VISA APPLICATION DENIAL

By Esther Obaseoyi

04 November 2019

Many factors influence successful visa application. However, some mistakes can be avoided. Simple mistakes that can easily be avoided are often the reason or causes of most visa applications getting denied.

The worst part about traveling is the tedious visa requirement and processes getting through all of it and then your visa getting rejected. The success rate of visa approval depends on many factors, it also depends on the country you are applying for and what proof of documentation you have.

Being smart and avoiding certain mistakes will spare you time, money and visa denials. Behind every rejected visa stands a real reason for it. It is important for you to be aware that there are things you should avoid during the visa interview. Not everyone is able to see the importance of getting to directly meet with diplomatic officials in a visa interview. Most of these visa applicants put their effort and energy in collecting their documents of visa application. This way, they often fail to give the needed significance to visa interview.

An application may be denied because the consular officer does not have all the information required to determine if the applicant is eligible to receive a visa ,  because the applicant does qualify for the visa category which he or she applied or because the information reviewed indicates the applicant falls within the scope of one of the intelligibility grounds of the law. There is a great chance for you to have an impact on your visa application. Leaving a good impression and presenting yourself properly during the appointed visa interview is important too.

For example, U.S. law generally requires visa applicants to be interviewed by a consular officer at a U.S. embassy or consulate. After relevant information is reviewed, the application is approved or denied, based on standards established U.S. law. While the majority of visa is approved, U.S. law sets out many standards under which a visa application  may be denied. An applicant?s current or past actions such as drug or criminal activities may make the applicant?s visa denied.

MISTAKES THAT CAN BE AVOIDED TO GET YOUR VISA DENIED

  1. Complete all the required documents. Almost all the embassies require the same set of documents for visa application. Make sure you have everything ready and don't miss out on anyone. These include bank statements, bank certificate for the last 3 to 6 months before your schedule or intended flight, passport size photo and travel insurance.
  2. Avoid misspelling your name on documents. The information on your identification documents must match the information on your visa. Before submitting any document, double check the information you have provided because the simplest mistake will get your application denied.
  3. Unclear purpose of travel. You must equally ask yourself why you want to travel to your destination country because you will be asked the same question by a consular officer. Whatever your reasons are, it has to be cleared, purposeful and well defined because you will be asked to prove it and show it in your documents.
  4. Don?t be nervous during an interview. Most embassies will require you to present yourself physically when applying for a visa. The interview is a chance to present your documents and support your reason for travel. You need to have answers at your fingertips, look at it as though you are seeking for a job. Present your documents in an organised manner.
  5. Showing an incomplete itinerary.  Always show an itinerary of 15 days or less. It is more realistic. Anything longer than 15 days may raise questions such as why you would need that many days. If you show a long itinerary, you may be asked for additional proofs such as leave approval letter, no objection letter from your employer or proof of additional funds in your bank. For instance, if a visa is usually granted for 2 weeks, do not try to show a 1 month itinerary and ask for a 1 month visa.
  6. Involving in criminal activities. Do not involve yourself in any illegal or criminal activities in your country home or while traveling. This can ruin your chances of getting your visa approved in the future. Having some sort of police records can affect your visa approvals as you might be subjected to deportation and a permanent ban on entering the country.
  7. Not following visa rules strictly. Visa rules are for a reason and you must follow them judiciously, if you are not going to be taking chances. Consulates rejects applications that do not follow the visa rules strictly and appropriately. Even if they accept, they may ask for additional documents or deny the visa eventually.
  8. Showing return/onward travel by train/bus. Never show your proof of return  travel by bus or train, always show that you will be in and out of the country by air. Visa officers cannot really verify bus/train tickets but they can verify flights if they need to. A flight ticket is a more acceptable form of travel.
  9. Mentioning about friends or relatives in a foreign country. Never mention that you know someone in the foreign country. If you do, then you may be asked how you know this person or to provide with  ID proofs, employment letters or even bank statement of the person. This is because consulate make sure that you don?t have any contacts in their country as they may suspect an illegal activities. You can say you are going there as a tourist to see and explore the country.
  10. Mentioning about couchsurfing, hitchhiking, volunteering, remote work, digital nomad, etc. These are red flags as some of consular officers may not have heard of it or be familiar with them. They might also consider than you do not have sufficient funds to support yourself. Engaging in any kind of remuneration activity without proper work visas are considered illegal.if these are found during your visa application, you might be subjected to visa denial and backlist, in some cases, arrest, fine deportation or even a permanent ban from entering the country again. Volunteering, woofing and workway are technically considered as work. You may be paid for your service, but you are  compensated by other means such as free accommodation, free food, etc. receiving anything in exchange of work is considered remuneration. There are countless incidents where travelers were questioned, fined or deported for mentioning at the immigration that they are entering the country to volunteer. Visa and immigration officers may not know about remote work, digital nomad and so on, these are still gray areas and have serious tax obligations. Even if you are a digital nomad, if asked, say you are there to explore and see the country.
  11. Using a sponsor for your visa application. If you are going to be using a sponsor, the weight of your visa application will be on your sponsor. The success of your visa approval is completely dependent on your sponsor. Factors like your sponsor?s records such as legal tax, tax obligation, prior visa denial comes into play if you don?t know your sponsor very well, and you might as well be taking calculated risks. You are better off applying for the visa on your own as long as you have employment proof and sufficient funds in the bank, you don?t need a sponsor.
  12. Using a travel agent for your visa application. There is nothing wrong with using a travel agent for your visa application. Most of them have never applied for a visa or even travel abroad, their experience is only from applying visa for others. When things do not go as planned, they give up, they will take your money but will not guarantee that they will get your visa successfully. You are better off asking help from those who have actually applied for visa themselves and have traveled to a foreign country. They can guide you through the procedures and necessities and help you with details that you hope the travel agent may not be familiar with. You can as well look for frequent and long term travelers from your country on social media and follow their blogs. Seek help from them over your visa. They will help you and educate you on visa and travel.
  13. Booking non-refundable plane tickets or hotels. Technically not a mistake that will affect your visa but it?s a good practice not to book any non-refundable flight ticket or hotels prior to your visa approval. Never purchase flight tickets before your visa is approved. Always hold a flight reservation or book refundable hotels.
  14. Proof of financial or any documents that shows the applicant?s family and economic ties; related application forms must be filled out properly, efficiently and concise. The applicant must provide valid and proper documents such as ID cards.
  15. Avoid being unprepared and applying for the wrong visa. Depending on your type of visa, be certain that you are meeting with the terms and conditions, do not make assumptions, the standards may differ with each visa

Hello reader, if you need help with any visa process, kindly click here to be connected to a visa agent

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