Visa type
Extraordinary ability · For people with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics or film and television.
Latest 12 months. Select one to look at only that country.
That is 341 fewer than in January 2026 (1,796) — -19.0%.
All published months together: 146,235
| Dec 2025 | Jan 2026 | Feb 2026 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total issued | 1,948 | 1,796 | 1,455 |
| Total | 1,948 | 1,796 | 1,455 |
Tap a country to see O1 for that country.
| Country | February 2026 | January 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 223 | 215 | +3.7%+8 |
| China - Mainland | 141 | 176 | -19.9%−35 |
| India | 125 | 139 | -10.1%−14 |
| Australia | 81 | 72 | +12.5%+9 |
| Brazil | 77 | 131 | -41.2%−54 |
| Germany | 75 | 66 | +13.6%+9 |
| France | 55 | 113 | -51.3%−58 |
| Mexico | 48 | 89 | -46.1%−41 |
| Argentina | 34 | 26 | +30.8%+8 |
| Spain | 33 | 40 | -17.5%−7 |
| Netherlands | 32 | 39 | -17.9%−7 |
| Italy | 30 | 87 | -65.5%−57 |
| Korea, South | 30 | 56 | -46.4%−26 |
| Japan | 28 | 41 | -31.7%−13 |
| Israel | 28 | 34 | -17.6%−6 |
| Colombia | 28 | 27 | +3.7%+1 |
| New Zealand | 21 | 19 | +10.5%+2 |
| Sweden | 18 | 22 | -18.2%−4 |
| Russia | 17 | 29 | -41.4%−12 |
| Nigeria | 17 | 16 | +6.3%+1 |
| Belgium | 15 | 15 | +0.0%+0 |
| Switzerland | 15 | 8 | +87.5%+7 |
| Turkey | 14 | 12 | +16.7%+2 |
| Philippines | 12 | 11 | +9.1%+1 |
| Ireland | 11 | 14 | -21.4%−3 |
| Poland | 10 | 16 | -37.5%−6 |
| South Africa | 10 | 13 | -23.1%−3 |
| Venezuela | 10 | 8 | +25.0%+2 |
| Norway | 10 | 5 | +100.0%+5 |
| Portugal | 9 | 12 | -25.0%−3 |
| Chile | 9 | 8 | +12.5%+1 |
| Taiwan | 8 | 15 | -46.7%−7 |
| Vietnam | 8 | 9 | -11.1%−1 |
| Denmark | 8 | 8 | +0.0%+0 |
| Malaysia | 8 | 6 | +33.3%+2 |
| Indonesia | 7 | 14 | -50.0%−7 |
| Hong Kong S. A. R. | 7 | 10 | -30.0%−3 |
| Singapore | 7 | 4 | +75.0%+3 |
| Ukraine | 6 | 13 | -53.8%−7 |
| Greece | 6 | 10 | -40.0%−4 |
| Canada | 6 | 1 | +500.0%+5 |
| Austria | 5 | 8 | -37.5%−3 |
| Pakistan | 5 | 6 | -16.7%−1 |
| Dominican Republic | 5 | 3 | +66.7%+2 |
| Hungary | 5 | 3 | +66.7%+2 |
| Serbia | 3 | 6 | -50.0%−3 |
| Egypt | 3 | 5 | -40.0%−2 |
| Lebanon | 3 | 5 | -40.0%−2 |
| Belarus | 3 | 4 | -25.0%−1 |
| Thailand | 3 | 4 | -25.0%−1 |
| Czech Republic | 3 | 3 | +0.0%+0 |
| Peru | 3 | 3 | +0.0%+0 |
| Lithuania | 3 | 2 | +50.0%+1 |
| Croatia | 2 | 5 | -60.0%−3 |
| Romania | 2 | 5 | -60.0%−3 |
| Ecuador | 2 | 4 | -50.0%−2 |
| Finland | 0 | 4 | -100.0%−4 |
| Jamaica | 0 | 3 | -100.0%−3 |
Same comparison, by the embassy or post that issued the visa.
