Countries with Most visa approvals.
- INTRODUCTION
People move across borders for many reasons: work, study, family, tourism, and refuge. Different countries issue huge numbers of visas every year to accommodate those flows — but which ones approve the most?
This article examines the countries and regions that consistently top the global lists for visa approvals, explains what counts as a “visa approval,” highlights the types of visas driving the totals (tourist, student, work, family, refugee), and points to official data so you can dig deeper.
Where possible I use government and agency statistics rather than press summaries; those are cited throughout Newst
What we mean by “visa approvals” (and why it’s tricky
“Visa approvals” sounds simple, but there are several complications:
- Different visa categories. Countries issue many visa classes: short-stay/tourist visas, student visas, work permits, family- and humanitarian-based visas, and immigrant/permanent-resident visas. Totals that mix categories are easier to compare than ones that isolate just one type.
- Issuing authority differences. Some countries publish consolidated, easy-to-compare totals (for example, the Schengen data for short-stay visas). Others split by consulate, visa subclass, or whether the permit was issued inside or outside the country.
- Timing and recovery after COVID-19. 2019 pre-pandemic numbers are often higher than 2020–22; 2023–2025 show many markets recovering at different speeds. When possible I cite recent multi-year reports.
Because of those issues, the “top issuers” list below focuses on which countries (or groups of countries) issue the largest volumes of visas across common and comparable categories, using the most recent official publications available.
1) The Schengen area (collectively): the largest issuer of short-stay visas
If we look at short-stay (Schengen) visas — the most commonly tracked global category — the European Union / Schengen area is the biggest issuer simply because it covers many member states that each issue large volumes of tourist and business visas.
The European Commission publishes consolidated statistics showing that more than 10 million short-stay visa applications were received in 2023 across EU and Schengen-associated consulates, with the largest national issuers being France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.
These countries alone accounted for millions of short-stay visas in 2023 and are therefore the world leaders in approvals for that visa type.Why they are so high: Schengen short-stay visas cover travel to an entire 27+ country area; many travelers apply at the consulate of the country they will enter first or spend the most time in.
Popular tourist draws — Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Berlin — plus extensive global consular networks mean those countries receive and grant huge application volumes every year. Industry reports and national statistics commonly list France and Germany among the top issuers.
2) The United States: vast nonimmigrant and immigrant visa volumes
The United States issues a very large number of both nonimmigrant visas (tourist/visitor B visas, student F visas, temporary work visas like H-1B) and immigrant visas (family- and employment-based green cards). The U.S. Department of State’s annual Report of the Visa Office and the State Department’s visa statistics pages present detailed counts, and DHS/CBP publishes nonimmigrant admissions data.
In recent years the U.S. consular network has issued millions of nonimmigrant visas annually and substantial numbers of immigrant visas, with particular spikes in student and work categories as global mobility recovered. These programs together place the U.S. among the world’s largest visa issuers.
A notable detail: specific U.S. program categories sometimes show extremely high approval rates — for example, H-1B issuance statistics have historically shown high grant rates for petitions that pass the initial lottery and consular checks — but overall totals combine many categories. Third-party trackers and the State Department’s own releases are the best sources to view category-by-category numbers.
3) The United Kingdom: large study- and work-visa programs
The UK consistently ranks among the top global issuers because of two large programs: study visas and work visas. Government statistics show large annual volumes of sponsored study visas (hundreds of thousands of grants in recent reporting years) as international student numbers rose sharply after COVID disruptions; the UK reported over 450,000 sponsored study visas for main applicants in 2023.
The UK also saw major year-on-year growth in work visas in recent reporting — for instance, a substantial increase in health-and-care worker visas that contributed to a broader rise in work-related grants. Those two program pillars put the UK among the global leaders in visa approvals.
4) Canada: huge student and temporary-worker permit issuance
Canada has positioned itself as a top destination for international students and temporary workers, and its immigration department (IRCC) publishes detailed data. For example, in 2023 Canada processed a record number of study permits and issued large numbers of work permits — in many reporting periods Canada issued hundreds of thousands of study permits and well over a hundred thousand work permits (including extensions).
