Approvals and refusals worldwide
For ministers and other religious workers coming to work for a religious organization. How many applications were approved and refused, every fiscal year with data.
Source: U.S. Department of State, NIV workload by visa category · Unofficial
| Fiscal year | Approved | Refused | Applications | Approved % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | 5,186 | 1,250 | 6,436 | 81% |
| FY2023 | 5,330 | 1,226 | 6,556 | 81% |
| FY2022 | 4,098 | 696 | 4,794 | 85% |
| FY2021 | 1,942 | 333 | 2,275 | 85% |
| FY2019 | 4,583 | 908 | 5,491 | 83% |
| FY2018 | 4,607 | 1,688 | 6,295 | 73% |
| FY2017 | 4,942 | 1,700 | 6,642 | 74% |
| FY2016 | 4,764 | 1,227 | 5,991 | 80% |
| FY2015 | 4,572 | 1,141 | 5,713 | 80% |
| FY2014 | 4,599 | 1,033 | 5,632 | 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 R1 you can see the worldwide numbers above. See B visas by nationality →
Worldwide in FY2022, 4,098 of 4,794 R1 visa applications were approved (issued), about 85%, and 696 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.