| Embassy / post | February 2026 | January 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 235 | 240 | -2.1%−5 |
| Paris | 59 | 117 | -49.6%−58 |
| Beijing | 55 | 67 | -17.9%−12 |
| Sao Paulo | 46 | 70 | -34.3%−24 |
| Chennai | 45 | 41 | +9.8%+4 |
| Sydney | 41 | 36 | +13.9%+5 |
| Madrid | 40 | 40 | +0.0%+0 |
| Berlin | 38 | 30 | +26.7%+8 |
| Bogota | 38 | 28 | +35.7%+10 |
| Melbourne | 36 | 21 | +71.4%+15 |
| Shanghai | 32 | 47 | -31.9%−15 |
| Buenos Aires | 32 | 26 | +23.1%+6 |
| Guangzhou | 29 | 41 | -29.3%−12 |
| New Delhi | 28 | 18 | +55.6%+10 |
| Amsterdam | 27 | 36 | -25.0%−9 |
| Mexico City | 26 | 59 | -55.9%−33 |
| Seoul | 26 | 54 | -51.9%−28 |
| Mumbai | 25 | 42 | -40.5%−17 |
| Tokyo | 25 | 36 | -30.6%−11 |
| Tel Aviv | 25 | 33 | -24.2%−8 |
| Frankfurt | 23 | 21 | +9.5%+2 |
| Auckland | 18 | 15 | +20.0%+3 |
| Brasilia | 17 | 20 | -15.0%−3 |
| Brussels | 17 | 14 | +21.4%+3 |
| Bern | 17 | 11 | +54.5%+6 |
| Munich | 16 | 15 | +6.7%+1 |
| Lisbon | 16 | 13 | +23.1%+3 |
| Hyderabad | 15 | 13 | +15.4%+2 |
| Stockholm | 14 | 20 | -30.0%−6 |
| Hong Kong | 14 | 17 | -17.6%−3 |
| Warsaw | 14 | 17 | -17.6%−3 |
| Rome | 12 | 41 | -70.7%−29 |
| Istanbul | 12 | 12 | +0.0%+0 |
| Rio De Janeiro | 11 | 24 | -54.2%−13 |
| Toronto | 11 | 15 | -26.7%−4 |
| Oslo | 11 | 5 | +120.0%+6 |
| Manila | 10 | 10 | +0.0%+0 |
| Cape Town | 10 | 3 | +233.3%+7 |
| AIT Taipei | 9 | 20 | -55.0%−11 |
| Monterrey | 9 | 13 | -30.8%−4 |
| Dublin | 9 | 11 | -18.2%−2 |
| Singapore | 9 | 9 | +0.0%+0 |
| Copenhagen | 9 | 6 | +50.0%+3 |
| Santiago | 8 | 9 | -11.1%−1 |
| Florence | 7 | 4 | +75.0%+3 |
| Vienna | 6 | 13 | -53.8%−7 |
| Belfast | 5 | 12 | -58.3%−7 |
| Athens | 5 | 8 | -37.5%−3 |
| Porto Alegre | 5 | 6 | -16.7%−1 |
| Santo Domingo | 5 | 5 | +0.0%+0 |
| Guadalajara | 4 | 15 | -73.3%−11 |
| Bangkok | 4 | 4 | +0.0%+0 |
| Belgrade | 3 | 8 | -62.5%−5 |
| Osaka/Kobe | 3 | 5 | -40.0%−2 |
| Vancouver | 3 | 0 | new+3 |
| Lima | 2 | 4 | -50.0%−2 |
| Milan | 1 | 27 | -96.3%−26 |
| Helsinki | 1 | 4 | -75.0%−3 |
| Kyiv | 1 | 0 | new+1 |
| Moscow | 0 | 1 | -100.0%−1 |
| Month | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2,111 | 1,796 | -14.9% |
| February | 1,521 | 1,455 | -4.3% |
| March | 1,597 | – | – |
| April | 1,525 | – | – |
| May | 1,448 | – | – |
| June | 1,464 | – | – |
| July | 1,762 | – | – |
| August | 1,782 | – | – |
| September | 1,526 | – | – |
| October | 1,506 | – | – |
| November | 1,266 | – | – |
| December | 1,948 | – | – |
Busiest month: January (11.8% of a typical year). Quietest: April (6.1%). An even year would be 8.3% a month.
Average of 8 full years (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025). Each bar is that month's share of the year's total. Years with missing months are left out. It shows when visas are issued, not when people apply.
“partial” means fewer than 12 months have been published for that period.
| Year | Issuances |
|---|---|
| 2017 partial | 13,994 |
| 2018 | 17,102 |
| 2019 | 17,792 |
| 2020 | 5,599 |
| 2021 | 10,407 |
| 2022 | 19,669 |
| 2023 | 18,978 |
| 2024 | 19,987 |
| 2025 | 19,456 |
| 2026 partial | 3,251 |