How many J-1 visa applications U.S. Embassies and Consulates in South Africa approved, by fiscal year and by post. Every visa issued is an approved application.
The State Department publishes issuance counts for this visa class but not refusals, so there is no approval rate to report and none is shown. Figures run from March 2017 to September 2025.
Totals by U.S. fiscal year, which runs October to September, so FY2025 covers October 2024 to September 2025. Refusals are not published for this visa class, so an approval rate cannot be shown.
3,019
FY2025
3,876
Peak (FY2023)
-17.2%
vs FY2024
Against every country that received a J-1 visa in FY2025.
#29
of 198 countries
2,849
Approved in FY2025
1.0%
Of the world total
292,559
Issued worldwide
J-1 visas issued at each post in FY2025, as a share of the 3,019 issued across South Africa.
J-1 visas approved per fiscal year, by post. The share chart shows who is largest today; this shows who is rising.
Average approvals per calendar month across 6 complete years. Busiest month is May, quietest is Sep.
Calendar months, not fiscal. A busy month means more applications competing for the same interview slots, not a better chance of approval.
J-1 interview prep
Nothing on this page changes your odds. What happens in the two minutes at the window does. Face a live AI visa officer for the J-1 as applicants in South Africa face it, answer out loud under follow-up pressure, and get a readiness score with feedback on every answer.
The figures above count everyone who was approved for a J-1 in South Africa. They say nothing about your case. Answer a few questions and get an assessment of your own profile, the areas most likely to cost you the interview, and what to do about each one.
Answer the questions below to get a read on your profile, grouped into short steps.
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Evaluating for J1 - Exchange Visitor Visa in South Africa.
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Data Source: All visa approval statistics are compiled from the official U.S. Department of State’s annual visa statistics reports. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, visit the U.S. Department of State Visa Statistics.
Methodology: These are counts of visas issued, taken from the State Department’s monthly issuance tables. No approval rate is shown because refusals are not published per country or per post, and a rate cannot be calculated without them. Figures exclude cases under administrative processing and are subject to reporting delays.
Disclaimer: This website is not affiliated with the U.S. government. All data is provided for informational purposes only. For official guidance, always refer to the U.S. Department of State or your local U.S. embassy/consulate.
