The State Department's adjusted refusal rate. Approved is what is left after the refusals.
Fiscal year
Refused
Approved
FY2025
5.7%
about 94%
FY2024
5.8%
about 94%
FY2023
6%
about 94%
FY2022
5.8%
about 94%
FY2021
4.7%
about 95%
FY2020
10.4%
about 90%
FY2019
10.5%
about 90%
FY2018
9.8%
about 90%
FY2017
8.5%
about 92%
FY2016
8.1%
about 92%
FY2015
12.2%
about 88%
FY2014
9.3%
about 91%
FY2013
10.9%
about 89%
FY2012
10.2%
about 90%
FY2011
18.7%
about 81%
FY2010
15%
about 85%
FY2009
16%
about 84%
FY2008
14.8%
about 85%
FY2007
12%
about 88%
FY2006
12.8%
about 87%
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.
Japan in short
What is the U.S. visa refusal rate for Japan?
For b visas (visitors), the adjusted refusal rate for people from Japan was 6% in FY2023, which means about 94% 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.