Analysis of Common Problems in American Visa

If you are a foreign citizen, you need a visa to enter the United States in most cases. A visa does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the United States. Visa only means that your application has been examined by the American visa officer of the American embassy or consulate, and the official believes that you have specific reasons to meet the conditions for entering the United States. Consular affairs are the responsibility of the State Council.

The visa only allows you to reach the entry port (airport or border) in the United States, and then ask the immigration officer to approve you to enter this country. Only immigration officials have the right to decide whether you can enter the United States. He/she decides the length of your stay in the United States. Entry is the responsibility of the US Department of Homeland Security.

There are two kinds of American visas: immigrant visas and non-immigrant visas. Immigrant visas are issued to applicants who intend to live permanently in the United States. Non-immigrant visas are issued to applicants who have permanent residency in countries other than the United States and only travel, medical care, business, short-term work or study in the United States.

2. Where should I apply for a visa?

China residents should apply for a visa at the U.S. embassy or consulate in the territory where their permanent residence belongs, even if the applicant's permanent residence is different from his domicile. If you live in the consular jurisdiction of Beijing for a long time, you should apply for a visa at the American Embassy in Beijing. Beijing includes Beijing, Tianjin, Gansu, Hebei, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Inner Mongolia, Jiangxi, Ningxia, Shandong, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Qinghai and Xinjiang.

If you live outside the above-mentioned provinces and cities, please apply for a visa at the corresponding US Consulate General in China:

Consulate General of Chengdu? Chongqing, Guizhou, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan

Guangzhou Consulate General? Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, Hainan

Shanghai Consulate General? Anhui, Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang

Consulate General of Shenyang? Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning

Hong Kong Consulate General? Hong Kong and Macau

3. How long in advance should I apply for a visa?

Because a large number of applicants apply for visas to the United States, there is usually a waiting period between telephone appointment and interview. Applicants may have to wait several weeks after booking a visa interview before going to the corresponding embassy or consulate for an interview. You can check the average waiting time of visa reservation on the website of the State Council, USA. In addition, the post-interview processing procedure may delay the issuance of visas for a period of time. When your application requires an additional administrative hearing, the time required will vary according to the circumstances of the case, but it usually takes one to three months. Therefore, the visa office advises all applicants to make an appointment for an interview as soon as possible according to their itinerary. The telephone number of the Visa Information and Reservation Center of the China Embassy in the United States is 4008-872-333. If you need to travel to and from the United States frequently or sometimes need emergency entry, we suggest that you renew your existing visa before it expires. All applicants should apply as early as possible to avoid delay! Thank you for your cooperation.

4. How to apply for an expedited visa interview?

In some emergency situations, applicants who can't wait until the normal telephone call to make an appointment for an interview can apply for an expedited interview.

I was refused a visa once, but my wife has no record of refusing a visa. Can we make an appointment to apply for a visa together on the same day?

Usually, applicants who have been refused a visa get a visa interview later than those who have no visa refusal record. You and your wife can make an appointment for an interview at the visa office at a relatively late date.

6. Length of stay: How long can I stay in the United States?

If you are allowed to enter the United States, customs and border protection officials will indicate the time of your stay in the United States on your entry and exit record form (Form I-94). Since the I-94 form records the time you are allowed to stay in the United States, you should take good care of this form and your passport. Please be cautious about the approved stay in the United States and ensure that you comply with the provisions of the US immigration law. Every time you are allowed to enter the United States, you should ensure that you leave the United States on or before the last day of the approved stay according to the specific departure date specified in the entry-exit record form (Form I-94). Failure to leave the United States before the specified deadline will lead to your loss of legal status, which may reduce your chances of obtaining a visa in the future.

7. What's this? How long is the visa valid? Entry on the visa? What does this word mean? Located in the "entry? Below? m？ What does this word mean?

? How long is the visa valid? Generally speaking, a visa is valid from the date of issuance to the date of expiration and can be used for travel for the same purpose. To determine how many times you can go to the United States with this visa, please check the number of entries on the visa (? Entries? Representing the number of entries). If the number of entries is a multiple (? m？ Representatives can enter the United States multiple times), then the visa holder can travel to the United States multiple times with a visa before the visa expires, but the purpose of each trip must be the same. If the number of entry visas is one, you can only enter the United States once with a visa within the validity period.

The number of entry visas can be any number, at least once and at most? m？ Number of times (representing unlimited or multiple times), but the purpose of each entry must be the same. If you need to travel to the United States frequently and hold multiple entry tourist visas, you don't need to apply for a new tourist visa before going to the United States every time. However, it should be noted that although you hold a multiple-entry tourist visa, you cannot work or study in the United States with this visa after entering the country.

