Data & insights
Visa approval data by route
Approximate approval rates, the money you need, and the most common refusal reasons for major visa routes — compiled from official government sources. Rates are educational estimates for a typical applicant; your own odds depend on your profile.
Last reviewed July 2026.
Official datasets we republish in full
Governments publish visa outcomes as PDFs and spreadsheets almost nobody reads. These pages restate them in full, unmodified, with the source file linked on every table.
US visa refusal rates by country →
State Department adjusted refusal rates for B1/B2 visas — 199 nationalities, FY2025 against FY2024.
Schengen visa refusal rates by country →
European Commission consulate statistics for 2025 — applications, issuances and refusal rates, with 2024 comparison.
Schengen money requirements by country →
The reference amount each Schengen state actually requires, quoted from Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook.
US visa wait times by embassy →
Interview wait times at all 241 US posts, for visitor, student and work categories.
Approval & requirements by route
| Route | Base approval | Key financial requirement | Top refusal reason | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UAE · Work | 95% | No applicant funds threshold — the sponsoring employer handles fees and pays your salary. A valid labour contract is the key document. | Employer quota or labour-approval problems | The United Arab Emirates' Government portal (u.ae) |
| UAE · Golden / Investor | 95% | Real-estate route: property with a certified value of at least AED 2,000,000 (~US$545,000). Mortgaged property qualifies if paid-up equity reaches AED 2M (with a bank NOC), and off-plan from approved developers is eligible. Non-property routes need AED 2M in an approved fund or a qualifying business; the skilled-professional route needs a salary of at least AED 30,000/month. | Property equity below AED 2M, held in a company name, or not registered with the Land Department | UAE Government portal (u.ae) |
| UAE · Tourist / Visitor | 93% | No standard applicant funds threshold — the sponsor guarantees the stay. Some channels ask for proof of accommodation or a return ticket rather than bank statements. | Previous UAE overstay or immigration violation | The United Arab Emirates' Government portal (u.ae) |
| Greece · Golden / Investor | 92% | Real estate: €800,000 in high-demand areas (Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini, islands over 3,100 people) or €400,000 elsewhere — each a single property of at least 120 m² — or €250,000 only for commercial-to-residential conversions or listed-building restorations. Non-real-estate options include a €500,000 bank deposit, bonds or shares, or €350,000 in a Greece-focused fund. | Source-of-funds or KYC failure — the single most common reason | Greek Ministry of Migration and Asylum (migration.gov.gr) |
| UK · Student | 90% | Course fees (or first-year fees) plus £1,529/month for courses in London or £1,171/month outside London, for up to 9 months — held for 28 straight days ending within 31 days of applying. | Funds not held for the full 28-day period | GOV.UK — UK Home Office |
| Portugal · Golden / Investor | 90% | From €250,000 (cultural-heritage donation; €200,000 in low-density areas) up to €500,000 for the mainstream routes — a regulated venture-capital/private-equity fund, scientific research, or €500,000 plus 5 jobs in a company. The real-estate and old €1.5M capital-transfer routes were removed in October 2023. | Trying to use a route that no longer qualifies (real estate or the old capital transfer) | AIMA — Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (aima.gov.pt) |
| Australia · Student | 89% | Evidence of funds covering travel + tuition + 12 months' living costs, OR personal annual income of at least AUD$60,000 (AUD$70,000 if accompanied by family members). | Fails the Genuine Student requirement | Australian Government — Department of Home Affairs |
| UK · Work | 89% | Salary must meet £41,700/year or the going rate for your occupation (higher of the two); lower thresholds exist for new entrants and shortage roles. Plus £1,270 in savings unless the sponsor certifies maintenance. | Salary below the general threshold or the occupation's going rate | GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job (salary rules) |
| Netherlands · Student | 89% | €1,130.77 per month for higher-professional or university study (the IND norm in force 1 January – 31 December 2026) — most students evidence 12 months, about €13,569, on top of tuition. Own funds, a deposit to the university, a scholarship or a sponsor are all accepted. | Funds not proven by an IND-accepted method, or bank statements older than 3 months | IND — required amounts (income requirements) |
