Visa Status
Visa Status · unofficial · data from the U.S. Department of State
· printed

Visa type

O1

Extraordinary ability · For people with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics or film and television.

Compare visa types →Compare months or years →Appointment wait by embassy →Group: Temporary workers →
O1 visas issued worldwide · February 2026
1,455

That is 341 fewer than in January 2026 (1,796) — -19.0%.

Quick view · February 2026
-19.0% vs January 2026 (1,796)-4.3% vs February 2025 (1,521)

All published months together: 119,348

Compare months or years

Compare by
Quick pick
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All countries together · Visa class O1 · One total per month
  • Dec 20251,948
  • Jan 20261,796
  • Feb 20261,455
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  • Jan 2026 is 152 (7.8%) lower than Dec 2025.
  • Feb 2026 is 493 (25.3%) lower than Dec 2025.
View as table
Dec 2025Jan 2026Feb 2026
Total issued 1,9481,7961,455
Total1,9481,7961,455
Total visas issued
1,525
Latest 12 months · O1 · April

By month · latest 12 months

Choose a month to filter
–1.5K––––––––––
Mar'25Apr'25May'25Jun'25Jul'25Aug'25Sep'25Oct'25Nov'25Dec'25Jan'26Feb'26

Top countries

Select one for details

  1. Great Britain and Northern Ireland226
  2. China - mainland147
  3. India125
  4. Mexico84
  5. France71
  6. Germany68

Which countries changed? February 2026 compared with January 2026

Tap a country to see O1 for that country.

Most visasBiggest change
CountryFebruary 2026January 2026Change
Great Britain and Northern Ireland223215 +3.7%+8
China - mainland141176 -19.9%−35
India125139 -10.1%−14
Australia8172 +12.5%+9
Brazil77131 -41.2%−54
Germany7566 +13.6%+9
France55113 -51.3%−58
Mexico4889 -46.1%−41
Argentina3426 +30.8%+8
Spain3340 -17.5%−7
Netherlands3239 -17.9%−7
Italy3087 -65.5%−57
Korea, South3056 -46.4%−26
Japan2841 -31.7%−13
Israel2834 -17.6%−6
Colombia2827 +3.7%+1
New Zealand2119 +10.5%+2
Sweden1822 -18.2%−4
Russia1729 -41.4%−12
Nigeria1716 +6.3%+1
Belgium1515 +0.0%+0
Switzerland158 +87.5%+7
Turkey1412 +16.7%+2
Philippines1211 +9.1%+1
Ireland1114 -21.4%−3
Poland1016 -37.5%−6
South Africa1013 -23.1%−3
Venezuela108 +25.0%+2
Norway105 +100.0%+5
Portugal912 -25.0%−3
Chile98 +12.5%+1
Taiwan815 -46.7%−7
Vietnam89 -11.1%−1
Denmark88 +0.0%+0
Malaysia86 +33.3%+2
Indonesia714 -50.0%−7
Hong Kong S.A.R.710 -30.0%−3
Singapore74 +75.0%+3
Ukraine613 -53.8%−7
Greece610 -40.0%−4
Canada61 +500.0%+5
Austria58 -37.5%−3
Pakistan56 -16.7%−1
Dominican Republic53 +66.7%+2
Hungary53 +66.7%+2
Serbia36 -50.0%−3
Egypt35 -40.0%−2
Lebanon35 -40.0%−2
Belarus34 -25.0%−1
Thailand34 -25.0%−1
Czech Republic33 +0.0%+0
Peru33 +0.0%+0
Croatia25 -60.0%−3
Romania25 -60.0%−3
Ecuador24 -50.0%−2
Finland04 -100.0%−4
Jamaica03 -100.0%−3

Which embassies and posts changed? February 2026 compared with January 2026

Same comparison, by the embassy or post that issued the visa.

