Statistics
Outcome patterns across decided public DOHA cases. The filters below narrow the view by concern, time period, representation, and judge. Descriptive statistics, not predictions. Data through September 2026.
Reference dates for comparisons: the current adjudicative guidelines took effect in June 2017, and updated marijuana guidance was issued in December 2021.
Key findings
Cases in view
1,174
decided public DOHA cases
Hearing decisions
1,078
decided after a hearing or on the written record
Appeal decisions
96
Appeal Board decisions, counted separately
Most common concern
Guideline F
Financial Considerations · 29% granted of 13,546 decided
Decisions span 1997 to 2026
Using this page: the filters above narrow every section, selecting a chart row opens the cases underneath it, and each section downloads as a CSV file.
Grant rates over time
How often clearances were granted, by year.
44% granted overall (470 of 1,070). Yearly rates ranged 31 to 63% where the yearly sample is large enough.
Swipe the chart for earlier years. Select any year to filter the page to it.
How to read this chart
Grey bars count the decisions published in each year, read against the left axis. The blue line is the grant rate for that year, read against the right axis, and it is drawn only for years with 20 or more decided cases. The shaded band over 1999 and 2000 marks two years when very few decisions were published: DOHA published few decisions online before 2002, and almost none survive for those two years. The dashed lines mark the June 2017 adjudicative guidelines and the December 2021 marijuana guidance taking effect. They do not claim that either change caused what the chart shows.
Outcomes by concern
How each type of concern was resolved.
- F · Financial Considerations
29% granted · 3,913 granted · 9,633 denied
- Financial (unspecified)
27% granted · 3,010 granted · 8,159 denied
- Credit-card debt
33% granted · 1,371 granted · 2,755 denied
- Medical debt
32% granted · 1,096 granted · 2,315 denied
- Unpaid taxes
24% granted · 649 granted · 2,060 denied
- Auto-loan debt
27% granted · 671 granted · 1,857 denied
- Utility / phone debt
32% granted · 662 granted · 1,435 denied
- Student-loan debt
30% granted · 602 granted · 1,381 denied
- Mortgage / home-loan debt
37% granted · 673 granted · 1,136 denied
- Civil judgment against applicant
22% granted · 399 granted · 1,385 denied
- Failure to file taxes
19% granted · 334 granted · 1,391 denied
- Bankruptcy filing
30% granted · 350 granted · 831 denied
- Personal-loan debt
29% granted · 193 granted · 463 denied
- Child support debt
22% granted · 135 granted · 483 denied
- Financial (unspecified)
- E · Personal Conduct
19% granted · 1,230 granted · 5,263 denied
- Falsified the security form
8% granted · 194 granted · 2,218 denied
- Personal conduct (unspecified)
21% granted · 453 granted · 1,700 denied
- Omission / failure to disclose
23% granted · 482 granted · 1,618 denied
- Lack of candor in an interview
9% granted · 103 granted · 1,081 denied
- Questionable judgment
19% granted · 188 granted · 805 denied
- Workplace rules violation
16% granted · 80 granted · 428 denied
- Pattern of dishonesty / rule violations
11% granted · 50 granted · 399 denied
- Falsified the security form
- J · Criminal Conduct
19% granted · 557 granted · 2,374 denied
- Criminal conduct (unspecified)
19% granted · 306 granted · 1,298 denied
- DUI / DWI (criminal)
19% granted · 151 granted · 653 denied
- Drug related criminal charge
16% granted · 99 granted · 521 denied
- Assault / battery
18% granted · 83 granted · 370 denied
- Criminal conduct (unspecified)
- H · Drug Involvement and Substance Misuse
20% granted · 555 granted · 2,204 denied
- Marijuana
20% granted · 477 granted · 1,930 denied
- Drug involvement (unspecified)
18% granted · 215 granted · 982 denied
- Cocaine
16% granted · 83 granted · 443 denied
- Marijuana
- B · Foreign Influence
48% granted · 1,283 granted · 1,396 denied
- Foreign relationship (unspecified)
48% granted · 794 granted · 877 denied
- Parent in a foreign country
45% granted · 696 granted · 845 denied
- Sibling in a foreign country
51% granted · 597 granted · 578 denied
- In law in foreign country
45% granted · 309 granted · 376 denied
- Spouse dual / foreign citizen
37% granted · 211 granted · 357 denied
- Extended family in foreign country
46% granted · 211 granted · 248 denied
- Foreign relationship (unspecified)
- G · Alcohol Consumption
23% granted · 360 granted · 1,183 denied
- DUI / DWI (alcohol)
23% granted · 264 granted · 885 denied
- Binge / intoxication pattern
18% granted · 139 granted · 640 denied
