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Why visas are refused

The State Department's own yearly count of visa applications found ineligible, by the ground in the law, and how many were later overcome. Worldwide, FY2000 to FY2024.

Public charge, immigrant visas, FY2024

1,008

found ineligible, with 846 findings overcome

Public charge, nonimmigrant visas, FY2024

74

found ineligible, with 30 overcome

214(b), FY2024

3,010,544

nonimmigrant findings, the most common ground of all

Consulate interviews are paused at most posts. State postponed immigrant visa interviews worldwide from about August 25, 2026 for new public charge training and has named no end date, so a current date abroad isn't an interview yet. An I-485 filed inside the US isn't part of this pause. Where each consulate stands (checked November 3, 2026)

Public charge, year by year

Section 212(a)(4): the consular officer judged the applicant likely at any time to become a public charge. Most findings: 46,450 in FY2000. Fewest: 452 in FY2023. FY2024: 1,008.

Immigrant visa applications found ineligible as a likely public charge FY2000 to FY2024, worldwide

Found ineligible

46,450

FY2000 FY2024
Public charge findings on immigrant visa applications, by fiscal year
Period findings
FY2000 46,450
FY2001 27,580
FY2002 17,511
FY2003 10,301
FY2004 14,271
FY2005 9,559
FY2006 6,650
FY2007 5,034
FY2008 6,862
FY2009 9,521
FY2010 10,869
FY2011 6,861
FY2012 4,901
FY2013 3,544
FY2014 3,112
FY2015 897
FY2016 1,076
FY2017 3,237
FY2018 13,450
FY2019 20,941
FY2020 6,541
FY2021 621
FY2022 678
FY2023 452
FY2024 1,008

Overcome

30,165

FY2000 FY2024
Public charge findings on immigrant visa applications overcome, by fiscal year
Period overcome
FY2000 30,165
FY2001 21,689
FY2002 17,825
FY2003 13,988
FY2004 14,603
FY2005 13,665
FY2006 6,155
FY2007 4,247
FY2008 5,198
FY2009 6,140
FY2010 7,516
FY2011 6,742
FY2012 5,218
FY2013 3,374
FY2014 3,311
FY2015 1,011
FY2016 912
FY2017 2,016
FY2018 7,932
FY2019 9,622
FY2020 6,175
FY2021 3,104
FY2022 2,063
FY2023 766
FY2024 846
Each column is one fiscal year (October to September). More
Each column is one fiscal year (October to September). The newest is lime. A finding can be overcome in a later year, so a year's overcome count can pass its findings.
U.S. Department of State, Report of the Visa Office, ineligibilities by ground

The grounds in FY2024

The ten grounds with the most findings, for immigrant visas (green cards issued abroad) and for nonimmigrant visas apart.

Immigrant visas

  1. 221(g) Application does not comply with provisions of INA or regulations issued pursuant thereto

    225,278

    191,245 overcome

  2. 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years) (provisional waiver)

    15,986

    15,982 overcome

  3. 212(a)(6)(C)(i) Misrepresentation

    6,422

    1,026 overcome

  4. 212(a)(9)(C) Unlawfully present after previous immigration violations

    4,334

    1,147 overcome

  5. 212(a)(6)(E) Smugglers of aliens

    4,285

    929 overcome

  6. 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years)

    3,502

    2,029 overcome

  7. 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) Crime Involving Moral Turpitude

    1,861

    211 overcome

  8. 203(c) Failure to fulfill education and work experience requirement for Diversity Visa

    1,842

    52 overcome

  9. 212(a)(1)(A)(iv) Drug Abuser or Addict

    1,771

    1,092 overcome

  10. 204(a)(1)(I) Failure to comply with Diversity Visa requirements/regulations

    1,379

    45 overcome

Nonimmigrant visas

  1. 214(b) Failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status

    3,010,544

    11,910 overcome

  2. 221(g) Application does not comply with provisions of INA or regulations issued pursuant thereto

    809,735

    672,461 overcome

  3. 212(a)(6)(C)(i) Misrepresentation

    17,726

    4,047 overcome

  4. 212(a)(9)(C) Unlawfully present after previous immigration violations

    12,025

    2,300 overcome

  5. 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) Crime Involving Moral Turpitude

