Bullshit can hurt your case: Immigration lawyer reveals how U.S. visa decisions are made and why they are denied

An immigration lawyer explained that visa officers deny applications because they are trained to identify inconsistencies.

As it becomes increasingly difficult to obtain a U.S. visa even for tourism purposes, immigration attorney Andrea Szew says the approval process is not as efficient as one might think. Szew explains in her YouTube video that applicants think they don’t have enough time to explain their case and are therefore rejected, but visa officers are trained to identify inconsistencies and they have to make decisions quickly because they don’t have time to read the intent of the application.Here are 5 things you need to know:

The decision has been made, but it is not final yet

Andrea explained that people believe their cases start when they arrive at the interview window. But by that time, the visa officer has already checked the person’s DS-160, travel history, previous visa applications, and previous visa notes. They’ve made a decision, but it’s not final yet. Their questions are to confirm what they saw on the application. Even if the case is simple, they are trained to ask the person if there is any reason to return to their home country.

Undoubted benefits

Visa officers are trained to look for patterns, consistency, credibility, logic and risk. If something is unclear, it won’t get the benefit of the doubt and will instead be seen as a problem. Visa officers don’t have time to investigate every case because they even have to interview 100 applicants every day. They ask targeted questions to elicit key information.

Aimless, over-explanation hurts the case

Andrea explained that many people think they don’t get a chance to explain their situation because the visa officer only asks one question. Visa officers are not looking for lengthy answers. In fact, aimlessness and over-explanation can hurt a case. They are looking for answers that are short, direct, and consistent.

One of the reasons why a visa application is rejected

Andrea said the applicant was not denied the visa because he lied. One of the reasons why a visa application is rejected is because of an inconsistency or mismatch between the answers and the application. Visa officers are not looking for perfect answers. Andrea explained that the decision was made based on the overall impression.

The voice is believable and unrehearsed

Applicants must understand the application correctly, but they need to sound credible and confident, not rehearsed. Anticipate key questions and answer them confidently, Andrea advises.