A visa refusal is the denial of a nonimmigrant or immigrant visa application by a U.S. consular officer. The reason for the denial, or ground for ineligibility, is given to the visa applicant at the conclusion of formal review. The table below shows the top 25 reasons for non-immigrant visa denials, with the number one being INA 214(b) - failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status, which is commonly known as the "214b - immigrant intent denial":
| No. | Grounds for Refusal Under INA | Visa Refusals | Percentage | |
| 1 | 214(b) | Failure to establish entitlement to nonimmigrant status | 1481471 | 70.32% |
| 2 | 221(g) | Application does not comply with provisions of INA or regulations issued pursuant thereto | 589418 * | 27.98% |
| 3 | 212(a)(6)(C)(i) | Misrepresentation | 7977 | 0.38% |
| 4 | 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(II) | Unlawfully present 365 or more days (within 10 years) | 7849 | 0.37% |
| 5 | 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(I) | Crime Involving Moral Turpitude | 5308 | 0.25% |
| 6 | 212(a)(2)(A)(i)(II) | Controlled Substance Violators | 2841 | 0.13% |
| 7 | 212(a)(6)(E) | Smugglers | 1963 | 0.09% |
| 8 | 212(a)(2)(C)(i) | Illicit Trafficker in Any Controlled Substance | 1607 | 0.08% |
| 9 | 212(a)(9)(B)(i)(I) | Unlawfully present 181-364 days (within 3 years) | 1509 | 0.07% |
| 10 | 212(a)(9)(C) | Unlawfully present after previous immigration violations | 1189 | 0.06% |
| 11 | 212(a)(6)(C)(ii) | Falsely claiming citizenship | 981 | 0.05% |
| 12 | 212(a)(4) | Public Charge | 743 | 0.04% |
| 13 | 212(a)(9)(A)(i) | Ordered removed upon arrival | 494 | 0.02% |
| 14 | 212(a)(9)(A)(ii) | Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding | 481 | 0.02% |
| 15 | 212(a)(3)(B) | Terrorist Activities | 401 | 0.02% |
| 16 | 212(a)(2)(C)(ii) | Spouse, Son, or Daughter Who Benefited from Illicit Activities of Trafficker | 381 | 0.02% |
| 17 | 212(f) | Presidential proclamation | 373 | 0.02% |
| 18 | 212(a)(1)(A)(iii) | Physical or mental disorder | 329 | 0.02% |
| 19 | 212(a)(2)(B) | Multiple Criminal Convictions | 309 | 0.01% |
| 20 | 212(a)(1)(A)(i) | Communicable Disease | 219 | 0.01% |
| 21 | 212(a)(3)(A)(i) | Espionage, sabotage, technology transfer, etc. | 212 | 0.01% |
| 22 | 212(a)(1)(A)(iv) | Drug Abuser or Addict | 189 | 0.01% |
| 23 | 222(g)(2) | Alien in illegal status, required to apply for new NIV in country of alien's nationality | 144 | 0.01% |
| 24 | 212(a)(9)(A)(ii) | Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding multiple removals | 89 | 0.00% |
| 25 | 212(a)(9)(A)(ii) | Ordered removed or departed while removal order outstanding convicted aggravated felony | 66 | 0.00% |
| All others | 351 | 0.02% | ||
| Total Grounds of Ineligibility: | 2106894 | 100.00% | ||
* Majority of refusals under 221(g) are later overcome. "Overcomes" are cases in which an initial decision to deny a visa or suspend processing in a visa case is overcome by the new information or changed circumstances that establishes an applicant's eligibility for the visa (and the visa is then issued).
Source: U.S. Department of State (DOS) Visa Statistics