    8,175

    2,476 overcome

  6. 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years)

    6,812

    498 overcome

  7. 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) Controlled Substance Violators

    5,498

    2,014 overcome

  8. 212(a)(6)(E) Smugglers of aliens

    4,670

    816 overcome

  9. 212(a)(2)(C)(i) Illicit Trafficker in Any Controlled Substance

    3,705

    665 overcome

  10. 212(a)(9)(A)(i) Ordered removed upon arrival - expedited removal

    1,660

    98 overcome

Every ground, every year

Pick a fiscal year. Sort by any column. N/A is State's dash: the ground can't apply to that kind of visa.

FY2024: 78 grounds, in State's order unless sorted

Visa refusals by ground of ineligibility, FY2024, worldwide, from the State Department
101(a)(27)(D)(i) Unqualified Special Immigrant 83 0 N/A N/A
203(c) Failure to fulfill education and work experience requirement for Diversity Visa 1,842 52 N/A N/A
204(a)(1)(I) Failure to comply with Diversity Visa requirements/regulations 1,379 45 N/A N/A
208(d)(6) Knowingly made frivolous application for asylum 1 0 1 0
212(a)(1)(A)(i) Communicable Disease 191 228 12 4
212(a)(1)(A)(ii) Immigrant lacking required vaccinations 547 276 N/A N/A
212(a)(1)(A)(iii) Physical or mental disorder 624 387 260 21
212(a)(1)(A)(iv) Drug Abuser or Addict 1,771 1,092 314 51
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) Crime Involving Moral Turpitude 1,861 211 8,175 2,476
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) Controlled Substance Violators 645 37 5,498 2,014
212(a)(2)(B) Multiple Criminal Convictions 192 4 500 101
212(a)(2)(C)(i) Illicit Trafficker in Any Controlled Substance 525 3 3,705 665
212(a)(2)(C)(ii) Spouse, Son, or Daughter Who Benefited from Illicit Activities of Trafficker 35 6 813 26
212(a)(2)(D)(i) Prostitution (within 10 years) 13 1 226 16
212(a)(2)(D)(ii) Procuring (within 10 years) 1 0 21 0
212(a)(2)(D)(iii) Unlawful Commercialized Vice 3 0 5 0
212(a)(2)(E) Asserted immunity to avoid prosecution 0 0 1 1
212(a)(2)(G) Foreign government officials who have engaged in violations of religious freedom 1 0 0 0
212(a)(2)(H) Significant traffickers in persons 1 0 9 2
212(a)(2)(I) Money Laundering 5 0 51 18
212(a)(3)(A)(i) Espionage, sabotage, technology transfer, etc. 3 0 136 18
212(a)(3)(A)(ii) Other Unlawful Activity 37 0 105 5
212(a)(3)(A)(iii) Act to Overthrow U.S. Government 0 0 0 0
212(a)(3)(B) Terrorist Activities 155 0 629 317
212(a)(3)(C) Foreign Policy 0 0 6 1
212(a)(3)(D) Immigrant Membership in Totalitarian Party 134 11 N/A N/A
212(a)(3)(E)(i) Participants in Nazi Persecutions 0 0 0 0
212(a)(3)(E)(ii) Participants in Genocide 1 0 0 0
212(a)(3)(E)(iii) Commission of Acts of Torture or Extrajudicial Killings 1 0 2 0
212(a)(3)(F) Association with Terrorist Organizations 0 0 0 0
212(a)(3)(G) Recruitment or Use of Child Soldiers 0 0 1 0
212(a)(4) Public Charge 1,008 846 74 30
212(a)(5)(A) Labor Certification (immigrants only) 252 194 N/A N/A
212(a)(5)(B) Unqualified Physician (immigrants only) 5 0 N/A N/A
212(a)(5)(C) Uncertified foreign health-care workers 2 0 0 0
212(a)(6)(B) Failure to attend removal proceedings 57 30 12 2
212(a)(6)(C)(i) Misrepresentation 6,422 1,026 17,726 4,047
212(a)(6)(C)(ii) Falsely claiming citizenship 424 0 1,538 405
212(a)(6)(E) Smugglers of aliens 4,285 929 4,670 816
212(a)(6)(F) Subject of civil penalty (under INA 274C) 2 0 2 0
212(a)(6)(G) Student visa abusers 0 0 0 0
212(a)(7)(B) Documentation requirement for nonimmigrants N/A N/A 318 281
