The numbers tell us denials are increasing
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Recent reports from the US Department of State don’t give very reassuring immigration statistics. Unfortunately, it looks like the denials rates are increasing for the K-1 visa.
It’s quite probable that the recent turn of events are due to the tightening security measures, extreme vetting of K-1 visa applicants, and recent change of administration (President Trump’s agenda).
Historically, certain parts of the world see more K-1 visa approvals than others. These trends repeat often. On the other hand, certain nations don’t consider the fiance visa as a popular option. The same trend goes for the I-129f statistics.
Although it won’t predict whether or not your case is approved, it does put the difficulty into perspective. Imagine going into a high-denial Embassy with a host of “Red flags”. What would the outcome be? Take a look and decide for yourself.
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General Statistics of the K-1 visa process
Lucky for us, the US Department of State publishes an annual list of statistics about various visa categories. There’s none specifically for the K-1 visa, so we pull the data out of several publications. Data for 2020 hasn’t been released yet, so here is the latest of 2019.
You can rest assured that these Official visa statistics are credible and come straight from the source. Let’s take a look at what they mean.
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K-1 Visas issuance is holding steady
Despite a blimp in 2018 when President Trump made sweeping immigration changes (and scaring folks), the K visa has regained its momentum. Apparently, K visas are still one of the types of nonimmigrant visas least issued (in terms of numbers).
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This means more and more couples are aware of the K-1 visa. And a higher number of visas are being issued. Doesn’t that sound great?
Actually it is good news, but it’s coupled with some bad news, as you’ll see in the next section.
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This is a scary thought and also confusing. How can denials be increasing while the visa issuances are going up?
The truth is the percent of denials have also gotten higher. Even though more and more couples are applying for the K-1 visa. So, it’s a comparison of actual K-1 visa numbers versus denial percentage. Numbers versus percentage.
In the past, the K-1 boasted high % approval rates, which was simply astounding.You won’t see high approvals like this anymore, now we’re in the low 80% range.
Examine for yourself the “issued”, “refused” and “totals”. (Remember to add waived/overcome in your calculation for approvals).
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The “Waived/overcome” column isn’t available anymore, but it used to mean the number of applicants were originally denied, but ended up being approved after waivers (or administrative processing).
You can see this table at the Non–immigrant visa statistics page of the DOS. Compare previous years with the latest year. You’ll see a distinct trend.
An important note is that the DOS doesn’t publish individual country’s K-1 visa denial rates. Therefore, it’s impossible to tell which countries get higher refusals than others.
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In the past, there was a column in the table with the “waived/overcome” numbers, meaning those unlucky couples who’re rejected their first time at the interview and had to undergo administrative process. That was an incredibly high 37%. This includes full denials due to inadmissibility as well as those under administrative processing. And out of those 37% rejected, only 55% of those applicants are waived/overcome and approved for the visa. Now this data isn’t available anymore.
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After approval of their K-1 visa, it seems like no one changes their mind. From the Dep’t of Homeland Security’s website on I-94 Admissions of K-1 visa applicants, almost 100% of the approved visas are used to enter the U.S. In short, it means everyone approved ends up coming to the U.S.
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Since the K-1 visa has a short expiration date it must be used within 6 months — which means that the numbers are more accurate for each fiscal year. The slight differences in the numbers are due to the accounting of “fiscal year”. That means visas granted in a calendar year may be used a few months later in the next year.
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K-1 visa Statistics by Country
Here are some interesting figures from the different countries and regions around the world. Surely, it’s worth comparing your case with the “typical” numbers of others in your country.
Again, you can verify these numbers from the Report of Visa office (statistics) page of the Department of State (responsible for visa oversight).
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The DOS does not publish refusal rates in each country. They only let us know refusals of the total world.
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The winner is…
The Philippines (21% of world Total K Visas). Wait, it gets even better. The Philippines is also the highest in Asia with 49% of Asian totals. For a very long time, the Philippines in the reigning champion of Fiance visa approvals.
Let’s take a look at the regions around the world
African nations
Approvals: Had 3,549 Fiance K-1 (and K-2) Visas issued in 2019. Shockingly, some nations had as few as 0-1 visa each year. Nigeria accounts for 19% of the Fiance visas issued in Africa.
Asian nations
Approvals: Had over 17,681 Fiance visas issued in 2019. The vast majority was in one nation alone: the Philippines (49%) of total Asian K visas issued. The Philippines is a popular country where K-1 visas are in high demand. Followed by Vietnam, Mainland China and India.
European Countries
Approvals: Saw a total of 7,533 visas granted in 2019. The United Kingdom (U.K.) receives the highest with 20% of those approved. Followed only by Ukraine by 14 percent.
North America and Caribbean
Approvals: Received 7,695 approved fiance visas. The number 1 position is the Mexico (26%) of those visas. Followed by the Dominican Republic, Canada and Haiti.