Those volumes — especially the spike in study-permit issuances through 2022–2023 — make Canada one of the largest issuers of temporary-entry authorizations globally. That said, Canada’s issuance profile is heavily weighted toward study and temporary work permits rather than permanent resident (immigrant) visas in absolute numbers.
Important nuance: Canada’s totals have fluctuated with new policies, caps, and processing changes; always use the IRCC open-data portal for the most recent monthly or quarterly figures.
5) Australia: large student and temporary-entrants program
Australia also issues very large numbers of visas, notably student visas (subclass 500 and others) and skilled temporary and permanent migration subclasses. The Department of Home Affairs and national statistics agencies publish grants and lodging figures that show Australia regularly approving tens of thousands — and in some years hundreds of thousands — of temporary-entry visas (students and skilled workers combined).
For many origin countries, Australia is a top destination for study and temporary skilled migration.
Like Canada, Australia’s totals are often dominated by the education sector; recent years show ups and downs as policy and global mobility change, so check the Department of Home Affairs dashboards for the latest.
6) Other notable issuers and regional highlights
- China, Türkiye, India and Morocco: Within the Schengen statistics, application volumes from large origin countries like China, Türkiye and India dominate — that’s about applicants, not issuers — but the Schengen consulates that receive and grant those applications (France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Netherlands) remain primary issuers.The European Commission’s Schengen dashboard shows which origin countries made the most applications and where they applied.
- Emerging high-issuers: Several middle-income countries with large diaspora flows also process high visa volumes through bilateral arrangements (e.g., Gulf states issuing many work permits to migrant workers). Those numbers tend to be split across employer-sponsored entries and short-term worker permits and are best checked via each country’s labor or interior ministry portals.
- Refugee and humanitarian pathways: Countries that resettle refugees or offer humanitarian admission (e.g., Canada, the U.S., some EU states) will show distinct categories of grants that can inflate totals in particular years; these are typically reported separately in official tables.
What drives a country to be a “top issuer”?
Three main drivers explain why a country issues so many visas:
- Demand-side attractiveness — tourism hotspots, world-class universities, and strong labor markets naturally draw applicants (e.g., France/Spain for tourism; UK/Canada/Australia for education; U.S. for mixed work/study/tourism).
- Administrative capacity and consular reach — countries with dense global consulate networks can process more applications efficiently and thus issue more visas (Schengen states and the U.S. lead here).
- Policy orientation — government strategies (like Canada’s push to attract students and workers, or UK policies to license sponsored study and skilled work) change volumes quickly. When a country opens or expands a sponsored-visa stream, issuance can surge in months.
How to read the numbers responsibly
- Compare like with like. Comparing Schengen short-stay visa totals to a country’s work-permit grants is misleading; always check the visa types being summed.
- Use government primary sources. The EU Commission, U.S. State Department, national immigration ministries (IRCC, Home Affairs Australia, UK Home Office) publish official tables and downloadable datasets — use those for authoritative figures.
- Watch for seasonal and policy spikes. A sudden policy change (e.g., new student-visa rules) can create year-on-year surges; treat single-year anomalies cautiously.
Quick reference: where to find the raw data
- Schengen short-stay visa statistics (European Commission). Centralized short-stay visa issuance and applications by issuing country and by origin country.
- U.S. Report of the Visa Office (State Department). Annual tables showing immigrant and nonimmigrant visas issued by consular post and category.
- UK Home Office / Official Statistics. Published statistics on study visas, work visas and more.
- IRCC (Canada) open data and annual reports. Data on study permits, work permits, and immigrant admissions.
- Australia Department of Home Affairs visa statistics and data dashboards. Visa grants and program-level reports (student, skilled, humanitarian).
Final takeaways
- If you measure short-stay/tourist visa issuance, the Schengen area (led by France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands) is the largest global issuer because its member states together process millions of short-stay visas each year.
- The United States issues very large volumes across nonimmigrant and immigrant categories and remains one of the top global visa issuers overall.
