FY-2024 and FY-2025 Visitor Visa Refusal Statistics – Mexican and Indian Blues. See Where Your Country Ranks
Posted on May 28, 2026
Below are the visitor visa refusal statistics for FY-2024 and FY-2025. These statistics relate to B visitor visas and do not include other nonimmigrant visa categories.
The newly released numbers show that refusal rates increased for many countries in FY-2025, although the trend was not universal. Some countries experienced only minor fluctuations, while others saw dramatic increases in refusals within a single fiscal year. Countries such as Bangladesh, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Egypt all recorded refusal rates above 45% in FY-2025, with several exceeding 60%. At the same time, countries such as Argentina, Malaysia, Brazil, and South Africa continued to maintain comparatively lower refusal rates.
The statistics also highlight how quickly refusal patterns can change from one year to the next. India’s refusal rate increased from 16.32% in FY-2024 to 22.04% in FY-2025. Given the massive volume of visa applicants from India, this may have translated into several tens of thousands of Indians additionally refused in FY-2025 as compared to FY-2024. Mexico experienced one of the highest refusal rates increases of about 50%: from 13.87% to 21.36%, while Colombia also increased sharply from 24.70% to 32.84%. Indonesia also rose significantly, from 20.09% to 26.69%. By contrast, China saw a noticeable improvement, with refusal rates dropping from 25.37% to 20.21%. Argentina and Peru also experienced slight improvements.
Several African countries in the data set saw some of the steepest increases. The Democratic Republic of Congo climbed from 46.77% to 63.37%. Nigeria increased from 46.51% to 57.00%, and Egypt jumped from 39.77% to 47.61%. These numbers likely reflect a combination of factors, including concerns regarding overstays, fraud prevention initiatives, validation study results, local economic conditions, and evolving consular processing priorities.
At the lower end of the spectrum, Malaysia remained one of the countries with the lowest refusal rates, although it still increased modestly from 6.79% to 7.92%. Brazil remained relatively stable, moving slightly downward from 15.48% to 14.87%. South Africa also remained comparatively low despite a small increase.
As always, visa refusal statistics only tell part of the story. A country’s overall refusal rate does not determine the outcome of an individual application. Consular officers evaluate each applicant independently under Section 214(b), focusing heavily on the applicant’s ties abroad, travel history, financial situation, and overall credibility. However, nationality-based refusal trends do provide insight into how consular posts are viewing applicants from particular regions and how refusal trends evolve over time.
| Country | % of B Visa Applicants Refused in FY-2024 | % of B Visa Applicants Refused in FY-2025 |
| Argentina | 8.90% | 7.47% |
| Bangladesh | 46.09% | 61.45% |
| Brazil | 15.48% | 14.87% |
| China | 25.37% | 20.21% |
| Colombia | 24.70% | 32.84% |
| Democratic Republic of Congo | 46.77% | 63.37% |
| Egypt | 39.77% | 47.61% |
| India | 16.32% | 22.04% |
| Indonesia | 20.09% | 26.69% |
| Malaysia | 6.79% | 7.92% |
| Mexico | 13.87% | 21.36% |
| Nigeria | 46.51% | 57.00% |
| Pakistan | 45.65% | 52.32% |
| Peru | 21.30% | 20.90% |
| Philippines | 28.33% | 30.76% |
| Russia | 38.56% | 40.38% |
| South Africa | 10.65% | 11.66% |
| Turkey | 19.78% | 22.25% |
| Ukraine | 33.45% | 33.92% |
| Vietnam | 22.12% | 22.08% |