South America
Approvals: Had 4,039 Fiance visas issued in 2019. The majority came from Colombia (32%) and Brazil (30%) of the approved visas.
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Hi, I’m Prem…
Let me show you how to confidently get the Fiance Visa on your own.
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Hello…
Amazing web site. I am sure I will sign up for your k1 visa program. Until then, I have a few concerns. BTW, I am a worrier and an over-achiever by nature, so in reality, that helps me put in more effort than most folks. Here are the areas that concern me.
Before I list them, though, I must share that I have never known anything as much as I know how much my boyfriend loves me. My concerns reflect that we look like a great candidate couple for 90 Day Fiance! Outwardly, we fit every stereotype from that show. We check every box.
1. We are two men, and he is 31 years younger than me. (56, 25) I am in Ohio, he lives in Colombia. I wish our ages were not that different, but they are. I also know how it looks, but trust me, we love each other. I have to say this here, but in the world of gay men, an age difference make much less difference than with straight couples. Gay men cannot be as selective as straight men simply from a numbers standpoint. Also, my other long-term relationship was when I was 26 and my partner was 52. It’s not a big deal to me or my boyfriend, but it may be for the interviewer?
2. I am supporting him now simply for the fact that the economy there is so different than mine in the U.S.. He has nothing…no job, no money. I am devoted to continue to do that as I have a good income, but I am no Donald Trump….and I say that happily. I am a teacher (with 5 college degrees–two PhDs and a seminary degree, as part of my education collection.) He does have ambition. He is an amazing cook, so I plan for him to get a GED, then graduate culinary school. He needs to be a chef, and we share that vision for him. I would hope this will not be seen in a negative light at the interview.
3. We do not speak the same language–I have always stunk and learning foreign languages, but I will try if it helps. I have paid for him to attend English langauge classes there, an he has been going regularly until the virus started for over a year. He has no plans of stopping learning.
4. This next question may be unique, so I need to know if we should bring it up at the interview. His body is now covered with tattoos–all carefully planned–but every single one is in regard to our love for each other. On one arm, it reads “Oscar loves Terry.” On his chest is a beautiful and detailed rendering of a young woman next to a bull’s head…Virgo and Taurus. Our hyphenated last names are elsewhere, etc. etc. The tattoo artists have said to me they have never seen anyone so in love and dedicated to another person. Do we mention this?
5. We are so different, but our differences complement each other. I am logical, he is emotional. He is my intellectual equal–he sings love songs to me daily and wrires the most beautiful poetry. We each need the other on so many levels, but how do we convey this need? Is it obvious how I feel about this man? 🙂
Sorry for such a lengthy posting. Anything you can say will be much appreciated.
Hello Prem,
I have 3 questions, I’d be very grateful if you could please answer these.
1. My Fiancee is applying for a K1 visa and I’m an Indian Citizen, currently, in Hyderabad, I wanted to which US embassy will I have my interview in? Whether Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi or Chennai? Because there are a lot of people saying that K1 visa interviews happen only in Mumbai. Please let me know.
2. I have a lot of chats however in our regional language transliteration, please let me know how do we attach those?
3. When we attach the chats, how should we take the screenshot? With the name or the number?
Thank you so much in advance.
Regards,
Noor
Hello,
My U.S. fiancee is about to apply for a K1 visa for me, I am a UK citizen. We are using a lawyer to apply. He’s 28 years old and hasn’t ever paid taxes so he doesn’t have a proof of income. He says that his friend could be a co-sponsor, but because my fiancee can’t get a co-sponsor who is a relative, our case could be weaker. I have a degree, have worked part time jobs in the past and have lots of money in my bank.
I’m worried and feeling that I won’t get a K1 visa. What do you think?
I( beneficariy) of K1 visa was Canadian Permanent Resident with China’s citizenship. I got Canadian citizenship in Sep 2018. When my petitoner was filling 1-129F in April 2018, she put “China” in “Beneficiary’s Country of Citizenship or Nationality”. Now she is filing 1-134, what is supposed to put in Part 2-5. “Beneficiary’s Country of Citizenship or Nationality”?
1.”China”
2.”China and Canada”
3.”Canada”??
I appreciate your advice. Thanks!!
Hi, my fiance has filed k1 visa for me on 25th may . Me and my family applied for tourist visa and the interview was on 9th may , we got denied . At that time the interviewer had seen my promise ring and asked me that whether i am engaged i said no as it was a promise ring .. me and my fiance we got engaged in may itself when he visited me for the second time! Will this create a problem for me in k1 visa?
We got denied in the first interview. I was unable to join my fiance’e and her daughters. She told me the interviewer said she didn’t have “enough Proof” of our relationship! She said he also stated he thought she was just coming to the states to work, when she never mentioned anything about work. Its taken 2 months for the case to get back to USCIS. And now I hear it may be up to another 180 Days for them to “review?”
