Approvals and refusals worldwide

Q1

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

Q1 visas · FY2015

88% approved

1,901 approved (issued) · 262 refused · 2,163 applications, worldwide.

Approved share by year

Choose a year

90%88%89%87%90%95%79%95%96%95%

1420152016201720182019202120222023202420

Every year

Fiscal year	Approved	Refused	Applications	Approved %
FY2024	1,781	101	1,882	95%
FY2023	1,677	78	1,755	96%
FY2022	1,057	52	1,109	95%
FY2021	98	26	124	79%
FY2019	2,029	104	2,133	95%
FY2018	1,997	231	2,228	90%
FY2017	1,935	294	2,229	87%
FY2016	2,025	260	2,285	89%
FY2015	1,901	262	2,163	88%
FY2014	2,036	234	2,270	90%

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 Q1 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.

Q1 in short

How many Q1 visa applications are approved?

Worldwide in FY2015, 1,901 of 2,163 Q1 visa applications were approved (issued), about 88%, and 262 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

1,781

101

1,882

95%

FY2023

1,677

1,755

96%

FY2022

1,057

1,109

95%

FY2021

124

79%

FY2019

2,029

104

2,133

95%

FY2018

1,997

231

2,228

90%

FY2017

1,935

294

2,229

87%

FY2016

2,025

260

2,285

89%

FY2015

1,901

262

2,163

88%

FY2014

2,036

234

2,270

90%

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.