F1 Visa Approvals/ Issuances in South Africa and for Individuals with South Africa Nationality
Last Updated: June 2026
The US Department of State (DOS) only releases to public the total number of F1 Visa issuances/ approvals for a country and by nationality. The data on this page is the total number of F1 Visa approvals/ issuances for South Africa and individuals with nationality as South Africa. They do not release official refusals by country or consulate. All data is from the official visa statistics at US Department of State website.
- Approvals/ Issuances in South Africa: Data at consulates in South Africa (all applicants who had their visa interview in South Africa).
- Approvals/ Issuances for South Africa Nationality: Data for individuals with nationality as South Africa worldwide (including those living outside South Africa).
Total F1 Visa by Fiscal Year at South Africa Consulates
Issuances/ approvals in South Africa since FY 2018.
| Fiscal Year (FY)* | Approvals/ Issuances |
|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 1,181 |
| FY 2019 | 1,263 |
| FY 2020 | 570 |
| FY 2021 | 1,717 |
| FY 2022 | 1,774 |
| FY 2023 | 1,600 |
| FY 2024 | 2,041 |
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F1 Visa Approval and Rejection rates at Consulates in South Africa
Projected rates by fiscal year (DoS does not release refusals by consulate; derived from worldwide data).
| FY* | Approval Rate | Rejection Rate# |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 65.03% | 34.97% |
| FY 2019 | 74.65% | 25.35% |
| FY 2020 | 68.84% | 31.16% |
| FY 2021 | 80.16% | 19.84% |
| FY 2022 | 65.08% | 34.92% |
| FY 2023 | 63.75% | 36.25% |
| FY 2024 | 59.01% | 40.99% |
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F1 Visa by US Consulate/ Embassy
Click a link to see F1 Visa data by consulate in South Africa.
*Fiscal Year: Oct 1 – Sep 30.
Total F1 Visa by Fiscal Year for Nationality as South Africa
Approvals/ issuances for individuals with nationality as South Africa since FY 2018.
| Fiscal Year (FY)* | Approvals/ Issuances |
|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 1,059 |
| FY 2019 | 1,140 |
| FY 2020 | 533 |
| FY 2021 | 1,483 |
| FY 2022 | 1,482 |
| FY 2023 | 1,269 |
| FY 2024 | 1,346 |
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Projected approval/refusal rates for South Africa nationality
Derived from worldwide data and issuances for South Africa nationality.
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*Fiscal Year: Oct 1 – Sep 30.