| Schengen · Student | 88% | Country-specific: e.g. Germany requires a blocked account of about €11,904/year (2025); others accept a scholarship award or bank evidence of living costs. | Funds or scholarship not adequately proven | European Commission — Migration and Home Affairs |
| Portugal · Residence / Long-stay | 88% | Passive income of at least €920/month — €11,040/year (100% of Portugal's 2026 minimum wage) — plus +50% for a spouse (~€460) and +30% per child (~€276). You also typically need ~€11,040 in savings in a Portuguese bank. Amounts rise every January with the minimum wage. | Income is active (a salary or freelance earnings) rather than passive — apply for the D8 instead | Portugal MFA — National Visas (vistos.mne.gov.pt) |
| Germany · Student | 88% | €11,904 for the first year in a blocked account, released at €992 per month — the amount in force since 1 January 2025, tied to the BAföG maximum rate. A recognised scholarship or a sponsor's §68 declaration of commitment can substitute. Public universities charge no tuition in most federal states, but budget a semester contribution of about €150–€350. | Blocked account short of €11,904, funded late, or held with a provider the mission does not recognise | German Federal Foreign Office — national visa for study purposes (requirements sheet) |
| USA · Work | 87% | No personal funds test. What matters is the employer's petition and that the offered wage meets the required wage level for the role and location. | Petition problems — the job or qualifications don't hold up | U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs |
| France · Student | 87% | At least €877.50 per month for the duration of your stay — about €10,530 for a full year. This replaced the long-standing €615/month threshold on 1 August 2026, so applications from that date are assessed against the higher figure. Evidence via bank statements, a scholarship award, or a sponsor's attestation backed by their own finances. | An unconvincing EEF file or interview — a study plan that doesn't fit your academic background | French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs — resource threshold for student visas |
| Italy · Student | 87% | Roughly €460–€535 per month — about €6,000–€7,000 per academic year — per the consular tables in force; the exact figure varies slightly by consulate, so check your consulate's current amount. | Funds below the consular threshold, or unverifiable statements | Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs — Study in Italy: visa |
| Spain · Digital Nomad | 86% | About €2,850/month — €34,188/year (200% of Spain's minimum wage, the SMI) — plus roughly 75% (~€1,065) for the first family member and 25% (~€357) for each additional one. The figure rises when the SMI is raised. | Income below about €2,850/month, or not consistently documented | Spain — UGE-CE International Teleworker, Ministry of Inclusion (inclusion.gob.es) |
| Greece · Tourist / Visitor | 86% | €50 per person per day, minimum €300. Greece fixes €50 per person per day, with a floor of €300 for any stay of up to five days. The amounts are halved for minors. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| Australia · Tourist / Visitor | 85% | No official minimum. Show funds that credibly cover flights, accommodation and daily costs for your stay — steady bank statements beat a one-off deposit. | Officer not satisfied you are a genuine visitor | Australian Government — Department of Home Affairs |
| Portugal · Digital Nomad | 85% | Remote income of at least €3,680/month — four times Portugal's 2026 minimum wage (~€44,160/year) — plus +50% for a spouse (~€460) and +30% per child (~€276), and around €11,040 in savings. AIMA applies the minimum wage in force at your appointment date, and it rises each January. | Income below €3,680/month, or inconsistent month to month | Portugal MFA — National Visas (vistos.mne.gov.pt) |
| Spain · Residence / Long-stay | 85% | About €2,400/month — €28,800/year (400% of Spain's IPREM, which is €600/month in 2026) — plus €600/month (€7,200/year) for each additional family member. Because IPREM is unchanged for 2026, these figures are stable. | Insufficient or unstable funds below the 400% IPREM threshold | Spain MFA — Non-lucrative residence visa (exteriores.gob.es) |
| Netherlands · Tourist / Visitor | 85% | €55 per person per day. Dutch border officers work from €55 per person per day, applied flexibly against the planned duration, the reason for the visit and the applicant's personal circumstances. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| Portugal · Tourist / Visitor | 85% | €75 per entry plus €40 per day. Portugal asks for €75 on entry plus €40 for each day spent in the country. Applicants who can prove board and lodging are guaranteed for the whole stay may be exempted. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| Schengen · Tourist / Visitor | 84% | There is no single Schengen-wide amount: each member state fixes its own means-of-subsistence reference figure, and the one that counts is the country you apply to. They range widely — €40/day plus €75 on entry in Portugal, €50/day in Greece, €55/day in the Netherlands, €120/day in France without a hotel booking, and €122.10/day with a €1,098.90 floor in Spain, while Germany sets no fixed figure and assesses case by case. The European Commission compiles all of them in Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25, Visa Code Practical Handbook (national reference amounts) |