Hi Prem,
This is my first time applying for the fiancé visa. My boyfriend and I are both Albanian. I’m concerned about submitting it due to the following
1. He has gotten “arrested” a few times but was never charged with a crime
2. He’s self employed but in Albania there’s no record
3. We have about 5-6 pictures together
4. We have communicated for over a year but we’re not lovey dubby with each other it’s somewhat a cultural thing
I’m hesitant to submit the petition because I’m afraid it’s going to be denied do you think we should wait
On September 4th my fiance had his interview and they gave him the white paper stating that he was denied (all based on age). I recently checked the CEAC site and I see that our case is in AP. I would think that if the case was denied that they would have indicated that on the CEAC site and already sent our case back. Im wondering if maybe they are rethinking it and that perhaps we still have a shot. I have already emailed the Embassy in Morocco but no response just yet. Your thoughts?
Hello I have been reading your questions and answers.. One thing I have noticed is that there are no postings for K1 visas She lives in Thailand. We are in the system waiting for approval. Just curious.
Interesting. I think that since Trump took over, the quality of fiance visa has improved. They’re now more focused on the person coming in rather than the quantity just for the sake of numbers. I hired a local lawyer and I live in a heavy immigrant community (to the point that you no longer need to learn English, let alone adapt to American culture) and they’ve been having success rates and approvals.
For some reason I can not reply to message you replied with. According to his previous “attorney,” she said that she would close his case out. He never had an interview set up with immigration to hear his asylum case and left prior to that ever happening. He left prior to even obtaining his work permit. The place he used for legal services was absolutely horrific and is pretty much the reason why everything for him failed and he had to return. We didn’t ever even receive a receipt from USCIS saying that his application for asylum received, or that his asylum application was withdrawn. So at this point, we have no idea what is even going on with his case and have been left 100% in the dark. I went to another attorney in Miami for a consultation but I feel like I left with a lot of unanswered questions. And I don’t want to keep spending $100-$200 every time I ask an attorney a few questions. I really don’t know what to do to get him back here. I’m afraid of spending thousands between attorney fees and immigration filing fees to end up with him not being approved for either visa. Even worse, I’d be afraid to be married, apply for the visa, and then him be denied for the CR-1 visa. I really have no idea what happens then. Then we’re married and have to live thousands of miles away from eachother? Because I can’t go to Venezuela to live there permanently.
My boyfriend and I have been trying to decide if we want to do the fiancé K1 visa or spouse CR-1 visa. He is from Venezuela. While he was in the US, he had a pending asylum application and overstayed his visa by 60 days. However, for numerous reasons, he returned home and is now, of course, unable to return. We have been together since Oct 2017 and were together the entire time he was in the US for 8 months. He is now back in Venezuela and we want to be together still. However, I am afraid that his previous overstay (even though 60 days doesn’t incur the 3 year bar) and due to the fact that he began the asylum process and then left before he had an interview, will cause us a lot of problems. Everything else can be easily overcome for us, as we have hundreds of photos together, communication every day throughout the day, etc. I am a little concerned about traveling to Venezuela to get married due to the situation there, and I am worried that if we marry and I petition for a CR-1, and it is not approved, then we are both married but unable to be together. Then what happens? We have to divorce just because immigration says we can’t be together? I am having difficulty understanding this. We would both rather do the fiancé visa, as it is somewhat faster and it would be much easier for both of us to be able to marry here, but as I’ve read on other sites, it is not as likely to be approved as a CR-1 visa. Any advice that anyone can provide?
Thank you for the reply and I feel much better! We unfortunately had to call UCIS as our petition is still pending and the nice lady says that is odd as we should have heard a decision by now and she filed a service ticket to see what is going on..we had a rfe that we submitted the required documents and they received it on April 17. The ticket was filed three days ago. Does the pending mean we can be denied and does it usually mean denial? I sure hope not..
Thank you for your advice!
Is age really a factor in visa denials? Is india hard to get a k1 visa?
Hi! Just curious and nervous..I’m Canadian and was given a voluntary withdrawal last July when I was coming to visit my now fiancee for a couple months. I was told I do not have strong ties to Canada at that time and I had to give a statement and prints. I have the statement still and I was told by Border Security, I am not in trouble but they weren’t going to let me in this time until I prove I have ties to home. I was let in three times since ( secondary screening each time of course). My question is, will, do you think, this will be an issue when I go in for my interview? I’m very nervous because we have come so far and my fiancee can’t come visit me sadly due to an old dui..
Thank you for any opinions and ease my nerves.
In your experience is El Salvador a tough embassy for approval?
Do you know of any resources or cases specifically for same sex couples? I am planning to apply for a K1 visa from my fiance in Algeria. We don’t have the option of any other visa because Algeria doesn’t recognize same sex relationships. In looking at the statistics, there doesn’t seem to be a lot of visas coming out of Algeria. I am not sure if this is a lack of total applications or a high rate of denials.
Do you have any stats on K1 Visas granted to Moroccans in 2017 and/or 2016?
Thank you very much!