According to a report by the US Department of State, the number of non-immigrant visas issued decreased by 5% in 2018, as compared to 2017. There could be several reasons for this increase in visa rejections. However, some of the most common reasons for visa refusal are getting nervous during the visa interview, insufficient supporting documents, or any record of conviction or involvement in illegal activities.
So, what are your options if your visa request gets denied? Here’s a look.
What Happens After Visa Refusal?
The consular officer will inform you about the decision reached in your case, either in writing or verbally during the interview. In case your visa request is denied, it is time to carefully plan your next steps.
So, how many times can you reapply for a tourist visa, in case your visa application is rejected? Well, there are no restrictions on the number of times you can re-apply for a B1/B2 visa. But there are some restrictions that you need to know about before reapplying.
Refusal Under 214(B)
In case your tourist visa was rejected due to the conditions specified under Section 214(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, here’s what you need to do.
You will have to fill the DS-160 form once again and pay the $160 form fees, like you did the last time. On reapplication, you will need to prove that some big changes have taken place in your circumstances, since you first filed the application, such that the reasons for rejection no longer exist.
Visa denial under Section 214(B) can be due to one or more of the below reasons:
- You failed to prove your eligibility for the tourist visa to the consular officer, or
- You failed to steer clear of the immigrant intent, since you couldn’t prove social or economic ties to your home country that would compel you to return.
Refusal Under 221(G)
In case the refusal was due to Section 221(G) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, there is no need to submit a new application or to pay any fee. This because the refusal under this section is only a temporary one, till you submit the missing documents requested for.
So, you only need to ensure that your supporting documents and the application is complete and can be checked by a consular officer.
Note that you only have one year to add the missing documents to your file. In case a year passes and you still haven’t completed your application, you will have to start the entire process from scratch and pay the fee again.
Some Useful Tips
Do not try to apply for a visa at a different consulate than the one that rejected your application. Applying to a different consulate won’t make any difference to your chances, since all your data is continuously synced with all the consulates.
A common myth is that once you are denied a tourist visa, you become blacklisted and cannot apply again. This is completely untrue. Apply as many times as you need to, but make sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes that led to a refusal in the first place.