024 annual report states 6,035 O-3 visas were issued. Brazilian nationals received the most O-3 visas that year, with 676 issuances.

O-1 processing time statistics

• O-1 visa processing time: USCIS currently takes 14.5 months to complete 80% of Form I-129 O-category petitions. See the latest O-1 visa processing times for the quarter-by-quarter picture.
• Premium processing: USCIS must act within 15 business days. That action can include approval, denial, a request for evidence, a notice of intent to deny, or opening a fraud investigation.
• To request premium processing, petitioners must submit Form I-907 and pay an additional $2,965. If USCIS issues an O-1 request for evidence, a new premium processing period begins when the agency receives the RFE response.