U.S. Nonimmigrant Visa Totals (1987

Annual Visas Issued by Category

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🔵 Worker Visas

Nonimmigrant visas that authorize the holder to work in the U.S., directly filling jobs that might otherwise go to domestic workers.

            H1  H1A  H1B  H1B1  H1C

            H2A  H2B  H2R  H3

            L1  O1  O2  P1  P2  P3

            E1  E3  E3R  TN  CW1  Q1  R1

🟢 Dependent of Worker

Spouses and children of worker visa holders. Not authorized to work themselves, but part of the overall worker visa pipeline and counted in total visa figures.

            H4  L2  O3  P4

            E3D  CW2  TD  Q3  R2

🟡 Tricky / Contested

Visas whose labor market impact is debated. These holders may or may not perform work, or may displace domestic hiring indirectly.

            J1  B1  E2  E2C
          

J1 — Exchange visitor; au pairs, interns, and summer work-travel programs routinely fill U.S. jobs despite the cultural-exchange framing.
B1 — Business visitor; technically no work authorization, but permitted services blur the line.
E2/E2C — Treaty investor; the investor doesn't take a job but the enterprise displaces domestic hiring.

⬜ Other / Uncategorized

All remaining visa classes — primarily tourists, students, diplomats, transit visitors, and border crossing cards. The bulk of total visa volume (B1/B2 and BCC) falls here.

Includes B2, BCC, F1, F2, A, C, D, G, I, K, M, NATO, S, T, U, V classes and others not classified above. Toggle this segment off to see the worker/dependent/tricky breakdown more clearly.

Classifications reflect the primary labor market impact of each visa category. Source: INA visa classifications; U.S. Department of State Table XV(B). Categorization by GuestWorkerVisas.com — reasonable people may disagree on edge cases, particularly J1 and E2.

Net Jobs Created (BLS) — calendar year nonfarm payrolls

Jobs Created = BLS nonfarm payroll net change, December-to-December (calendar year basis, seasonally adjusted). Visas per Job = visas issued ÷ net jobs; shown only when net jobs were positive. Negative net jobs years are highlighted — visas were issued even as the economy shed workers. Note: visa data is fiscal year (Oct–Sep); jobs data is calendar year — a one-quarter offset.

Fiscal Year	Visas Issued	Net Jobs Created (BLS, calendar year)	Visas per Job Created
2025	10,707,238	▲ 584,000	18.33
2024	10,969,936	▲ 2,012,000	5.45
2023	10,438,327	▲ 2,594,000	4.02
2022	6,815,120	▲ 4,555,000	1.50
2021	2,792,083	▲ 7,233,000	0.39
2020	4,013,210	▼ 9,247,000	N/A ⚠
2019	8,742,068	▲ 1,986,000	4.40
2018	9,028,026	▲ 2,286,000	3.95
2017	9,681,913	▲ 2,115,000	4.58
2016	10,381,491	▲ 2,331,000	4.45
2015	10,891,745	▲ 2,980,000	3.65
2014	9,932,480	▲ 2,729,000	3.64
2013	9,164,349	▲ 2,573,000	3.56
2012	8,927,090	▲ 2,492,000	3.58
2011	7,507,939	▲ 2,257,000	3.33
2010	6,422,751	▲ 323,000	19.88
2009	5,804,182	▼ 5,177,000	N/A ⚠
2008	6,603,076	▼ 3,121,000	N/A ⚠
2007	6,444,285	▲ 1,241,000	5.19
2006	5,836,730	▲ 1,966,000	2.97
2005	5,388,951	▲ 2,474,000	2.18
2004	5,049,099	▲ 2,145,000	2.35
2003	4,881,634	▼ 83,000	N/A ⚠
2002	5,769,437	▼ 323,000	N/A ⚠
2001	7,588,778	▼ 180,000	N/A ⚠
2000	7,141,636	▲ 1,772,000	4.03
1999	6,192,478	▲ 3,079,000	2.01
1998	5,814,153	▲ 3,154,000	1.84
1997	5,942,061	▲ 3,068,000	1.94
1996	6,237,870	▲ 2,517,000	2.48
1995	6,181,822	▲ 3,019,000	2.05
1994	5,610,953	▲ 3,352,000	1.67
1993	5,359,620	▲ 2,274,000	2.36
1992	5,368,437	▲ 288,000	18.64
1991	5,977,961	▼ 1,145,000	N/A ⚠
1990	5,959,225	▲ 1,508,000	3.95
1989	6,991,159	▲ 2,550,000	2.74
1988	8,679,709	▲ 3,287,000	2.64
1987	7,425,036	▲ 2,584,000	2.87

⚠ = net job losses that year — visas issued exceeded net new jobs created. Rows highlighted in red indicate years where the economy shed workers while visa issuance continued. Visas per Job >1.0 means more visas were issued than jobs created.

Worker Visas vs. Net Jobs Created

Same comparison as above, but using only worker visas (H-1B, H-2A, H-2B, L-1, O-1, TN, E-3, etc. — visas that authorize the holder to work) instead of all visas issued. Dependents (H-4, L-2…), J-1/B-1/E-2 and non-work classes are excluded. Worker Visas per Job is shown only when net jobs were positive.

Fiscal Year	Worker Visas Issued	Net Jobs Created (BLS, calendar year)	Worker Visas per Job Created
2025	859,476	▲ 584,000	1.47
2024	856,314	▲ 2,012,000	0.43
2023	908,520	▲ 2,594,000	0.35
2022	813,641	▲ 4,555,000	0.18
2021	496,691	▲ 7,233,000	0.07
2020	491,272	▼ 9,247,000	N/A ⚠
2019	679,054	▲ 1,986,000	0.34
2018	639,223	▲ 2,286,000	0.28
2017	609,114	▲ 2,115,000	0.29
2016	584,302	▲ 2,331,000	0.25
2015	521,220	▲ 2,980,000	0.17
2014	477,080	▲ 2,729,000	0.17
2013	435,052	▲ 2,573,000	0.17
2012	390,668	▲ 2,492,000	0.16
2011	374,776	▲ 2,257,000	0.17
2010	360,862	▲ 323,000	1.12
2009	347,516	▼ 5,177,000	N/A ⚠
2008	455,492	▼ 3,121,000	N/A ⚠
2007	425,987	▲ 1,241,000	0.34
2006	437,129	▲ 1,966,000	0.22
2005	377,710	▲ 2,474,000	0.15
2004	371,309	▲ 2,145,000	0.17
2003	335,177	▼ 83,000	N/A ⚠
2002	330,961	▼ 323,000	N/A ⚠
2001	373,991	▼ 180,000	N/A ⚠
2000	327,777	▲ 1,772,000	0.18
1999	275,910	▲ 3,079,000	0.09
1998	226,978	▲ 3,154,000	0.07
1997	198,774	▲ 3,068,000	0.06
1996	161,912	▲ 2,517,000	0.06
1995	153,619	▲ 3,019,000	0.05
1994	131,504	▲ 3,352,000	0.04
1993	114,902	▲ 2,274,000	0.05
1992	110,339	▲ 288,000	0.38
1991	109,342	▼ 1,145,000	N/A ⚠
1990	100,831	▲ 1,508,000	0.07
1989	89,991	▲ 2,550,000	0.04
1988	71,949	▲ 3,287,000	0.02
1987	36,446	▲ 2,584,000	0.01

⚠ = net job losses that year. Worker Visas per Job >1.0 means more work-authorized visas were issued than net new jobs. Visa data is fiscal year (Oct–Sep); jobs data is calendar year.