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

Official US State Department data

M-1 visa approval rate

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

Data through FY2024

M-1 visa applications approved, FY2024

US fiscal year: October 2023 to September 2024

73.9%73.9%

Down 0.8 ptsvs 74.7% in FY2023

In FY2024, 73.9% of M-1 visa applications were approved: 6,322 visas issued and 2,237 refused. That's 0.8 pts lower than FY2023.

Issued
6.3k
Refused
2.2k
Decided
8.6k
Approval rate by fiscal year
70%75%80%
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Applications decided each year

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

IssuedRefused

FY2024 · 6,322 issued · 2,237 refused

02.5k5k7.5k10k13k
FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24

Who gets M-1 visas

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

Last 12 monthsThe 12 months before
  • 🇮🇳
    India13% of all
    779Down 28%
    779 visas in the last 12 months, 1,078 in the 12 months before
  • 🇬🇧
    United Kingdom9.1% of all
    553Up 4.9%
    553 visas in the last 12 months, 527 in the 12 months before
  • 🇧🇷
    Brazil8% of all
    486Up 33%
    486 visas in the last 12 months, 366 in the 12 months before
  • 🇯🇵
    Japan6.4% of all
    390Down 8.5%
    390 visas in the last 12 months, 426 in the 12 months before
  • 🇸🇦
    Saudi Arabia6% of all
    365Down 6.6%
    365 visas in the last 12 months, 391 in the 12 months before
  • 🇲🇽
    Mexico5.4% of all
    331Up 6.4%
    331 visas in the last 12 months, 311 in the 12 months before
  • 🇩🇪
    Germany4.7% of all
    287About flat, 0%
    287 visas in the last 12 months, 287 in the 12 months before
  • 🇰🇷
    South Korea4.3% of all
    261Down 11%
    261 visas in the last 12 months, 292 in the 12 months before
  • 🇫🇷
    France3.9% of all
    239Up 21%
    239 visas in the last 12 months, 198 in the 12 months before
  • 🇹🇼
    Taiwan3.3% of all
    203Up 31%
    203 visas in the last 12 months, 155 in the 12 months before

India, United Kingdom and Brazil received 30% of all M-1 visas issued in the last 12 months. Among the 20 biggest, Argentina grew the most (+47%) and Hong Kong fell the most (−61%).

Show the yearly numbers
Applications issued and refused per fiscal year, M-1 visas
Fiscal yearIssuedRefusedApproval rate
FY20246,3222,23773.9%Down 0.8 pts
FY20236,0522,05174.7%Up 1.4 pts
FY20225,2711,91773.3%Down 4.9 pts
FY20214,5541,26578.3%Up 0.7 pts
FY20203,9281,13477.6%Down 1.1 pts
FY20199,2272,50278.7%

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.