Editorials
Korea's soaring U.S. visa rejection rate demands answers
The U.S. visitor visa refusal rate for Korean applicants jumped to nearly one in four, prompting calls for Seoul to identify the cause.
People line up outside the U.S. Embassy in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Oct. 26 to apply for U.S. visas. The adjusted refusal rate for U.S. B1 and B2 visas among Korean nationals rose sharply to 24.73 percent in the fiscal year 2025, up from 14.97 percent the previous year.
NEWS1
The rejection rate for U.S. visitor visas among Korean nationals has surged nearly 10 percentage points in a year. In the fiscal year 2025, running from October 2024 through September 2025, the adjusted refusal rate for B1 and B2 visas reached 24.73 percent, up 9.76 percentage points from 14.97 percent the previous year.
That means roughly one in four applicants was denied a visa, the highest rate since comparable statistics became available in 2020. The increase occurred during the first year of the Donald Trump administration's aggressive immigration crackdown.
The contrast with other countries is striking. Japan's refusal rate edged down from 5.76 percent to 5.68 percent, while China's fell from 25.37 percent to 20.21 percent. Britain's rate stood at 20.44 percent, Germany's at 12.22 percent and France's at 9.67 percent.
Korea was not alone in experiencing an increase, but its rise was particularly pronounced among major countries. The number of U.S. visitor visas issued to Koreans also declined from 15,508 in 2024 to 12,226 last year.
Korea consistently ranks among the world's strongest passport holders, alongside Japan and behind Singapore. It also enjoys visa-free access to numerous countries.
That Koreans, who enjoy extensive international travel privileges, face such a high rejection rate in the United States, a treaty ally, deserves attention. More troubling than the increase itself is that the Korean government apparently does not know its precise cause.
The development comes amid continuing tensions between Seoul and Washington over tariffs, security negotiations and intelligence sharing. Last year, more than 300 Korean workers were detained at a construction site operated by Korean companies in Georgia.
Whether these developments are connected to tighter U.S. immigration screening remains unclear. Nevertheless, rising visa rejection rates could disrupt business operations and investment.
Before concluding that Washington is subjecting Koreans to unusually strict scrutiny, Seoul must determine whether U.S. visa screening standards or procedures have changed.
Understanding the actual reasons for refusals and differences in screening practices across countries is essential to developing an effective response.
An alliance grows stronger not only through security cooperation but also through smooth corporate investment, personnel assignments and travel for business, tourism and family visits.
Korean diplomatic authorities must investigate the sharp increase in visa refusals, clarify U.S. screening criteria and consult Washington to ensure Korean companies and citizens are not unfairly disadvantaged.
The government cannot afford to ignore this troubling development simply because its causes remain unknown.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