| Germany · Tourist / Visitor | 84% | No fixed daily amount — assessed case by case. Germany has deliberately not set a mandatory per-day reference amount. Border and consular officers assess each applicant individually against the cost of the planned stay, including the return journey. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| Spain · Tourist / Visitor | 84% | €122.10 per day, and never less than €1,098.90. Spain pegs the requirement to the national minimum wage: 10% of the gross minimum wage — €122.10 — per day of the intended stay and per dependant, subject to an absolute floor of 90% of the gross minimum wage, €1,098.90 per person, whatever the length of the trip. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| France · Tourist / Visitor | 83% | €65/day with a hotel booking, €120/day without. France benchmarks against the daily SMIC (minimum wage), stated as €65.00 per day. Since 19 June 2014, an applicant with no hotel reservation must show €120 per day; where a booking covers part of the stay, €65 applies to the booked nights and €120 to the rest. With a certified attestation d'accueil the requirement halves to €32.50 per day. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| UK · Tourist / Visitor | 82% | No set minimum. Show you can cover the trip without working in the UK and have clear reasons to return home. | Doubt that you will actually leave the UK | GOV.UK — UK Home Office |
| Italy · Tourist / Visitor | 82% | €269.60 for a trip of up to 5 days, then a sliding scale. Italy publishes a table rather than a flat rate. A solo traveller needs a fixed €269.60 for 1–5 days; €44.93 per day for 6–10 days; €51.64 plus €36.67 per day for 11–20 days; and €206.58 plus €27.89 per day beyond 20 days. Every amount is lower per head when two or more people travel together. | Insufficient or unclear means of subsistence | European Commission — Annex 25 of the Visa Code Practical Handbook: reference amounts required for the crossing of the external border, fixed by national authorities |
| USA · Tourist / Visitor | 80% | No official minimum. Show funds that comfortably cover the whole trip plus evidence of ongoing income and ties — officers weigh your entire profile, not a single number. | Section 214(b) — weak home ties or perceived immigrant intent (the most common reason) | U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs |
| Canada · Work | 79% | No fixed savings figure for employer-specific permits, but show enough to settle initially and support yourself until wages start; open-permit streams may set their own funds rules. | Doubts the job offer or LMIA is genuine | IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada |
| USA · Student | 74% | Show funds covering the first-year tuition and living costs stated on your I-20 — documented, genuine, and readily available. | Section 214(b) — perceived immigrant intent | U.S. Department of State — Bureau of Consular Affairs |
| Canada · Tourist / Visitor | 68% | No set figure. Show enough to maintain yourself for the visit and return home — six months of bank statements plus income evidence; more for longer stays or if you pay for accommodation. | Insufficient ties / doubt you will leave Canada | IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada |
| Canada · Student | 62% | CAD$22,895 in living costs for a single applicant (the band in force for applications on or after 1 September 2025, up from CAD$20,635), plus first-year tuition and travel. It rises with family size — CAD$28,502 for two people, CAD$35,040 for three. | Funds insufficient or not credibly sourced | IRCC — Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada |
Base approval = approximate rate for a moderate-profile applicant, before nationality and personal factors. Educational estimates, not official per-application odds.
The most common reasons visas are refused
Across the routes we track, refusals cluster into a handful of themes:
- Other 42 routes
- Insufficient or unexplained funds 40 routes
- Missing or incorrect documents 30 routes
- Unclear purpose or unconvincing plan 24 routes
- Weak ties / doubt you will return home 17 routes
- Prior overstay or immigration breach 13 routes
The pattern is consistent: ties, funds, and a credible purpose decide most cases. See how we weight them or estimate your own odds.
