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

Official US State Department data

L-1 visa approval rate

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

Data through FY2024

L-1 visa applications approved, FY2024

US fiscal year: October 2023 to September 2024

96.1%96.1%

Down 0.6 ptsvs 96.7% in FY2023

In FY2024, 96.1% of L-1 visa applications were approved: 71,799 visas issued and 2,914 refused. That's 0.6 pts lower than FY2023.

Issued
72k
Refused
2.9k
Decided
75k
Approval rate by fiscal year
85%90%95%100%
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Applications decided each year

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

IssuedRefused

FY2024 · 71,799 issued · 2,914 refused

025k50k75k100k
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Who gets L-1 visas

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

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • 🇮🇳
    India24% of all
    17kDown 14%
    17,420 visas in the last 12 months, 20,299 in the 12 months before
  • 🇨🇳
    China8.8% of all
    6.5kAbout flat, 2.6%
    6,471 visas in the last 12 months, 6,306 in the 12 months before
  • 🇬🇧
    United Kingdom6.2% of all
    4.6kDown 4%
    4,567 visas in the last 12 months, 4,757 in the 12 months before
  • 🇧🇷
    Brazil6.1% of all
    4.5kDown 8%
    4,499 visas in the last 12 months, 4,891 in the 12 months before
  • 🇰🇷
    South Korea5.6% of all
    4.1kUp 45%
    4,106 visas in the last 12 months, 2,830 in the 12 months before
  • 🇲🇽
    Mexico5.2% of all
    3.9kUp 5.9%
    3,872 visas in the last 12 months, 3,658 in the 12 months before
  • 🇩🇪
    Germany4.4% of all
    3.2kUp 15%
    3,226 visas in the last 12 months, 2,812 in the 12 months before
  • 🇯🇵
    Japan4.3% of all
    3.2kDown 8.5%
    3,192 visas in the last 12 months, 3,490 in the 12 months before
  • 🇫🇷
    France4.2% of all
    3.1kAbout flat, 1%
    3,108 visas in the last 12 months, 3,076 in the 12 months before
  • 🇮🇹
    Italy2% of all
    1.5kDown 5.5%
    1,498 visas in the last 12 months, 1,585 in the 12 months before

India, China and United Kingdom received 39% of all L-1 visas issued in the last 12 months. Among the 20 biggest, South Korea grew the most (+45%) and India fell the most (−14%).

Show the yearly numbers
Applications issued and refused per fiscal year, L-1 visas
Fiscal yearIssuedRefusedApproval rate
FY202471,7992,91496.1%Down 0.6 pts
FY202376,6712,60796.7%About flat, 0.4 pts
FY202272,9582,19997.1%Up 2.9 pts
FY202124,8631,54394.2%Up 2.7 pts
FY202035,9423,34491.5%Up 1.5 pts
FY201976,9888,57890.0%

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.