FY 2024 Visa Adjudication Trends: What Employers Should Know

In July 2025, the Visa Office of the Department of State published its annual Report of the Visa Office for fiscal year 2024. Frank J. Fogelbach, Managing Attorney, conducted a detailed review of the data to surface insights that matter to the business immigration community. This analysis highlights key government statistics, uncovers emerging trends and offers historical context that may illuminate the connections between immigration outcomes, economic forces, both micro and macro, and shifts in public policy. 

Continue reading to explore the data, trace the trends and discover what the numbers reveal about the evolving landscape of business immigration. 

What Is Visa Adjudication? 

Visa adjudication is the official process by which a consular officer or immigration authority reviews, evaluates and makes a final decision on a visa application. This decision determines whether a visa is issued, refused or delayed due to additional requirements. 

In the context of U.S. immigration, visa adjudication involves: 

• Verifying eligibility under immigration law 
• Assessing supporting documentation and application forms 
• Conducting interviews (for certain visa types) 
• Applying specific refusal grounds such as 214(b) or 221(g) 
• Issuing a final determination on the visa application 

New Visa Reporting Focuses on Applications, Not Applicants 

Since 2019, the Visa Office has used an application-centric methodology for reporting visa statistics. Under this methodology, data is presented based on the final adjudication of each visa application for both Nonimmigrant (NIV) and immigrant visa (IV) categories. The methodology measures the total number of issuances or refusals in a particular scenario as the sum total of all applications issued or refused.  It measures the total number of applications where decisions were ultimately reached, not the total number of applicants regardless of outcome. 

Legal Challenges in FY 2024 Visa Adjudications  

Building on this framework, the FY 2024 data reveal the scale of outcomes of legally contested visa applications: 

• Immigrant Visas (IV): Nearly 274,000 immigrant visa applications were challenged on legal grounds, with roughly 79% of the challenges ultimately successful.  
• Nonimmigrant Visas (NIV): On the NIV side, roughly 3.89 million applications faced legal challenges. Of those, only approximately 18% resulted in successful outcomes.  

These outcome rates offer a high-level view of how legal challenges play out across visa categories. To better understand the underlying factors driving refusals, our team takes a closer look at the specific grounds of ineligibility.  

Top Refusal Grounds and Overcoming Rates in FY 2024 

The following section provides a summary of the most commonly cited grounds for visa refusals across both NIV and IV categories during Fiscal Year 2024. The data reflects the number of unique applications determined to be ineligible for issuance based on specific legal or procedural criteria. 

INA Section	Description	Number of NIV Visa Applicants
		Ineligible	Ineligibility  Overcome	Net Number of Refusals	% Able to Overcome
221(g)	Application does not comply w/ provisions of INA or regulations	225,279	191245	34,933	84.89%
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II)	Unlawful presence 365 or more days )w/in 10yrs)(waiver)	15,986	15,982	4	99.97%
212(a)(6)(C)(i)	Misrepresentation	6,422	1,026	5,396	15.98%
212(a)(9)(C)	Unlawful presence after previous immigration violations	4,285	929	3,187	26.47%
212(a)(6)(E)	Smugglers of aliens	4,285	929	3,187	26.47%
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II)	Unlawful presence 365 or more days (w/in 10 yrs)	3,502	2,029	1,473	57.94%
212(a)(1)(A)(i)(I)	Crime involving moral turpitude	1,861	211	1,650	11.34%
203(c)	Failure to fulfil education and work experience	1,842	52	1,790	2.82%
212(a)(1)(A)(iv)	Drug abuser or addict	1,771	1,092	679	61.66%
204(a)(1)(I)	Failure to comply with Diversity Visa Requirements	1,379	45	1,134	3.26%
Total		266,660	213,758	52.902	80.16%

Key Observations from FY 2024 Refusal Data 

• Section 221(g) was the most frequent reference for ineligibility ground. However, approximately 85% of applicants were ultimately able to overcome the challenge. 
• Applicants deemed unlawfully present for 10+ years faced near-total ineligibility. However, those who obtained a waiver were almost universally able to successfully overcome the refusal.  
• Challenges related to education or work experience requirements proved the most difficult to overcome. Applicants who failed to meet these criteria were rarely able to reverse the refusal.  

