The State Department's adjusted refusal rate. Approved is what is left after the refusals.
Fiscal year
Refused
Approved
FY2025
16.1%
about 84%
FY2024
12.7%
about 87%
FY2023
16.1%
about 84%
FY2022
12.7%
about 87%
FY2021
8%
about 92%
FY2020
24.8%
about 75%
FY2019
18.7%
about 81%
FY2018
9.9%
about 90%
FY2017
6.5%
about 94%
FY2016
8.4%
about 92%
FY2015
9.8%
about 90%
FY2014
11.4%
about 89%
FY2013
13.7%
about 86%
FY2012
11.3%
about 89%
FY2011
13.7%
about 86%
FY2010
17.7%
about 82%
FY2009
16.6%
about 83%
FY2008
21.2%
about 79%
FY2007
22.4%
about 78%
FY2006
24.1%
about 76%
A fiscal year runs from October to September (FY2025 is October 2024 to September 2025). This is for visitor (B) visas only.
In plain words
Refusal rate
Out of 100 people who applied, how many were told no. A 20% refusal rate means about 20 in 100 were refused.
Adjusted
The State Department leaves out people who were refused for paperwork reasons and later got the visa, so the number is fairer.
Approved
The visa was issued. We show it as what is left after the refusals.
Applications (workload)
Everyone the embassies decided on in the year: visas issued plus visas refused.
Fiscal year (FY)
The U.S. government year, October to September. FY2025 is October 2024 to September 2025.
Costa Rica in short
What is the U.S. visa refusal rate for Costa Rica?
For b visas (visitors), the adjusted refusal rate for people from Costa Rica was 13.7% in FY2011, which means about 86% of applications were approved. It is a group figure for one fiscal year, not a prediction for any one person.
Visa Status is an unofficial site and does not give immigration advice. A refusal rate describes all applications from a country in one year. It does not predict what will happen to any one applicant.