212(a)(8)(A) Immigrant permanently ineligible for citizenship 5 0 N/A N/A
212(a)(8)(B) Draft evader 0 0 4 1
212(a)(9)(A)(i) Ordered removed upon arrival - expedited removal 472 278 1,660 98
212(a)(9)(A)(i) Ordered removed upon arrival - multiple removals 370 98 737 22
212(a)(9)(A)(i) Ordered removed upon arrival - convicted aggravated felony 40 3 164 11
212(a)(9)(A)(ii) Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding 551 300 543 52
212(a)(9)(A)(ii) Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding - multiple removals 374 65 322 10
212(a)(9)(A)(ii) Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding - convicted aggravated felony 247 8 509 32
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) Unlawfully present 181-364 days (within 3 years) 139 85 819 155
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) Unlawfully present 181-364 days (within 3 years) (provisional waiver) 47 49 N/A N/A
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years) 3,502 2,029 6,812 498
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years) (provisional waiver) 15,986 15,982 N/A N/A
212(a)(9)(C) Unlawfully present after previous immigration violations 4,334 1,147 12,025 2,300
212(a)(10)(A) Practicing polygamist (immigrants only) 11 2 N/A N/A
212(a)(10)(C)(i) International child abductor 0 0 1 0
212(a)(10)(C)(ii) Aliens supporting abductors and relatives of abductors 0 0 0 0
212(a)(10)(D) Unlawful voter 1 0 1 0
212(a)(10)(E) Former U.S. citizen who renounced citizenship to avoid taxation 0 0 0 0
212(e) Foreign residence requirement: Former exchange visitors 15 11 53 37
212(f) Presidential proclamation suspending the entry of any class of aliens 0 245 1,102 48
214(b) Failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status N/A N/A 3,010,544 11,910
221(g) Application does not comply with provisions of INA or regulations issued pursuant thereto 225,278 191,245 809,735 672,461
222(g)(2) Alien in illegal status, required to apply for new nonimmigrant visa in country of alien's nationality N/A N/A 103 3
243(d) National of a country denying or delaying accepting an alien 1 2 320 381
8 U.S.C. § 1182e Any person who has been directly involved in the establishment or enforcement of forced abortion or sterilization 36 1 491 5
8 U.S.C. § 1182f Direct Involvement in Coerced Organ/Tissue Transplantation 4 1 0 0
Misc. Executive Orders Treasury or State Designation for Sanctions 0 0 0 0
22 U.S.C. § 10102 Sergei Magnitsky Rule of Law Accountability Act of 2012 0 0 0 0
Sec. 5(a)(1) of the JADE Act Visa restrictions for certain Burmese nationals under the JADE Act of 2008 4 0 12 2
Sec.103 Pub. Law 105-227 Disclosure/trafficking of confidential U.S. business information 0 0 0 0
Sec. 401 Pub. Law 104-114 Helms-Burton refusal 0 0 0 0
Sec. 402 Pub. Law 104-114 Conversion of confiscated U.S. property for gain 0 0 0 0
Sec. 501 Pub. Law 112-158 Iranian Citizen Studying in Certain Energy- Related Fields 0 0 80 4
Sec. 306 Pub. Law 107-173 Inadmissible alien from a country that is a state sponsor of terrorism 0 0 271 8
Sec. 3205 Pub. Law 106-246 Individuals who aided and abetted Colombian insurgent and paramilitary groups 1 0 0 0
Sec. 7031(c), Pub. Law 116-94 Corruption and Gross Violation of Human Rights by Government Officials 2 0 21 16
State's total line 273,845 216,929 3,891,139 699,371

State's total for immigrant findings leaves out the table's first row, 101(a)(27)(D)(i) (Unqualified Special Immigrant, 83 findings), a ground the table carries for the first time in FY2024. Every other row adds up to the total exactly.