Beyond these general patterns, understanding the specific reasons behind visa refusals offers deeper insight into how U.S. immigration law is applied in practice. The following section highlights the most cited grounds of ineligibility and how often applicants were able to overcome them. 

INA Section	Description	Number of NIV Visa Applicants
		Ineligible	Ineligibility  Overcome	Net Number of Refusals	% Able to Overcome
214(b)	Failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status	3,010,544	11,910	2,998,634	0.40%
221(g)	Application does not comply w/ provisions of INA or regulations	809,735	672,461	137,274	83.05%
212(a)(6)(C)(i)	Misrepresentation	17,726	4,047	13,679	22.83%
212(a)(9)(C)	Unlawful presence after previous immigration violations	12,025	2,300	9,725	19.13%
212(a)(1)(A)(i)(I)	Crime involving moral turpitude	8,175	2,476	5,699	30.29%
212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II)	Unlawful presence 365 or more days (w/in 10 yrs)	6,812	498	6,314	7.31%
212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II)	Controlled substance violations	5,498	2,014	3,484	36.63%
212(a)(6)(E)	Smugglers of aliens	4,670	816	3,854	17.47%
212(a)(2)(C)(i)	Illicit trafficker in any controlled substance	3,705	665	3,040	17.95%
212(a)(6)(C)(ii)	Falsely claiming citizenship	1,538	405	1,133	26.33%
Total		3,880,428	697,592	3,182,836	17.98%

Top Refusal Grounds and Overcoming Rates in FY 2024 

• The most referenced ineligibility ground was 214(b), which also had the lowest percentage of eventual success; just 0.4% of applicants were able to overcome the challenge. 
• 221(g) was cited frequently, but 83% of applicants were able to overcome the challenge and proceed with visa issuance. 
• Controlled substance-related ineligibilities, including possession or trafficking, appeared more often in NIV applications than in IV cases. 

Understanding Section 214(b) Refusals 

Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act is the most common reason for nonimmigrant visa denials. It presumes all applicants have immigrant intent unless they can clearly demonstrate otherwise. 

A 214(b) refusal means the consular officer was not convinced the applicant would leave the U.S. after their authorized stay. This judgment is based on the applicant’s ties to their home country and the credibility of their travel purpose. Some common factors may include:  

• Weak home country ties (e.g., limited employment, family or property) 

• Vague or inconsistent travel plans 

• Insufficient documentation 

• Poor interview performance 

• Demographic indicators (e.g., age, marital status, economic profile) 

Important note: H-1B and L visa applicants, and their spouses and minor children, are exempt from the nonimmigrant intent requirement.  

Why Refusal Trends Matter 

Visa data isn’t just numbers; it reflects how policy, process and global mobility intersect. For HR and immigration teams navigating an increasingly complex landscape, understanding refusal trends and adjudication outcomes is critical. This analysis helps employers anticipate challenges, identify risk areas and make more informed decisions when sponsoring foreign talent.  

By surfacing key patterns in visa adjudication and refusal grounds, we aim to equip the business immigration community with the insights needed to stay proactive, compliant and competitive in today’s global workforce environment. 

About Us 

At Envoy Global, we combine smart, friendly legal teams with smart, friendly technology to facilitate immigration for companies and the global talent they depend on. Our holistic, proactive immigration services are built for accuracy and efficiency, always putting people first. 

Reach out today to learn how we can support your company’s immigration needs! 

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About the author: Frank J Fogelbach earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics with a concentration in Econometrics from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.  He worked at the international think tank, The Milken Institute, as an Analyst in the Regional Economics Division before attending law school.  Frank graduated from Tulane University Law School in 2008 and has been practicing immigration law for the past 13 years.  He is currently a Managing Attorney at Corporate Immigration Partners, P.C. Frank is licensed to practice law in New York and California.