One immigration lawyer explained that visa officers reject applications because they are trained to spot discrepancies.
Since visas to the United States are difficult to obtain even for tourism purposes, immigration attorney Andrea Szio said the approval process doesn’t work the way people think. Applicants believe they were not given enough time to explain their case and were rejected, but visa officers are trained to spot the discrepancy and have to make a quick decision because they do not have time to read the intent of the application, Szio explained in her YouTube video.Here are 5 things to know:
The decision has already been made but it is not final
Andrea explained that people think their case begins when they get to the interview window. But by then, the visa officer will have checked the person’s DS-160, travel history, previous visa applications, and previous visa diaries. They have already made a decision but it is not final. Their questions are to confirm what they see in the app. Even if the case is minor, they are trained to ask if the person has any reason to return to their country.
There is no benefit of doubt
Visa officers are trained to look for patterns, consistency, credibility, logic and risk. If something is not clear, it is not given the benefit of the doubt, it is treated as a concern. Visa officers do not have time to investigate each case individually, as they interview up to 100 applicants per day. They ask targeted questions to get basic information.
Distraction and exaggeration in explanation harms the cause
Andrea explained that many people believe they did not get a chance to explain their case because the visa officer only asked one question.
Visa officers are not looking for long answers. In fact, distraction and over-explanation harm the cause. They are looking for a short, direct and consistent answer.
One of the reasons why visa applications are rejected
Andrea said applicants were not denied a visa because they were lying. One of the reasons why visa applications are rejected is inconsistency or mismatch between the answer and the application. The visa officer is not looking for a perfect answer. Andrea explained that the decision is made based on the overall impression.
A credible voice that has not been rehearsed
The applicant must know the application correctly but must appear authoritative and confident, not rehearsed. Andrea advised anticipating key questions and answering them confidently.
