The United States has issued 17% more B1/B2 tourist and business visas to Salvadoran citizens during the first five months of Donald Trump’s current administration, according to data from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

From January to May 2025, a total of 23,332 B1/B2 visas were granted to applicants from El Salvador, representing an increase of 3,386 compared to the same period in 2024, when 19,946 visas were approved. Monthly approvals averaged around 4,600 this year. April recorded the highest number with 5,395 visas, while May had the lowest with 2,911.

On its official website, the U.S. Department of State reminds travelers that “any person wishing to enter the United States must obtain a visa, either a non-immigrant or immigrant one.” Holders of B1/B2 visas are not allowed to work in the United States.

The B1 visa allows entry for business activities such as “consulting with business associates, attending scientific, educational, or professional conventions, settling an estate, or negotiating a contract,” while B2 visa holders may “tour, vacation, visit relatives or friends, seek medical treatment, attend social events, or enroll in short non-credit courses.”

In addition to tourism and business travel, temporary work visas under the H2 category continue to be in high demand among Salvadorans. By May 2025, more than 6,500 H2 visas had been issued, largely due to the labor mobility program supported by the U.S. and El Salvador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

H-2A visas, for agricultural work, increased by 17.4%, from 282 approvals in 2024 to 331 in 2025. Meanwhile, H-2B visas, aimed at the service sector, rose by 1.7%, reaching 6,250 cases this year compared to 6,145 last year.