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  1. US Visa Statistics
  2. Approval Rates
  3. J-1

Official US State Department data

J-1 visa approval rate

What share of J-1 visa applications were approved each fiscal year, how many were issued and refused, and who gets J-1 visas.

Data through FY2024

J-1 visa applications approved, FY2024

US fiscal year: October 2023 to September 2024

89.0%89.0%

About flat, 0.5 ptsvs 88.5% in FY2023

In FY2024, 89.0% of J-1 visa applications were approved: 322,820 visas issued and 39,747 refused. That's about the same as FY2023.

Issued
323k
Refused
40k
Decided
363k
Approval rate by fiscal year
85%90%95%
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Applications decided each year

Every J-1 visa application, issued or refused, by fiscal year.

IssuedRefused

FY2024 · 322,820 issued · 39,747 refused

0100k200k300k400k
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Who gets J-1 visas

J-1 visas issued to each country's nationals, last 12 months against the 12 months before.

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • 🇬🇧
    United Kingdom6.5% of all
    18kUp 11%
    18,344 visas in the last 12 months, 16,578 in the 12 months before
  • 🇲🇽
    Mexico6% of all
    17kAbout flat, 2%
    17,102 visas in the last 12 months, 17,456 in the 12 months before
  • 🇪🇸
    Spain and Andorra4.6% of all
    13kAbout flat, 2.7%
    12,939 visas in the last 12 months, 13,300 in the 12 months before
  • 🇩🇪
    Germany4.3% of all
    12kDown 13%
    12,361 visas in the last 12 months, 14,262 in the 12 months before
  • 🇨🇳
    China4.3% of all
    12kDown 16%
    12,109 visas in the last 12 months, 14,462 in the 12 months before
  • 🇫🇷
    France3.8% of all
    11kDown 6.6%
    10,740 visas in the last 12 months, 11,495 in the 12 months before
  • 🇯🇲
    Jamaica3.5% of all
    10kDown 7.7%
    9,996 visas in the last 12 months, 10,825 in the 12 months before
  • 🇧🇷
    Brazil3.4% of all
    9.8kDown 13%
    9,785 visas in the last 12 months, 11,300 in the 12 months before
  • 🇨🇴
    Colombia3.2% of all
    9.2kDown 25%
    9,207 visas in the last 12 months, 12,296 in the 12 months before
  • 🇵🇪
    Peru3% of all
    8.5kAbout flat, 2.2%
    8,527 visas in the last 12 months, 8,719 in the 12 months before

United Kingdom, Mexico and Spain and Andorra received 17% of all J-1 visas issued in the last 12 months. Among the 20 biggest, Kazakhstan grew the most (+44%) and India fell the most (−39%).

Show the yearly numbers
Applications issued and refused per fiscal year, J-1 visas
Fiscal yearIssuedRefusedApproval rate
FY2024322,82039,74789.0%About flat, 0.5 pts
FY2023316,69340,96188.5%About flat, 0.3 pts
FY2022284,48635,56188.9%Down 2.7 pts
FY2021129,66211,84991.6%Up 1.5 pts
FY2020108,51011,91490.1%Down 1.7 pts
FY2019353,27931,53591.8%

Approval history starts in FY2019, when State Dept began counting applications instead of transactions. Earlier years are not directly comparable.

Compare every visa type's approval rate

About these numbers

Approval rate
Visas issued ÷ (issued + refused), worldwide, for each US fiscal year (October to September). Approval history starts in FY2019, when State Dept began counting each application's final outcome for that year. Earlier reports count transactions, including repeated refusals, so subtracting refusals later overcome doesn't make those years directly comparable. State Dept doesn't publish these tables by country or consulate.
Last 12 months
The 12 months up to the latest month State Dept has published, compared with the 12 months before. Monthly reports arrive a few months late. Calendar years run January to December.
Visas issued, not appointments
Every number here is a visa the US State Department issued. It shows demand and how much the consulates process, not how many interview slots are open.

Source: US Department of State.Monthly nonimmigrant visa issuancesNonimmigrant visa statisticsFY2019 reporting methodologyCheck Visa Slots isn't affiliated with the US government.