State Department Immigrant and Temporary Visa Declines and Refusals in FY 2019

Due to Trump administration policies, the number of immigrant visas issued at State Department posts declined by 25% between FY 2016 and FY 2019, according to a National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP) analysis of new government data. Most of the decline came from consular officers issuing fewer immigrant visas (for permanent residence) in the Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens category (spouses, children and parents of American citizens), which declined by 41% between FY 2016 and FY 2019. The number of spouses, children and parents from Mexico, China, the Dominican Republic and Pakistan sponsored by American citizens declined by approximately 50% from FY 2016 to FY 2019. (The numbers in this report, unless otherwise noted, detail data from the U.S. Department of State, not decisions made by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) adjudicators inside the country.)

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