- The UK, Canada and Australia rank among the world’s highest approvers when you combine student and work categories — in recent years each country issued hundreds of thousands of study and temporary-work permits.
latest numeric tables
2024 and early 2025 where available), analyses why certain countries lead in visa approvals, and interprets what these trends mean for travellers and migrants. All data is drawn from recent, authoritative sources and properly cited.
Understanding the Latest Visa-Approval Trends (2023–2025)
1. Updated Visa-Issuance Figures (2023–2025)
Schengen / EU Short-Stay Visas
In 2024, consulates of EU and Schengen-associated countries received 11.7 million applications for short-stay (Schengen) visas.
That represented a 13.6% increase over 2023 (which had about 10.3 million applications).
Of those 11.7 million applications in 2024, more than 9.7 million visas were issued.
The refusal rate in 2024 was about 14.8%, slightly lower than in 2023.
By comparison, in 2022, consulates received ~7.5 million applications and issued ~5.9 million visas.
Notably, even with the rapid post-COVID rebound, these 2024 numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels (2019 saw ~17 million applications and ~15 million visas issued).
These numbers confirm a strong recovery in demand for short-stay travel in Europe — but also highlight that, as of 2024, the visa system hasn’t fully returned to its pre-pandemic volume.
The United States (Nonimmigrant Visas)
According to Migration Policy, the U.S. issued close to 11 million nonimmigrant visas in FY 2024, up from about 10.4 million in FY 2023.
Nonimmigrant visas include a variety of categories — business/tourist (B visas), student (F/J), temporary workers (H-categories), among others.
In FY 2024, 77% of the nonimmigrant visas were for business and tourist purposes, while the next largest categories were for temporary workers (7%) and students/exchange visitors (7%).
Within the employment-based nonimmigrant visas, nearly 1.2 million temporary employment visas were issued in FY 2024, including H-2A (seasonal agriculture), H-1B (specialty workers), H-2B (non-agricultural seasonal), and L-1 (intracompany transferees).
These figures underscore the scale of U.S. visa issuance: even after pandemic-related disruptions, the United States remains one of the top issuers of temporary-entry visas globally.
Canada (Temporary Resident Permits: Study & Work)
According to IRCC data (reported in their 2024–25 Departmental Results Report), there was a 24% decrease in new study permits in 2024 compared to 2023.
In the same report, IRCC states that work permits dropped by about 4% in 2024, relative to 2023.
Early in 2025, Canada approved 834,010 temporary resident applications (study permits, work permits, visitor visas, and extensions), with 382,055 (45.8%) going to Indian nationals.
This indicates that, although permit issuance is declining in some categories, demand remains concentrated (especially among students and workers) from certain origin countries such as India.
These data suggest a recalibration in Canada’s temporary-resident program, likely driven by policy adjustments and shifting risk assessments.
United Kingdom (Work, Study, Family Visas)
In the year ending December 2024, the UK granted:
210,098 work visas to main applicants, a drop of 37% from 2023 but still 53% higher than 2019.
393,125 sponsored study visas to main applicants, down 14% from 2023 but 46% higher than in 2019.
86,940 family-related visas in 2024, a 7% increase from the previous year.
According to Migration Observatory commentary, total (non-visitor) visas in 2024 fell by about 460,000 compared to 2023 — driven in large part by reductions in student-dependent and health-care worker visas.
Additional breakdowns: Health & Care Worker visas plunged by 81%, and study-dependant (i.e., dependants of students) visas fell by 85% in 2024.
This marks a notable reversal from the high visa-issuance years immediately post-pandemic, signaling that the UK is starting to tighten certain immigration route.
2. Why These Countries Lead in Visa Issuance
Given the numbers, it’s clear that certain countries or regions (Schengen / EU, U.S., Canada, UK) dominate global visa-issuance volumes. Why? Several structural, economic, and policy factors explain this dominance:
a) Demand-Side Pull: Attractive Destinations
Europe (Schengen): The Schengen Area remains a top global tourist destination, business hub, and also a gateway for short-term travel. For millions worldwide, a Schengen visa enables access to 27+ countries. The scale of tourism, business travel, and cross-border movement within Europe ensures huge application volumes.
