The State Department's adjusted refusal rate. Approved is what is left after the refusals.
Fiscal year
Refused
Approved
FY2025
62.4%
about 38%
FY2024
55.5%
about 44%
FY2023
53.3%
about 47%
FY2022
54.1%
about 46%
FY2021
66.8%
about 33%
FY2020
85.9%
about 14%
FY2019
86.6%
about 13%
FY2018
87.7%
about 12%
FY2017
58.7%
about 41%
FY2016
45%
about 55%
FY2015
38.5%
about 61%
FY2014
41.8%
about 58%
FY2013
48.2%
about 52%
FY2012
37.6%
about 62%
FY2011
31%
about 69%
FY2010
38.9%
about 61%
FY2009
40.1%
about 60%
FY2008
42.5%
about 58%
FY2007
44.9%
about 55%
FY2006
45.1%
about 55%
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.
Iran in short
What is the U.S. visa refusal rate for Iran?
For b visas (visitors), the adjusted refusal rate for people from Iran was 38.9% in FY2010, which means about 61% 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.