South Korean travellers face tougher US visa odds as refusals jump to one in four

South Korean nationals applying for US visitor visas faced a markedly higher chance of refusal last year, according to government data released on Monday. The adjusted refusal rate for US B-category visas issued to South Koreans reached 24.73% in 2025 — nearly one in four applications.

Key facts

• 24.73% adjusted refusal rate for US B-category visitor visas for South Korean nationals in 2025
• Up 9.76 percentage points from 14.97% in 2024
• Rate had generally ranged between 14% and 18% from 2021 through 2024
• Japan's rate over the same period was 5.68%, down from 5.76%
• Data came from South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided to Rep. Kim Dae-sik of the opposition People Power Party

Which visas are affected?

The figures cover US B-category visitor visas for South Korean nationals. The B-1 and B-2 categories generally cover temporary business travel, tourism and other short-term visits to the United States.

How does this compare with Japan?

Japan's adjusted refusal rate stood at 5.68% in 2025, compared with 5.76% the previous year. From 2021 through 2024, Japan's rate generally remained between 4% and 6%.

Why are more applications being refused?

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the United States does not disclose detailed reasons for individual visa refusals, making it difficult to determine the precise causes. The ministry said it believed the heightened political debate over immigration in the United States may have influenced tougher visa screening policies.

South Korea's diplomatic authorities suggested the increase may reflect tighter US immigration policies. Some observers have pointed to prolonged tariff and security negotiations between the two countries, issues surrounding a Coupang personal data breach and restrictions on certain information exchanges following remarks by Unification Minister Chung Dong-young.

What this means for travellers

South Korean nationals applying for US B-1 or B-2 visas should be aware that refusals were much more common in 2025 than in the previous year. The differing trends have prompted questions about whether tensions in relations between Seoul and Washington may have contributed to the higher rejection rate for South Korean nationals.

Concerns have also grown following a recent incident involving Rep. Chung Chung-rae of the ruling Democratic Party, who was unable to obtain a US visa for a delegation visiting the Americas as part of the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee and was reassigned at short notice to the delegation visiting Europe.

The incident prompted renewed calls to improve relations between South Korea and the United States. Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party said President Lee Jae-myung and the ruling party should use the recent diplomatic setbacks as an opportunity to consider measures to restore the alliance to normal.