United States: The U.S. continues to be massively attractive for tourism, education, and work. The decades-long draw of U.S. universities, the strength of its labor market, and the global reach of American business foster continued visa demand.
Canada: With quality higher education, relatively open labor-market access, and a stable immigration policy (though shifting), Canada is a magnet for international students and skilled workers.
UK: Prestigious universities, post-study work routes, and historic cultural ties to many countries sustain demand—especially from nations like India and China.
b) Administrative & Consular Capacity
Schengen / EU: The European Commission and its member states have invested in building out a global consular network. This means many Schengen consulates can process very high volumes of applications.
U.S.: The U.S. State Department operates very large consular networks globally, giving it capacity to handle millions of nonimmigrant visa applications each year.
Canada: IRCC’s infrastructure for processing study and work permits is relatively efficient and well-developed; it also leverages electronic systems, policy prioritization, and data-driven planning.
UK: The Home Office and UK Visas & Immigration have scaled their capacity to issue visas for multiple categories (student, work, family). However, recent policy shifts (see section below) have led to reductions in certain visa types, demonstrating how capacity interacts with political will.
c) Policy Orientation & Immigration Strategy
Schengen: Short-stay visas are a cornerstone of Europe’s travel economy. While some refusals remain, policies remain relatively stable and consistent.
United States: Visa categories are broad and flexible. The U.S. favors temporary mobility (business, tourist, student) and maintains high quotas for some nonimmigrant worker visas. They also dynamically adjust immigrant quotas via Green Card programs (though not directly tied to these nonimmigrant numbers).
Canada: The government explicitly supports temporary migration to fill labor-market gaps and to boost its economy. Many work-permit and student-permit programs are aligned with Canada’s broader economic strategy. However, in 2024–2025, IRCC data show a decline in new permit issuance, signaling a potential policy rebalancing.
UK: The drop in visa numbers in 2024 reflects political shifts. Home Office data and independent analyses suggest the UK is tightening work and study routes, notably reducing visas for dependants and health-care workers.
d) Recovery After COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a dramatic crash in global visa applications and issuance. Many of the post-2022/2023 surges reflect pent-up demand, especially for tourism (Schengen) and study (Canada, UK).
But the recovery has not been uniform. While demand soared, consular processing, policy changes, and resource constraints mean not all countries could match pre-pandemic issuance instantly.
3. What These Trends Mean for Travelers and Migrants
The visa-issuance data and trends across these top countries have real implications for different kinds of international travellers — students, workers, tourists, and long-term migrants.
For Students
Canada: The drop in study-permit issuance in 2024 (–24%) signals that Canada may be reining in its temple-resident growth. For prospective students, this could mean tougher competition, more stringent caps, or slower processing.
UK: Although the UK issued ~393,000 sponsored student visas in 2024, that was 14% down from 2023. Dependents of students (i.e., partners or children) saw massive cuts (85% decline), which could affect enrolment demands and family migration dynamics.
Implication: Students from origin countries with large visa demand (India, China, etc.) may face shifting risk: while study opportunities remain, reliance on dependants or post-study work routes may be less certain.
For Temporary Workers
United States: With roughly 1.2 million temporary employment-based visas issued in FY 2024, the U.S. remains a top destination for foreign workers. But not all categories are equal: competition for H-1B (specialty) visas remains fierce.
Canada: The slight decrease (–4%) in work-permit issuance in 2024 suggests Canada is moderating its intake. Workers aiming for Canada will likely need to align more tightly with in-demand sectors.
UK: The 210,098 work visas issued in 2024 (–37%) underscore a tightening in work routes. Especially notable is the drop in Health & Care Worker visas (–81%).
Implication: Skilled workers must monitor visa categories carefully. For the UK in particular, certain routes may be less open than before, especially if tied to political goals to reduce net migration.
