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Updated June 8, 2022You’re reading an excerpt of Admitted by Soundarya Balasubramani. Written by an Ivy League graduate from India, this is the proven guide for students worldwide looking to pursue undergraduate or graduate study abroad in the U.S., Canada, or Europe. Purchase for instant access to the guide and other exclusive resources—including sample SOPs, sample resumes, scholarship lists, and a private community with other readers.
Alright, you did it! You checked off another critical component in your journey to study abroad.
If your visa was approved, fantastic. We hope this chapter helped you in that process. You just need to wait for your passport to arrive or go pick it up yourself, depending on the option you chose.
However, if your visa was rejected, then it’s OK! It happens more than you think. In fact, the worldwide rejection rate for an F1 visa is 33.4%*, in no way a trivial number. As mentioned earlier, this is not a lottery. If they deny you your visa, they will have to clearly state the reason for doing so, and you can act on it.
In the table below, we’ve mentioned the various reasons for denial along with some next steps to take.* Please keep in mind that we are not attorneys and this should not be considered legal advice.
| Reason for Denial | Context | Next Steps |
|---|---|---|
| 214(b) Immigrant Intent | You did not sufficiently prove that you have nonimmigrant intent | This is a temporary ineligibility, and you should gather more evidence as stated earlier and apply |
| 212(a)(4) Public Charge | You did not sufficiently prove that you have the funds required to support yourself, and will become a public charge in the future | This is a temporary ineligibility, and you should gather more evidence as stated earlier and apply again |
| 221(g) Incomplete Application | You did not provide all the documents required and requested for | Provide the requested additional information as soon as possible |
| 212(a)(9)(B)(i) Unlawful Presence | You had previously entered the U.S. and illegally stayed beyond your visa expiration date | This is a temporary ineligibility depending on your previous misconduct, and you should contact a lawyer |
| 212(a)(6)(C)(i) Fraud and Misrepresentation | You had willfully misrepresented a material fact or committed fraud | This is a permanent ineligibility (unlike all reasons above) and you should contact a lawyer |
danger We have witnessed cases before where students approached education consulting firms to assist them with a complex case, only to receive bad advice and make the situation worse. If your current situation seems complex, please reach out to a lawyer right away!