Forbes: EB-1A and NIW immigrant petition denial rates skyrocketed to 46% and 64%, respectively

On April 22, 2026, Forbes reported data from the National Foundation for American Policy showing that denial rates for the EB-1A Noncitizen of Extraordinary Ability and EB-2 National Interest Waiver (“NIW”) immigrant petitions have skyrocketed during the Trump Administration. From Quarter 4 of FY2024 to Quarter 4 of FY2025, denial rates rose from 25.6% to 46.6% for EB-1A petitions and from 38.8% to 64.3% for NIW petitions. These denial rates are in line with the Trump Administration’s other severe immigration policies and actions. 

Iandoli Desai & Cronin wishes to emphasize that these denial rates are not indicative of a single foreign national’s chance of success with filing a self-sponsored immigrant visa petition. We encourage interested foreign nationals to speak with an experienced immigration lawyer to determine their eligibility for obtaining one of these visas and their general likelihood of success given the current immigration climate. 

Read Forbes’ reporting on the denial rates here and the National Foundation for American Policy’s policy brief on the same here.