Kenya's adjusted B1/B2 refusal rate was 68.23% in FY2025 — the highest of the five passports covered on this site, above Ghana's 64.34% and Nigeria's 57%. Two applications in three are refused, so the ties-to-Kenya evidence is the whole job rather than a formality. The interview at US Embassy Nairobi is mandatory, and Nairobi is now a regional hub taking applicants from posts closed on 1 August 2026.
Key Warnings
Insider Tips
The form is online; the USD 185 fee is paid before you can book. Keep the DS-160 confirmation number — everything else keys off it.
Nairobi is now a regional hub taking applicants redirected from posts that closed on 1 August 2026, so availability is tighter than it was. Book the day you start preparing, not when you are ready.
Kenya's adjusted refusal rate was 68.23% in FY2025 — the highest of the five passports covered here. Employment letter with approved leave, property or business documents, family commitments. Bring them, do not describe them.
The officer is applying INA 214(b), which presumes you intend to immigrate until you show otherwise. Answers must match the DS-160 exactly.
A USD 250 Visa Integrity Fee applies at issuance for visas issued from 1 October 2025. Collection is uneven across consulates, so plan for it without assuming it.
United States rejected 68.23% of applications. Avoid these mistakes:
Section 214(b) refusals — officer not convinced of intent to return. Most common reason for Kenyan applicants aged 22–35 without property or dependents.
Fix: Include KRA PIN certificate, title deed, employment letter with leave confirmation, and family ties evidence.
Bank statements showing recent large deposits or insufficient consistent balance over 6 months.
Fix: Provide 6 months of statements showing regular salary credits. Balance should comfortably cover your estimated trip costs.
Officers assess credibility in under 3 minutes. Vague answers about travel purpose, employer, or plans raise flags.
Fix: Prepare clear, concise answers about your trip purpose, where you'll stay, who will pay, and when you'll return.
68.23% rejection rate — US Department of State adjusted refusal rate for B visas, FY2025 — Kenya 68.23%. Adjusted rate = (refusals − overcomes) ÷ (issuances + refusals − overcomes). The State Department PDF is not directly retrievable, so this is taken from two independent reports of the same table, which agree to the decimal.
FY2025 US refusal rate for Kenya is 68.23%
The State Department's FY2025 adjusted refusal rate for Kenya B1/B2 applicants is 68.23%. The figure previously shown on this page, 15%, came from FY2023 data and understated the current position.
$250 Visa Integrity Fee applies to visas issued from 1 October 2025
The Visa Integrity Fee introduced by the July 2025 budget act adds USD 250 per person to every nonimmigrant visa, collected at issuance rather than application, for visas issued on or after 1 October 2025. As of August 2026 the State Department has still not published universal implementation guidance, so some consulates collect it and others do not. It more than doubles the cost of a B1/B2 visa where it applies.
Nairobi is now a US regional visa hub — expect longer waits
The State Department ended routine visa processing at 25 African posts on 1 August 2026 and consolidated the work into 20 regional hubs: Abidjan, Accra, Addis Ababa, Cape Town, Dakar, Dar es Salaam, Djibouti, Johannesburg, Kampala, Kigali, Kinshasa, Lagos, Lomé, Luanda, Malabo, Monrovia, Nairobi, Port Louis, Praia and Yaoundé. Nairobi is one of them, so it now serves applicants redirected from Asmara, Bujumbura and Juba in addition to its own caseload. Appointment availability is likely to tighten even though the process itself is unchanged.
US Embassy Nairobi appointment booking via AIS portal
All B1/B2 interview appointments at US Embassy Nairobi must be booked through the AIS (Appointment Information Service) portal at ais.usvisa-info.com.
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