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🇸🇴 Somali citizens · 🇺🇸 USA · Business

USA business visa success rate for Somali citizens (FY2025)

16.5% of Somali B1/B2 visitor-visa applications to the United States were approved in FY2025, the US fiscal year that ended on 30 September 2025 — the other 83.5% were refused. Approval is down from 23% in FY2024. The State Department publishes this on an adjusted basis, excluding refusals that were later overcome. It is a nationality-wide outcome across every US post, not a probability for your own case: it takes no account of your finances, employment, ties to Somalia, travel history or any previous refusal — which is what the consular officer actually weighs. The estimator below weighs your own finances, ties, travel history and refusal record instead.

Last reviewed August 2026 per our editorial standards. Rate: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality .

For Somali citizens applying, a business visa to the United States is decided mainly on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. Public statistics point to an approximate base approval of around 19% for this route — but your own profile can move that figure a lot in either direction. Published approval rates for Somalia run at 16.5% on US visitor visas in FY2025.

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Where Somalia sits in the official data

Two governments publish visa outcomes broken down by country. Neither predicts an individual decision, but together they show how Somali applicants fare relative to everyone else, and which of the destinations we cover currently refuses the fewest applications from Somalia.

UK business visas — year to March 2026

The UK is the only government that publishes outcomes by nationality and visa type, so it is the one place a business-visa figure for Somalia actually exists. 66.3% of Somali business applications were refused across 1,053 decisions , against 60.5% the year before. That volume makes Somalia the 83rd-largest source of UK business applicants, of 110 countries with meaningful numbers. Different country, different rules — a reference point, not your odds here.

US visitor visas — FY2025

A 83.5% adjusted refusal rate places Somalia 197th of 199 nationalities the State Department publishes — a lower refusal rate than 1% of them. The median nationality sits at 31.8%, so Somalia is 51.7 points above it.

The European Commission's Schengen table carries no row for Somalia at any volume, so the US and UK figures above are the only two nationality-level rates published for Somali applicants anywhere. They run 84% refused in the US against 66% refused in the UK — 18 points apart — a reminder that these are two different visas assessed under two different systems, not one "how strict is this country" score. Volume is the other half of the picture: 1,053 business decisions make Somalia the 83rd-largest source the UK sees for that category, of 110 countries with a meaningful number.

Sources: U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality and European Commission — Schengen short-stay visa statistics for consulates . Schengen figures are grouped by the country an application was lodged in, not by passport.

Frequently asked questions

What is the USA business visa refusal rate for Somali citizens?

83.5% in FY2025, against 77% in FY2024 — meaning 16.5% of decided cases ended in a visa. Share of Somalia B1/B2 visitor-visa cases refused in the US fiscal year ending 30 September 2025, on the State Department's adjusted basis: refusals that were later overcome are removed from both the numerator and the denominator, so the figure is refusals ÷ (issuances + net refusals). It covers visitor visas only and describes the nationality as a whole — it is not a probability for an individual application. Your own case is assessed on its own evidence, so use the estimator on this page rather than the average.

Where does this USA refusal-rate figure come from?

From U.S. Department of State — Adjusted Refusal Rate, B-Visas Only, by Nationality, covering FY2025. We restate the published figure without adjustment and link the source file directly, so you can check it yourself.

What matters most for a USA business visa?

Officers focus on whether your trip is a genuine, short business visit. In practice the single biggest lever is a credible invitation and ties, so make that part of your application as strong and well-documented as possible.

Does a previous visa refusal affect my chances?

Yes. A prior refusal weighs on new applications until its underlying reason is addressed. Find out exactly why you were refused, fix what caused it, and clearly show what is different this time.

Is this a guarantee of approval?

No. GetVisaOdds is an educational planning tool, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Only a consular or immigration officer can decide your application. We show approximate odds and the reasons behind them so you can prepare better.

Is my information private?

Completely. The estimate runs entirely in your browser. Your answers are never sent to a server or stored — there is no sign-up and nothing to leak.

Explore related visa odds

USA business visa odds for other nationalities

Helpful guides

Refused under Section 214(b)? What it means and how to reapply → Common DS-160 mistakes and how to avoid them (2026) → How to get an earlier US visa appointment (2026) → How to read visa approval and refusal rates → How to prove strong ties to your home country → How to document your finances for a visa →