- Alcohol incident (unspecified)
27% granted · 195 granted · 519 denied
- Alcohol use disorder diagnosed
20% granted · 102 granted · 410 denied
- Continued use after treatment
14% granted · 64 granted · 380 denied
- DUI / DWI (alcohol)
- C · Foreign Preference
44% granted · 470 granted · 600 denied
- Foreign passport possession / use
42% granted · 303 granted · 424 denied
- Foreign citizenship acquisition / application
41% granted · 204 granted · 293 denied
- Foreign passport possession / use
- D · Sexual Behavior
15% granted · 57 granted · 335 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
- M · Use of Information Technology
28% granted · 44 granted · 116 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
- I · Psychological Conditions
14% granted · 21 granted · 129 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
- K · Handling Protected Information
37% granted · 55 granted · 93 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
- L · Outside Activities
44% granted · 15 granted · 19 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
- A · Allegiance to the United States
0% granted · 0 granted · 1 denied
Too few cases to break this concern into specific issues.
† marks fewer than 20 cases, too few to be reliable. A case can raise several concerns, so the rows overlap.
Mitigations judges credited most
How often each mitigation was expressly accepted by the judge, not merely claimed, across the cases in this view. This is a count of how often something was credited, so the bars are neutral: they carry no outcome.
Outcomes by representation
Whether represented and self-represented applicants were granted at different rates.
Represented by a lawyer
68% granted · 293 granted · 141 denied
Self-represented
44% granted · 470 granted · 600 denied
Difference
1.5 times
the grant rate with a lawyer
| Representation | Cases | Granted | Denied | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Self-represented | 1,070 | 470 | 600 | |
| Represented by a lawyer | 434 | 293 | 141 | |
| A personal representative who is not a lawyer | 6 | 3 | 3 |
- Cases
- 1,070
- Granted
- 470
- Denied
- 600
- Grant rate
- Cases
- 434
- Granted
- 293
- Denied
- 141
- Grant rate
A personal representative who is not a lawyer
- Cases
- 6
- Granted
- 3
- Denied
- 3
- Grant rate
An association, not proof of cause: the groups being compared differ in many ways. Select a row to filter the page.
Outcomes by judge
How the cases each judge decided were resolved.
| Administrative Judge | Cases | Granted | Denied | Grant rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darlene Lokey Anderson | 9 | 5 | 4 | Filter |
| Mark W. Harvey | 8 | 2 | 6 | Filter |
| Jennifer I. Goldstein | 8 | 6 | 2 | Filter |
| Candace Le'i Garcia | 8 | 5 | 3 | Filter |
| Robert J. Tuider | 6 | 5 | 1 | Filter |
| Noreen A. Lynch | 6 | 5 | 1 | Filter |
| David M. White | 6 | 1 | 5 | Filter |
| LeRoy F. Foreman | 5 | 4 | 1 | Filter |
| Francisco Mendez | 5 | 3 | 2 | Filter |
| Shari Dam | 5 | 1 | 4 | Filter |
| Richard A. Cefola | 5 | 3 | 2 | Filter |
| Arthur E. Marshall, Jr. | 4 | 3 | 1 | Filter |
| Edward W. Loughran | 4 | 4 | 0 | Filter |
| Elizabeth M. Matchinski | 4 | 1 | 3 | Filter |
| Matthew E. Malone | 4 | 3 | 1 | Filter |
- Cases
- 9
- Granted
- 5
- Denied
- 4
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 8
- Granted
- 2
- Denied
- 6
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 8
- Granted
- 6
- Denied
- 2
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 8
- Granted
- 5
- Denied
- 3
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 6
- Granted
- 5
- Denied
- 1
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 6
- Granted
- 5
- Denied
- 1
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 6
- Granted
- 1
- Denied
- 5
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 5
- Granted
- 4
- Denied
- 1
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 5
- Granted
- 3
- Denied
- 2
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 5
- Granted
- 1
- Denied
- 4
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 5
- Granted
- 3
- Denied
- 2
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 4
- Granted
- 3
- Denied
- 1
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 4
- Granted
- 4
- Denied
- 0
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 4
- Granted
- 1
- Denied
- 3
- Grant rate
- Filter
- Cases
- 4
- Granted
- 3
- Denied
- 1
- Grant rate
- Filter
† marks judges with fewer than 20 decided cases in this window. Judges hear different mixes of cases, so these rates describe the decided record, not the judges.
