US Visa News: In 2025, obtaining a US visa has become particularly difficult for citizens from several countries, with Rwanda at the top of the list. A survey by Brooks' law firm highlighted by the Irish star shows that immigration policies under Donald Trump's second term of president have been significantly tightened, making visa approval more difficult than ever.
Important factors behind visa refusal
A Brooks law firm survey evaluated visa refusal rates, passport strength, green cards issued for each 100,000 citizens, and online immigration-related searches. Data was collected from official US sources and passport indexes between January and March 2025. Findings suggest that US authorities now view visas as strict privileges. A higher score indicates the country's more serious immigration challenges. Data were collected from official US government records, passport rankings and search analysis between January and March 2025.
Top 10 countries facing the US's highest visa challenges
1. Rwanda:
Rwanda is ranked as the most difficult country by immigration, and faces severe visa refusal rates due to political issues, economic hardships and concerns over potential immigration violations.
2. Algeria:
Algerian applicants often struggle due to the luxury of historic visas, national security concerns, and the difficulty in proofing strong connections with their home countries.
3. Guinea:
Guinea's fragile economy and weak passport power have led to a high rejection rate, and US authorities fear that applicants will not return.
4. Burundi:
Burundi's political instability and low level of development contributes to a very high rejection rate, along with concerns about asylum claims.
5. Senegal:
Despite good diplomatic relations, Senegalese applicants often face denials due to unclear travel purposes and inadequate financial documents.
6. Uzbekistan:
Uzbekistan, the only non-African country on the list, faces a visa refusal rate of 64.41%, where economic challenges and past misuse of visas weigh on applicants.
7. Gambia:
Past visa fraud and overstay rates put Gambian applicants at high risk to US immigration authorities.
8. Benin:
Benin's economic struggle and previous visa violations create a major hurdle for citizens seeking entry to the US
9. Uganda:
Applicants in Ugandan often fail to demonstrate strong home ties, leading to many visa refusals.
10. Kenya:
Kenya has the highest record of immigration-related searches, but still faces a tough approval process with a rejection rate of 63.32%.
Wideer visa restrictions in African countries
In 2025, African countries were once again excluded from the US Visa Waiver Program. Additionally, the visa for South Sudan citizens has been revoked and future entries are banned following the deportation dispute.
