B visa refusal rates by country

[geowrian 22,338]

9 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

Technically it’s actually only B2 visas according to the table heading but they are “adjusted”, I guess for the combined B1/B2 visas that are the most common ones issued.  Edit: actually the latest table does just say B visas, the previous ones were B2. Maybe that partly explains some of the change from previous year though I can’t imagine it’s a statistically significant impact.

"ADJUSTED REFUSAL RATE - B-VISAS ONLY"

This covers both B-1 and B-2 (and B-1/B-2) visas. It's the same as previous years (check FY18/FY17/etc.).

[Moe428 129]

1 hour ago, geowrian said:

The statistics are only for B visas. People who travel using the VWP are not included. People who do not need any document besides their passport (i.e. Canadians and US nationals (but not citizens)) are not included. It's only people who applied for a B-1 or B-2 visa at a consulate.

So the rate for Canada and VWP countries is somewhat misleading.  For Canada it's almost 50%, which was shocking and obviously misleading.

[geowrian 22,338]

44 minutes ago, Moe428 said:

So the rate for Canada and VWP countries is somewhat misleading.  For Canada it's almost 50%, which was shocking and obviously misleading.

The interpretation needs clarification, yeah. Canadians who apply for a B visa have a ~50% refusal rate. The vast majority of Canadians have no reason to ever apply for a B visa, though.

[HRQX 4,145]

6 hours ago, Albatross said:

VERY misleading.  Citizens of Palau and Micronesia do NOT need a visa to travel to the USA.  They are GUARANTEED entry

"Convictions for certain crimes may make you ineligible to travel to the U.S. The only way to know for sure if your criminal record makes you ineligible is to apply for a visa.  Only a consular officer can determine your visa eligibility." https://pw.usembassy.gov/visas/tourism-visitor/ https://fm.usembassy.gov/visas/tourism-visitor/

 

Only US nationals (i.e. US citizens, American Samoans, Swains Islanders, and CNMI individuals that chose not to get US citizenship) and American Indians born in Canada (with at least 50% American Indian blood) are guaranteed entry to the US and can't be deported.

[Albatross 16]

No, not exactly true.  Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau are GUARANTEED entry to the US.  I lived on Guam for 15 years, and I am VERY familiar with this situation.  I think Marshall Islanders have this privilege as well, but it was constantly discussed as part of the "Compact/Impact" guarantee that was granted when the FSM Palau and the Marshall Islands were granted independence from the US when they were no longer US Trust Territories.  100% sure.

[geowrian 22,338]

20 minutes ago, Albatross said:

No, not exactly true.  Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau are GUARANTEED entry to the US.  I lived on Guam for 15 years, and I am VERY familiar with this situation.  I think Marshall Islanders have this privilege as well, but it was constantly discussed as part of the "Compact/Impact" guarantee that was granted when the FSM Palau and the Marshall Islands were granted independence from the US when they were no longer US Trust Territories.  100% sure.

So this official document from USCIS explicitly saying it is "not guaranteed" is wrong?

https://www.fsmgov.org/status.pdf

 

Edit: Or more specifically, what an official source stating that they are guaranteed entry?

Edited November 9, 2019 by geowrian

[Albatross 16]

Regarding citizens of the FSM, Palau, and RMI.  In the 15 years I was on Guam, there were CONSTANTLY people from the FSM, especially Chuuk, once known as Truk, who were coming to Guam.  Many of these people were criminals.  Some of most horrific crime on Guam was committed by Chuukese.  Often for no reason or with minimal aggravation.  US Immigration made NO apparent attempts to keep these people out or deport them, either.  Just a dose of reality, regardless of what any website says.   

[HRQX 4,145]

20 minutes ago, Albatross said:

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, and Palau are GUARANTEED entry to the US.

Read the 9th circuit's decision in US v. Terrence https://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-9th-circuit/1255290.html

Quote

The government contends that Palauans must generally comply with immigration laws and that Compact § 141 exempts those seeking entry or re-entry only from subsections (14), (20), and (26) of 8 U.S.C. § 1182.  Specifically, the government contends, the Compact does not waive the requirements of the other provisions of the immigration laws, and in particular does not waive the provisions of subsections (16) and (17) of § 1182(a) or the provisions of § 1326(a), the section Terrence was convicted of violating. We agree with the government that the language of the Compact is plain, that with respect to the right of Palauans to enter the United States, it exempts them from only the three specifically enumerated subsections, and that it does not provide an exemption for Palauans who have previously been deported from the United States from the statutory provisions prohibiting re-entry without the permission of the Attorney General.  Simply put, the Compact provides that Palauans may enter the United States “without regard to paragraphs (14), (20), and (26).”  Palauans previously deported and therefore required by both § 1182(a)(16) or (17) and § 1326(a) to obtain the permission of the Attorney General prior to re-entering the United States still must obtain that consent.  Nothing in the Compact purports to waive the approval requirement.

 

[geowrian 22,338]

"Guaranteed" has a specific meaning. People getting by is very different.

[HRQX 4,145]

12 hours ago, zochu said:

Why would Micronesia have 100% refusal rate.

Those applicants have previously been deported. Same with Palau. There is more hope for previously deported citizens of RMI, since their refusal rate is only 30.77%. In FY 2018, 11 B-2 visas were issued to citizens of RMI: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/AnnualReports/FY2018AnnualReport/FY18AnnualReport - TableXVII.pdf Page 6

That same fiscal year, 0 for citizens of FSM and 0 for citizens of Palau.

Edited November 9, 2019 by HRQX

[HRQX 4,145]

23 minutes ago, HRQX said:

and 0 for citizens of Palau.

Last time a B-2 was issued for a citizen of Palau was in FY 2005: https://travel.state.gov/content/dam/visas/Statistics/FY05tableXVII.pdf Page 6

[TBoneTX 45,865]

On 11/8/2019 at 11:30 AM, Eric&Mirella said:

Shocked that Venezuela went from the high 80s to 59%  in just one year. 

Venezolanos who already had B visas are flocking to the U.S. to apply for asylum.

COs probably recognize that new applicants for B visas are probably eyeing the same, hence the higher refusal rate.

[HRQX 4,145]

19 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

hence the higher refusal rate.

The refusal rate went down (i.e. the approval rate went up; that is why @Eric&Mirella was "shocked").

Edited November 10, 2019 by HRQX

[Eric&Mirella 367]

53 minutes ago, TBoneTX said:

Venezolanos who already had B visas are flocking to the U.S. to apply for asylum.

COs probably recognize that new applicants for B visas are probably eyeing the same, hence the higher refusal rate.

I’m not shocked at the high refusal rate. I’m shocked that it decreased from last year to this year considering the circumstances.  

[jan22 3,056]

23 hours ago, SusieQQQ said:

Technically it’s actually only B2 visas according to the table heading but they are “adjusted”, I guess for the combined B1/B2 visas that are the most common ones issued.  Edit: actually the latest table does just say B visas, the previous ones were B2. Maybe that partly explains some of the change from previous year though I can’t imagine it’s a statistically significant impact.

The "adjusted" is to ensure that a person is only included once in a fiscal year -- the only interaction included in the statistics is the last one in that fiscal year.  So, if a person applies three times in the FY and is denied all three times, it is calculated as one denial.  If they apply once, are denied for some reason (missing document, ineligibility waiver needed, administrative processing under the travel ban, etc), but ultimately issued, the denial is not included and the issuance is.  This ensures that the refusal statstics are not skewed by multiple applications by people who are consistently going to be found ineligible every time they apply or by people who ultimately are issued visas.