F-1 or J-1 student visa denied? What's next?

F-1 or J-1 student visa denied You’re all set to go study in the United States, but something unexpected happened—your F-1 student visa was denied by the Visa Officer.

School is about to start—what should you do?  Here are Argo’s top 3 tips for international students whose student visas have been denied this year.

Tip #1: If you still have time to make it to the US before your program start date, book another visa appointment right away.

It may be worth it to try one more time to get your F-1 visa approved. However, since there is limited visa appointment availability around the world right now, you will need to get another visa appointment as soon as possible. Find out from your school DSO what is the last day that you can show up to campus and still make it to your first day of classes on time. Then make sure you get a visa appointment at least 4 or 5 days before that date.

Sometimes this will mean you have to submit a request for an expedited visa appointment to the US embassy or consulate. Then, at your next visa interview, if it is approved, you have to let the Visa Officer know that classes are about to start, so you will need your visa on the same day. (Sometimes this is possible, but other times it is not, but you might as well try).

Tip #2: Make sure you explain what has “changed” in your last visa interview.

Sometimes Visa Officers will want to know if your situation has changed since your last visa interview. If your answer is no, then that will give them every reason to deny your visa again right away. So think about how to answer “yes” to this question truthfully, and bring up information the Visa Officer may not have known before.

Tip #3: Do not go into your next interview without working with an expert (i.e. an ex-Visa Officer) to find out why you were previously refused, so you can address those issues next time.

Once you have been refused a visa, it will be harder to get your next visa approved. It is important that you are not going into your interview saying exactly the same thing as before and expecting a different result. Sign up for an Argo consultation with an ex-Visa Officer who will come up with a customized strategy for your specific situation, help you understand why you were refused, and then work with you to get your visa approved.

With our help, you have the best chance for success, so don’t give up on your dreams of studying in the United States.