221(g) and 214(b), year by year

221(g): the application didn't yet meet the law or its rules, often for a missing document or more processing. 214(b): the applicant didn't show the officer they qualify for the nonimmigrant visa, such as that they'll return home. In FY2024, 221(g) also held up 225,278 immigrant visa applications.

Nonimmigrant visa applications found ineligible under 214(b) and 221(g) FY2000 to FY2024, worldwide

214(b)

3,010,544

FY2000 FY2024
214(b) findings on nonimmigrant visa applications, by fiscal year
Period findings
FY2000 1,956,137
FY2001 2,276,611
FY2002 1,890,995
FY2003 1,513,241
FY2004 1,500,383
FY2005 1,484,342
FY2006 1,425,872
FY2007 1,578,178
FY2008 1,481,471
FY2009 1,257,465
FY2010 1,159,519
FY2011 1,218,324
FY2012 1,308,983
FY2013 1,437,959
FY2014 1,708,964
FY2015 2,260,638
FY2016 2,793,731
FY2017 2,624,543
FY2018 2,771,339
FY2019 2,812,693
FY2020 1,204,880
FY2021 205,897
FY2022 1,024,270
FY2023 2,231,447
FY2024 3,010,544

221(g)

916,626

FY2000 FY2024
221(g) findings on nonimmigrant visa applications, by fiscal year
Period findings
FY2000 471,524
FY2001 578,784
FY2002 676,022
FY2003 677,695
FY2004 489,934
FY2005 456,732
FY2006 476,859
FY2007 507,310
FY2008 589,418
FY2009 616,284
FY2010 694,620
FY2011 837,477
FY2012 806,773
FY2013 775,201
FY2014 689,379
FY2015 767,167
FY2016 805,668
FY2017 811,238
FY2018 839,146
FY2019 916,626
FY2020 451,357
FY2021 392,776
FY2022 728,558
FY2023 829,164
FY2024 809,735
Each column is one fiscal year, and the newest is lime. More
Each column is one fiscal year, and the newest is lime. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 fall in the months State's own note on those tables describes, when posts had suspended routine visa services for COVID-19.
U.S. Department of State, Report of the Visa Office, ineligibilities by ground
How to read State's table
  • Worldwide and by fiscal year only. State publishes these counts for no consulate and no month.
  • A finding counts applications found ineligible on a ground. One application can be refused on more than one ground, so the grounds add up to more than the applications refused (State's footnote 1).
  • A refusal can be overcome in a later fiscal year by evidence the ground doesn't apply, a waiver or other relief. Each action counts in the year it happened. So a year's overcome figure can pass its findings (State's footnote 2).
  • N/A is State's dash: that ground can't apply to that kind of visa. It isn't a zero.
  • Every year's grounds are checked against State's own total line before they're shown. State's total for immigrant findings leaves out the table's first row, 101(a)(27)(D)(i) (Unqualified Special Immigrant, 83 findings), a ground the table carries for the first time in FY2024. Every other row adds up to the total exactly.
  • The table moved from Table XX (to fiscal 2019) to Table XIX (from fiscal 2020) in State's report. It's the same table, read by its title.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Report of the Visa Office, FY2024: Immigrant and Nonimmigrant Visa Ineligibilities by Grounds for Refusal, and the same table for each year back to FY2000.

The rules behind these numbers

State visa refusals by ground through Sep 30, 2024. How these figures are counted. Spotted an error? Tell us; every fix is dated in the corrections log.

The sources in full

State visa refusals by ground: State Department, Report of the Visa Office: visa ineligibilities by ground (state.gov) · data through Sep 30, 2024 · yearly, in the report of the visa office, more than a year after the fiscal year

What this data includes

State visa refusals by ground: Visa applications consular officers found ineligible each fiscal year, by ground of the law, from State's yearly Report of the Visa Office. It also shows how many findings were overcome, with immigrant and nonimmigrant visas kept apart. Worldwide only: State publishes no count by consulate or month. An application can be refused on several grounds, and a refusal overcome in a later year counts in that year.

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