STUDY: The Hardest Countries To Immigrate From to United States

Recently, the U.S. released its updated Visa Waiver Program list, excluding all 54 African nations while granting visa-free access to 40 countries from Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, highlighting the ongoing disparities in U.S. immigration policy.

In response to that, our firm conducted an in-depth study and our analysis reveals the top ten hardest countries to immigrate from in 2025. The study analyzed multiple factors affecting immigration difficulty from various countries to the United States. Each nation received a final score based on our four key metrics:

• B Visa Refusal Rates (Tourist/Business Visas)
• Passport Power (Number of Visa-Free Destinations)
• Green Cards Issued Per 100K Citizens
• Immigration-Related Online Searches Per 100K People

Key Take Aways

• The hardest country to immigrate to the U.S. from in 2025 is Rwanda, due to high visa refusal rates and limited Green Card allocations.
• African nations dominate the list of hardest countries to immigrate from, occupying eight of the top ten positions.
• High visa refusal rates present the most significant barrier, with countries like Senegal facing rejection rates of nearly 75%.

Higher scores indicate greater immigration challenges. Our data was collected from official US government sources, passport indexes, and search analytics between January and March 2025.

Rwanda leads the ranking with a score of 67, facing substantial immigration barriers to the US.

• The country grapples with a 55.76% B visa refusal rate while receiving only 11 Green Cards per 100K citizens.
• Rwanda shows significant interest in US immigration with 904 searches per 100K people, indicating strong desire among citizens to relocate that contrasts sharply with the limited opportunities available.

Algeria places 2nd with a score of 65, characterized by its limited Green Card access at just 7.

• Algerian passport holders can access only 69 countries without a visa, limiting international mobility compared to other nations on the list.
• The country’s B visa refusal rate stands at 50.72%, creating a substantial barrier for citizens seeking temporary US entry.

Guinea secures the 3rd position with a score of 56, facing one of the highest B visa refusal rates on the list at 70.25%.

• Guinean citizens have access to only 64 visa-free destinations, the second-lowest passport power among the top ten countries.
• The nation receives an adjusted rate of just 10 Green Cards, highlighting the significant challenges its citizens face when seeking permanent US residency.

Burundi occupies 4th place with a score of 54, with the weakest passport among the top ten nations, with access to only 58 countries visa-free.

• The country receives merely 6 Green Cards, the second-lowest rate on the list.
• Burundi’s B visa refusal rate stands at 65.52%, creating a formidable barrier for citizens attempting to visit the US.

Senegal holds the 5th position as one of the hardest countries to immigrate from, distinguished by the highest B visa refusal rate among all the top ten countries at 74.65%.

• Senegalese citizens demonstrate a strong interest in US immigration, with 1,078 searches, the second-highest normalized search number on the list.
• The country receives only 7 Green Cards, similar to Algeria but with a significantly higher rejection rate for temporary visas.

Uzbekistan ranks 6th with a score of 53, standing as the only non-African nation in the top ten.

• Uzbekistani citizens benefit from relatively stronger passport power with access to 77 visa-free destinations, but face a 64.41% B visa refusal rate.
• The country receives 14 Green Cards per 100K people, the second-highest allocation among the top ten countries behind only Gambia.

Gambia stands in 7th place with a score of 48, receiving the highest number of Green Cards among the top ten at 37.

• This rate is more than three times that of most other countries on the list, providing a relative advantage for Gambian citizens.
• The nation still faces significant barriers with a 66.03% B visa refusal rate, contributing to its placement among the hardest countries to immigrate from.

Benin is the 8th hardest country to immigrate from, distinguished by receiving the fewest Green Cards at just 5, tied with Uganda for the lowest allocation.

• Beninese citizens also show the lowest interest in US immigration with only 179 searches, the smallest number of searches among all top ten countries.
• The nation’s B visa refusal rate stands at 61.49%, creating substantial barriers for temporary US visits.

Uganda sits at 9th place with a score of 48.58, characterized by the lowest rate of Green Cards at just 3.

• Uganda has the lowest B visa refusal rate among the top ten at 47.29%, providing a relative advantage for citizens seeking temporary US entry.
• The country’s passport allows access to 74 visa-free destinations, placing it in the upper tier of passport power among the hardest immigration countries.

Kenya completes the top ten, distinguished by the strongest passport power among all listed countries with access to 78 visa-free destinations.

• Kenyan citizens demonstrate an overwhelming interest in US immigration, with 2,610 searches, the highest number of searches by far among all countries studied. 

You can access our full data compiled for this study by clicking on the link here.