US visitor visa: interview, denial and reapplication tips

Added: 01/20/2006

United States is a marvelous country to visit. However, along with pleasures of selecting the most appealing destination, you are likely to come across a time-consuming and tiresome process of acquiring a US visitor visa. Despite meeting all the criteria and having all the documents, many people often receive a refusal. You should know that much of your success depends on a US visitor visa interview. If your intention is strong enough to visit the USA, you should also familiarize yourself with a visa denial and a reapplication process in case you are refused

Generally, a US visitor visa is of two types: a temporary (nonimmigrant) visa for business (B-1) and a visa for pleasure or medical treatment (B-2). Persons, planning to travel to the USA for a different purpose, such as students, journalists, temporary workers, etc. apply for a different visa. A person, commonly eligible for a US visitor visa, is when he is able to demonstrate the purpose of his trip that is for business, pleasure or medical treatment; to remain for a specific, limited period; to show strong binding ties in his home country.

The interview is the most important phase in acquiring a US visitor visa, since during the interview you are supposed to confirm all the data available in your application form and other documents. Prepare for the interview properly and be confident in demonstrating authentic and correct information. Organize your documents in a proper logical order; it will be easy for you to find the right documents quickly during the interview.

An image and manners are as important as what you say. In other words, the way you look, self-confidence and to the point and concise answers are exactly what you need. Do not add anything irrelevant or that is not being asked, but you may ask the interviewer to repeat if the question is unclear.

The primary goal of the interview is to verify all the information, presented in your application and other documents, as well as to gain confidence in your binding ties that will bring you back in your home country. "Ties" are different aspects of our life that bind us to our country or residence, such as possessions, employment, social and family relationships. Some examples of ties can be a person's job and income, a house or apartment, a car, close family relationships, bank accounts, etc.

However, consular officers look at each application individually and consider professional, social, cultural and other factors, since strong ties are different from country to country and from individual to individual. With younger applicants, who are not likely to have formed many ties, consular officers may look at the applicant's specific intentions, family situations and long-term plans and prospects within his or her country of residence. Therefore, the information on your ties should be as complete as possible.

Why can you be refused? In fact, consular officers at the USA embassies and consulates determine eligibility on an individual basis of each case. Many applicants are refused if they do not demonstrate a sufficiently strong and long-term family, social and economic ties outside the United States that make them depart the USA after their travel. Generally, an applicant for a US travel visa receives a refusal letter that explains the reason of refusal. You can apply again and there is no time restriction on resubmitting an application after a refusal. When additional information or supporting documentation is ready, you can resubmit your application. You should note and remember that an attempt to obtain US visitor visa by a willful misrepresentation of a material fact or a fraud may result in a permanent refusal of a visa or a denial of entry into the United States.

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