Approvals and refusals worldwide

A1 · Diplomat

For ambassadors, diplomats and consular officers and their immediate families. How many applications were approved and refused, every fiscal year with data.

Source: U.S. Department of State, NIV workload by visa category · Unofficial

Visa category

A1 visas · FY2015

84% approved

10,909 approved (issued) · 2,129 refused · 13,038 applications, worldwide.

Approved share by year

Choose a year

82%84%83%80%78%96%94%95%96%96%

1420152016201720182019202120222023202420

Every year

Fiscal year	Approved	Refused	Applications	Approved %
FY2024	9,469	405	9,874	96%
FY2023	9,448	444	9,892	96%
FY2022	9,395	504	9,899	95%
FY2021	9,171	593	9,764	94%
FY2019	10,040	449	10,489	96%
FY2018	9,856	2,802	12,658	78%
FY2017	10,033	2,488	12,521	80%
FY2016	10,754	2,184	12,938	83%
FY2015	10,909	2,129	13,038	84%
FY2014	10,612	2,389	13,001	82%

A fiscal year runs from October to September. Refused counts the applications still refused at the end of the year.

The State Department publishes refusal rates by nationality for visitor (B) visas only. For A1 you can see the worldwide numbers above. See B visas by nationality →

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.

A1 in short

How many A1 visa applications are approved?

Worldwide in FY2015, 10,909 of 13,038 A1 visa applications were approved (issued), about 84%, and 2,129 were refused. This is a group figure, not a prediction for any one person.

Visa Status is an unofficial site and does not give immigration advice. These numbers describe all applications worldwide in one fiscal year. They do not predict what will happen to any one applicant.

Every year

Fiscal year

Approved

Refused

Applications

Approved %

FY2024

9,469

405

9,874

96%

FY2023

9,448

444

9,892

96%

FY2022

9,395

504

9,899

95%

FY2021

9,171

593

9,764

94%

FY2019

10,040

449

10,489

96%

FY2018

9,856

2,802

12,658

78%

FY2017

10,033

2,488

12,521

80%

FY2016

10,754

2,184

12,938

83%

FY2015

10,909

2,129

13,038

84%

FY2014

10,612

2,389

13,001

82%

A fiscal year runs from October to September. Refused counts the applications still refused at the end of the year.

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.