Appeal outcomes
How appealed decisions were treated by the Appeal Board.
The Appeal Board reviews the specific errors a party claims. It can affirm a decision, leaving it in place; reverse it, replacing the outcome; or remand it, sending it back to the judge. It does not rehear the case. Based on 141 appeal decisions with a verified outcome. Year and concern filters apply here; judge and representation filters do not.
- affirmed · 107 of 141 (76%)
- reversed · 26 of 141 (18%)
- remanded · 8 of 141 (6%)
Most appeals do not change the outcome: the Board overturned about 18% of the decisions brought to it.
Appeals by party, with outcomes
Applicants appeal denials; the Government appeals grants it disagrees with. Whether an outcome helped the applicant therefore depends on who appealed.
| Appealed by | Appeals | Affirmed | Reversed | Remanded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The applicant | 107 | 104 (97%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (3%) |
| The Government (Department Counsel) | 33 | 3 (9%) | 25 (76%) | 5 (15%) |
| Both parties | 1 | 0 (0%) | 1 (100%) | 0 (0%) |
The applicant
- Appeals
- 107
- Affirmed
- 104 (97%)
- Reversed
- 0 (0%)
- Remanded
- 3 (3%)
The Government (Department Counsel)
- Appeals
- 33
- Affirmed
- 3 (9%)
- Reversed
- 25 (76%)
- Remanded
- 5 (15%)
Both parties
- Appeals
- 1
- Affirmed
- 0 (0%)
- Reversed
- 1 (100%)
- Remanded
- 0 (0%)
Grounds for reversal or remand
The grounds the Board gave. A case can have more than one.
Errors alleged on appeal
The errors the parties raised, across every appeal in this selection.
Error found, but harmless
20%
of affirmances · 21 of 107
The Board agreed the judge erred but left the outcome in place, because the error did not change the result.
Most-cited authorities
- Department of the Navy v. Egan89
- Motor Vehicle Mfrs. Ass’n of the United States v. State Farm Mut. Auto. Ins. Co.61
- Dorfmont v. Brown21
- ISCR Case No. 00-0050 (July 2312
- ISCR Case No. 99-0424 (February 89
- ISCR Case No. 99-0532 (February 276
- ISCR Case No. 03-19101 at 2 (App. Bd. Oct. 136
- ISCR Case No. 05-036356
Appeal Board judges by number of appeals
Appeals are decided by three-member panels, so an outcome belongs to the panel and not to any single judge. There is no per-judge rate for that reason.
A structured reading of the decided public Appeal Board record. The outcome the Board stated matched our independent read in 100% of cases.
Browse appeal decisionsQuestions about these statistics
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Professional plan detailsPublications and measured series
Ongoing analyses computed from the decided record, each on its own page, with its method and the counts behind every rate.
- Measured timelines
How long each stage took, measured from dates stated in the decisions.
- Time since the conduct
How long before the decision the last incident occurred.
- Candor in the record
How falsification and omission allegations were resolved.
- Veterans in the record
Decisions that state United States military service, counted by branch.
- Decisions by country
Foreign-influence decisions arranged by the country involved.
- The Issue Encyclopedia
Every specific issue inside each guideline, with its decided record.
- The statutory bars
The bars set by statute, and how they appear in decided cases.
- Docket reports
The decided record summarized the same way every quarter and every year.
Granted ÷ decided; † marks groups under 20 cases. Full methodology
Reading the statistics
- Granted = access granted or continued; Denied = denied or revoked.
- Grant rate = granted ÷ (granted + denied).
- † marks figures based on fewer than 20 cases, too few to be reliable.
- Hovering any rate shows its statistical range (a 95% confidence interval).
- Figures are descriptive counts over decided, public DOHA ISCR decisions, never predictions or assessments of any pending case.
Decided public cases: descriptive, never a prediction.