For Tourists and Short-Term Travellers.
Schengen / EU: The rebounding volume of visa applications (11.7 million in 2024) suggests recovery in tourism and business travel. For travellers, this recovery is good news — but they should also be aware of possible longer wait times at busy consulates, depending on origin country and volume.
U.S.: Business and tourist visas accounted for 77% of nonimmigrant visas in FY 2024. This highlights that short-term travel remains a major component of U.S. visa issuances.
Implication: As global travel recovers, demand for short-stay visas remains high. Travellers should plan early, especially for peak-season consular appointments.
For Migrants and Family Members
UK: The rise in family visas (+7%, 86,940 in 2024) suggests that family reunification remains a core part of the UK system. However, with restrictions elsewhere, potential migrants should be cautious about dependent visas (particularly student dependants) given recent cuts.
Canada: With a large volume of temporary resident permits (834,010 in early 2025 for study, work, visitor) coming from origin nations like India, there is strong churn in the temporary population. But IRCC’s recent reduction in student-permit intake suggests potential for stricter cap management or longer-term shifts.
4. Broader Implications & Strategic Insight
Policy Risks and Volatility
The data show that visa-approval trends are not simply bouncing back: policy shifts matter. Canada’s drop in study permit issuance and the UK’s sharp cuts in work/study visas reflect deliberate government recalibration.
Future migrants and students must budget not just for visa costs but for the risk of caps, refusals, or changing priorities in host countries.
Economic and Labor-Market Effects
Countries like Canada and the UK are clearly using visa policy as a tool to respond to labor-market needs. Cuts in health-care worker visas (UK) or moderation in student permits (Canada) likely reflect broader economic priorities.
For origin-country economies, these visa flows represent opportunities. For example, the high share of Indian temporary-resident visas in Canada (45.8% of 834,010 in early 2025) shows that India remains a major supplier of students and workers.
Pressure on Consular and Processing Systems
The surge in Schengen visa applications (11.7 million in 2024) places significant pressure on consulates and processing systems.
Delays, backlog, or longer appointment wait times may return as systemic challenges — travellers and migrants must plan for more than just the application process.
Strategic Advice for Prospective Migrants or Travelers.
1. Monitor Visa Trends Early: If you plan to apply for a visa (student, work, tourist), keep an eye on the most recent quarterly or annual immigration statistics. These numbers can shift due to policy changes, caps, and economic priorities.
2. Be Flexible: Given tightening in some visa categories (especially work visas in the UK), it may be wise to consider alternate routes, like post-graduate work, bridging options, or different destinations.
3. Consider Timing: For student visas in Canada or the UK, applying early—and aligning with intake windows—is increasingly important as governments attempt to moderate inflow.
4. Prepare for Processing Delays: High application volumes (especially in Schengen consulates) may lead to longer wait times. Start your visa application well ahead of your intended travel or course start date.
5. Stay Informed on Policy Changes: Immigration policies are dynamic, especially in response to economic or political shifts. Prospective migrants should follow government updates, not just rely on historical trends.
Conclusion
The landscape of visa approval globally is in flux. While regions like the Schengen area and major destination countries such as the United States continue to issue extremely high volumes of visas, recent data (2023–2025) show important inflection points:
Schengen: The post-pandemic recovery is strongly underway, with 11.7 million applications in 2024 and 9.7 million visas issued — but the system remains below 2019 levels.
U.S.: The number of nonimmigrant visas in FY 2024 (~11 million) reflects sustained demand for travel, work, and education.
Canada: The drop in study and work permit issuances in 2024 and early 2025 suggests policy tightening or recalibration, amid still-strong demand from certain origin nations.
UK: Significant reductions in work and study visas in 2024 reflect a major policy shift, particularly in routes like Health & Care and student dependants.
For travelers and migrants, these trends mean that visa planning must be more strategic than ever. Countries that once offered relatively open access may be tightening some routes, and high volume can lead to delays or competitive pressures. But for those who can anticipate and adapt, the opportunities remain substantial — especially in education, work, and cross-border mobility.
