How to avoid being denied a tourist visa? 4 aspects to consider

Vacation time is approaching and you and your family decide to visit the United States. However, you don’t have a tourist visa.

After the COVID-19 pandemic, some embassy appointments were postponed. Still, you and your family were lucky enough to get a last-minute cancellation and will be able to complete the process earlier than expected.

It is very imperative that you take into account some significant details about obtaining this document. This will ensure that it’s not denied and so you won’t have problems with the consular officer.

It is a visa for tourism

First and foremost if you are granted a visa, it is not for you to work or study. As its name implies, it is for tourism and nothing else.

Therefore, you need to respect the time allowance, and tourist visas are usually for a six-month stay in most cases.

Although you could stay for six months, a consular officer would be concerned about your extended stay. Generally, a tourist trip lasts 15 days, maybe a month, considering that one would be carrying money for that purpose. A longer stay would not match and could potentially get you in trouble when renewing your visa, and they could even deny it to you.

Don’t lie on your application

The form you must fill out to apply for a visa is called DS 160, and you must be 100% honest and not omit anything. It is based on this form and an interview that a consular officer will determine whether or not to grant you a visa.

It is imperative to emphasize that you cannot provide any kind of falsehood. They will investigate you, and if something does not match the information you are providing, they will likely deny you the visa.

For example, if you are currently unemployed and add on your application that you are working, the officer can verify that information in databases. If they realize that it is not true, they may choose to deny you a visa.

So, be very careful with the handling of the information on your application, be honest, and avoid complications.

Demonstrate the ties that bind you to your home country

You must have ties that bind you to your home country, either through economic, social, or family links. This somehow shows that you will return to your country again.

Some examples of these links are having a stable job, as well as owning or managing a business, and in many cases, having your family present in the same country.

Additional situations in which a tourist visa may be denied

In some circumstances, your tourist visa may be denied if there are implications for public charges. If you come to an interview and the consular officer realizes that you may be a public charge in the United States, they will deny you the visa.

An example of this would be a pregnant woman who decides to travel to the United States to have her baby so that she can become an American citizen. You have to be careful in a situation like this since it is not one of the allowances under a tourist visa.

Another reason why your visa may be denied is fraud. If you falsify any of the documents requested, such as a public deed stating that you have a house or a fake employment letter, this can cause inconvenience in the future, and you may even be penalized so that you are never given a tourist visa.

Health is another issue that could cause problems. If you have an illness and travel to the United States causing serious contagions, you could also be denied a visa for this reason.

Finally, if you have been arrested in your country or have criminal records, depending on your crimes, they can also deny you a tourist visa. In this case, you would have to consult which crimes make you inadmissible to the United States before completing the process.

What do I do if my tourist visa is denied?

You can reapply for another interview, but the circumstances under which you applied the first time must have changed.

For example, if you already have a stable job or business, if you did not lie on your application, and if you are no longer a public charge, then you will have a good opportunity to be granted the visa.

In conclusion, remember, if you plan to visit the United States for vacation and need a visa, take into account:

• Respect the allowed time and use the tourist visa for that purpose
• Fill out the form honestly and accurately, and prepare the requested documentation with the correct information without falsifying it
• Demonstrate the ties that bind you to your country
• Investigate which crimes may prevent you from entering the United States

If you need information on immigration or personal injury issues, you can contact Abogados Centro Legal at 205 940 2233 or schedule a free consultation.