J1 Visa Approvals/ Issuances in Bulgaria and for Individuals with Bulgaria Nationality
Last Updated: June 2026
The US Department of State (DOS) only releases to public the total number of J1 Visa issuances/ approvals for a country and by nationality. The data on this page is the total number of J1 Visa approvals/ issuances for Bulgaria and individuals with nationality as Bulgaria. 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 Bulgaria: Data at consulates in Bulgaria (all applicants who had their visa interview in Bulgaria).
- Approvals/ Issuances for Bulgaria Nationality: Data for individuals with nationality as Bulgaria worldwide (including those living outside Bulgaria).
Total J1 Visa by Fiscal Year at Bulgaria Consulates
Issuances/ approvals in Bulgaria since FY 2018.
| Fiscal Year (FY)* | Approvals/ Issuances |
|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 4,796 |
| FY 2019 | 4,947 |
| FY 2020 | 1,164 |
| FY 2021 | 845 |
| FY 2022 | 2,400 |
| FY 2023 | 3,675 |
| FY 2024 | 4,179 |
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J1 Visa Approval and Rejection rates at Consulates in Bulgaria
Projected rates by fiscal year (DoS does not release refusals by consulate; derived from worldwide data).
| FY* | Approval Rate | Rejection Rate# |
|---|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 84.42% | 15.58% |
| FY 2019 | 91.82% | 8.18% |
| FY 2020 | 90.16% | 9.84% |
| FY 2021 | 91.65% | 8.35% |
| FY 2022 | 88.89% | 11.11% |
| FY 2023 | 88.55% | 11.45% |
| FY 2024 | 89.05% | 10.95% |
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J1 Visa by US Consulate/ Embassy
Click a link to see J1 Visa data by consulate in Bulgaria.
*Fiscal Year: Oct 1 – Sep 30.
Total J1 Visa by Fiscal Year for Nationality as Bulgaria
Approvals/ issuances for individuals with nationality as Bulgaria since FY 2018.
| Fiscal Year (FY)* | Approvals/ Issuances |
|---|---|
| FY 2018 | 4,525 |
| FY 2019 | 4,703 |
| FY 2020 | 1,125 |
| FY 2021 | 799 |
| FY 2022 | 2,248 |
| FY 2023 | 3,471 |
| FY 2024 | 3,948 |
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Projected approval/refusal rates for Bulgaria nationality
Derived from worldwide data and issuances for Bulgaria nationality.
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*Fiscal Year: Oct 1 – Sep 30.