Most visasBiggest change
Embassy / postFebruary 2026January 2026Change
London235240 -2.1%−5
Paris59117 -49.6%−58
Beijing5567 -17.9%−12
Sao Paulo4670 -34.3%−24
Chennai4541 +9.8%+4
Sydney4136 +13.9%+5
Madrid4040 +0.0%+0
Berlin3830 +26.7%+8
Bogota3828 +35.7%+10
Melbourne3621 +71.4%+15
Shanghai3247 -31.9%−15
Buenos Aires3226 +23.1%+6
Guangzhou2941 -29.3%−12
New Delhi2818 +55.6%+10
Amsterdam2736 -25.0%−9
Mexico City2659 -55.9%−33
Seoul2654 -51.9%−28
Mumbai2542 -40.5%−17
Tokyo2536 -30.6%−11
Tel Aviv2533 -24.2%−8
Frankfurt2321 +9.5%+2
Auckland1815 +20.0%+3
Brasilia1720 -15.0%−3
Brussels1714 +21.4%+3
Bern1711 +54.5%+6
Munich1615 +6.7%+1
Lisbon1613 +23.1%+3
Hyderabad1513 +15.4%+2
Stockholm1420 -30.0%−6
Hong Kong1417 -17.6%−3
Warsaw1417 -17.6%−3
Rome1241 -70.7%−29
Istanbul1212 +0.0%+0
Rio de Janeiro1124 -54.2%−13
Toronto1115 -26.7%−4
Oslo115 +120.0%+6
Manila1010 +0.0%+0
Cape Town103 +233.3%+7
AIT Taipei920 -55.0%−11
Monterrey913 -30.8%−4
Dublin911 -18.2%−2
Singapore99 +0.0%+0
Copenhagen96 +50.0%+3
Santiago89 -11.1%−1
Jakarta717 -58.8%−10
Florence74 +75.0%+3
Vienna613 -53.8%−7
Belfast512 -58.3%−7
Athens58 -37.5%−3
Porto Alegre56 -16.7%−1
Santo Domingo55 +0.0%+0
Guadalajara415 -73.3%−11
Bangkok44 +0.0%+0
Belgrade38 -62.5%−5
Osaka/Kobe35 -40.0%−2
Vancouver30new+3
Lima24 -50.0%−2
Milan127 -96.3%−26
Helsinki14 -75.0%−3

O1 worldwide: month by month, 2026 compared with 2025

compared with
  • 202519,456
  • 20263,251
01K2K3K4KJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Download CSV
Month by month
Month20252026Change
January2,1111,796 -14.9%
February1,5211,455 -4.3%
March1,597––
April1,525––
May1,448––
June1,464––
July1,762––
August1,782––
September1,526––
October1,506––
November1,266––
December1,948––

When is it busy? O1 visas worldwide

Busiest month: January (12.1% of a typical year). Quietest: April (5.9%). An even year would be 8.3% a month.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Average of 7 full years (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.

O1 worldwide: all published months

By monthBy yearBy fiscal year
01K2K3K4KOct'18May'19Dec'19Jul'20Feb'21Sep'21Apr'22Nov'22Jun'23Jan'24Aug'24Mar'25Oct'25
Download CSV
View as table
MonthIssuances
Oct '181,462
Nov '181,137
Dec '181,610
Jan '191,732
Feb '191,164
Mar '191,378
Apr '191,194
May '191,365
Jun '191,330
Jul '191,729
Aug '191,896
Sep '191,572
Oct '191,507
Nov '191,179
Dec '191,746
Jan '201,783
Feb '201,056
Mar '20712
Apr '2016
May '2016
Jun '2060
Jul '20144
Aug '20242
Sep '20384
Oct '20392
Nov '20376
Dec '20418
Jan '21410
Feb '21382
Mar '21521
Apr '21463
May '21487
Jun '21690
Jul '21833
Aug '211,165
Sep '211,165
Oct '211,236
Nov '211,414
Dec '211,641
Jan '221,814
Feb '221,517
Mar '221,715
Apr '221,465
May '221,388
Jun '221,512
Jul '221,702
Aug '221,946
Sep '221,775
Oct '221,559
Nov '221,440
Dec '221,836
Jan '231,833
Feb '231,367
Mar '231,652
Apr '231,326
May '231,408
Jun '231,505
Jul '231,591
Aug '231,961
Sep '231,566
Oct '231,509
Nov '231,422
Dec '231,838
Jan '241,864
Feb '241,456
Mar '241,451
Apr '241,523
May '241,443
Jun '241,442
Jul '241,910
Aug '241,930
Sep '241,691
Oct '241,700
Nov '241,431
Dec '242,146
Jan '252,111
Feb '251,521
Mar '251,597
Apr '251,525
May '251,448
Jun '251,464
Jul '251,762
Aug '251,782
Sep '251,526
Oct '251,506
Nov '251,266
Dec '251,948
Jan '261,796
Feb '261,455