World · East Asia & Pacific · 12 hrs ago
US visitor visa refusal rate for South Koreans rose to 24.73%
South Korean applicants faced a sharp rise in US visitor visa refusals in fiscal 2025, which ran from October 2024 to September 2025.
The adjusted refusal rate was 24.73%, up from 14.97% the year before and the highest since 2020.
Japan’s rate fell to 5.68%, while China’s fell to 20.21%, both below South Korea’s rate.
These B1 and B2 visas cover short business trips and tourism, and the adjusted rate accounts for cases where a reason for refusal was later resolved.
South Korea’s foreign ministry said stricter US immigration policies may have contributed, as immigration has become a major issue in US domestic politics.
The US does not disclose specific reasons for visa refusals, so South Korean officials say they cannot determine exactly why the rate rose.
South Koreans’ adjusted US visitor visa refusal rate reached 24.73% in the 2025 US fiscal year, the highest level since 2020.
The rate was 9.76 percentage points above the previous fiscal year’s 14.97%.
The rate for South Koreans rose while rates for Japanese and Chinese applicants fell.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said tighter US immigration policy may have contributed to the increase.
US authorities do not disclose the detailed reasons for visa refusals, according to the ministry.
- Who
- South Korean applicants for US visitor visas.
- What
- Their adjusted refusal rate rose to 24.73%.
- When
- The 2025 US fiscal year, from October 2024 to September 2025.
- Where
- United States.
- Why
- The Foreign Ministry said stronger US immigration policy may have influenced visa screening; exact refusal reasons are not disclosed.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
South Koreans’ US visitor visa refusal rate was 8.46%.
The rate rose to 18.03%.
The rate was 17.38% in 2022, 14.44% in 2023 and 14.97% in 2024.
The rate reached 24.73% in the 2025 US fiscal year.
- South Korean refusal rate
- 24.73% in US fiscal year 2025
- Change from previous year
- Up 9.76 percentage points from 14.97%
- US fiscal year 2025
- October 2024–September 2025
- Japanese refusal rate
- 5.68%, down from 5.76%
- Chinese refusal rate
- 20.21%, down from 25.37%
What people are saying
The reasons for visa refusals are not disclosed by the US side, so it is difficult to identify the exact details
We suspect that the issue of immigration in the US becoming a sharply contested domestic political matter influenced the strengthening of visa screening policies