Global Inequalities in US Visa Rejections: Evidence from Visitor Visa Applications Submitted Between 2006 and 2021

This study uses data from the US Department of State and other sources to examine inequalities in the use of visas to regulate population mobility to the United States. The results showed that between 2006 and 2021, visitor visa rejection rates were higher for applications submitted in the Global South than in the Global North. For example, the top 15 countries with the lowest rejection rates were mostly wealthy states in the Middle East and Europe. On the contrary, two-thirds of the top 15 countries with the highest rejection rates were in Africa. Results from mixed-effects regression models indicated that visa rejection rates in Africa were more than double those in Europe. These differences were not explained by disparities in economic, demographic, and social factors. Sensitivity tests further suggested that regional disparities were not explained by higher visa overstay rates in non-European than in European countries. Additionally, the results showed that there were differential patterns of responses to visa approvals across regions. In Africa, increases in visa approvals were followed by increases in visa rejections the following year. However, increases in visa approvals elsewhere, especially in Europe, were followed by decreases in visa rejection s. Overall, the study demonstrates that visas regulate migration in ways that make it more difficult for people in the Global South than the Global North to enjoy the benefits associated with travelling to the United States. Moreover, they suggest that this disparity cannot be explained by country-level variations in overstay rates and other socioeconomic factors.