The validity period of the visa means that during this period, you are allowed to show your visa to the American immigration inspector at the entry port of the United States and ask to enter the United States. Holding a visa does not guarantee that you will be allowed to enter the United States. You shouldn't confuse the validity of a visa with the length of stay in the United States. The duration of the visa owner's stay in the United States is determined by the immigration inspector at the entry port of the United States and displayed on your entry and exit record form (I-94 form or I-94W form issued to citizens of visa-free countries). The expiration date of the visa has nothing to do with the time allowed to stay in the United States on each entry.

8. What procedures do I need to go through to arrive at the American port of entry?

Please visit the relevant website of the US Department of Homeland Security to see what procedures need to be completed after arriving at the US port of entry.

9. How does the visa officer decide to approve or reject the applicant's visa application?

Article 2 14 (b) of the American Immigration and Nationality Act stipulates that every foreigner will be presumed to have an immigration tendency when applying for a visa, unless he can convince the consular officer that he has the non-immigration qualification. ......

To qualify for a non-immigrant visa, the applicant must meet the requirements of Article 2 14 (b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, otherwise the visa will be refused according to law. The most basic requirement of Article 2 14 (b) is that the applicant must have a residence outside the United States that he does not want to give up. Most applicants are refused visas because they can't prove it. The applicant can prove the existence of this residence by showing that he is bound outside the United States to force him to return to China after a short stay in the United States. According to American law, every applicant must prove this.

10. Why is the US visa law so strict?

America is an open society. Tourists in China are not controlled like other countries, such as forcing tourists to register with the local government. In order to make foreigners travel in the United States without any burden, foreigners have the responsibility to prove that they will leave the United States and return to China before obtaining a tourist or study visa. American immigration law requires visa officers to regard every applicant as having an intention to immigrate unless the applicant can prove that he has no such purpose.

1 1. What is a solid? Binding force?

Solid? Binding force? It varies from country to country, from city to city and from person to person. ? Binding force? Refers to all kinds of relationships that force you to live in your motherland or somewhere, such as your property, occupation, society, family relationship, etc. Personal work and income, house or apartment, car, close family members and bank deposits are all included. Visa officers study the professional, social, cultural and other relationships of applicants by handling them separately. Because young applicants can't establish these relationships, visa officers have to examine their exact intention to go to the United States, their family situation, and their long-term development plans and prospects in China. According to the law, all visa applications are handled separately.

12. Why do all applicants who have been refused visas get the same documents explaining the reasons for their refusal? For example, the reasons for refusing a student visa and a tourist visa should always be different.

Many visa applications are refused according to Article 2 14 (b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act. Most people who are refused visas can't prove that they are firmly bound outside the United States and can't convince visa officers to return to China after a short stay in the United States. Many people think that there is a special document or a special answer that will enable him to get a visa when he applies again in a few days or weeks. There is no such document or answer. Because the overall situation does not meet the requirements, the applicant was refused a visa. Applicants should apply for a visa after the overall situation has changed greatly. For example, unemployed students who have just graduated will apply for a visa after a period of employment.

13. Why is the visa interview time so short? The visa officer only asked me one or two questions, and almost refused the visa without looking at the certificate?

Visa officers handle thousands of visa applications every year. With experience, they can quickly review visa forms and other supporting materials to reduce problems. Please remember that most of the information requested by the visa officer is already on the visa application form, so there is usually no need to ask any more questions.

14. When I applied for a visa, I told the visa officer that I would definitely return to China after a short stay in the United States. Why doesn't the visa officer believe me?

The visa officer must weigh your overall situation before deciding whether to grant you a visa. Although my oral statement will help you get a visa, according to American law, you can't prove that you meet the requirements of a non-immigrant visa just by verbal guarantee.

15. Is it permanent to refuse a visa according to Article 2 14(b)?

You can't. If you have new materials that were not examined by the visa officer when you first applied, or the overall situation has changed significantly since the last refusal, you can apply for a visa again, and the visa officer will conduct an appropriate hearing.

16. How long does it take for the rejected applicant to reapply for a visa?

There is no time limit on when to apply again after refusing a visa. As long as you can submit supplementary documents or certificates to prove that you meet the requirements for obtaining a non-immigrant visa, you can reapply.

17. Can I send a letter or fax to the embassy in advance so that the visa officer can better understand my situation and my close ties with China?

It is useless to write to the visa officer in advance. You should bring this letter and other materials with you during the interview. Interview is the most appropriate occasion to review the applicant's materials.

18. I brought all the prepared supporting materials, but I was still refused a visa. What other documents do I need to prepare?

The problem is not the document you submitted, but the assumption that you are inclined to immigrate, which cannot be refuted by the overall situation you showed in the document. Remember, American law assumes that you are inclined to emigrate, and you must be able to prove that your overall situation will force you to leave the United States for home after your visit to the United States.

19. I have been admitted to an American school and have an I-20 form. Why are you still not eligible to apply for a study visa?

The I-20 form is just one of the materials that visa officers must review. Please remember that according to Article 2 14 (b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, all non-immigrant visa applicants must prove that they will leave the United States after completing the stated purpose of visiting the United States at the time of entry, and study visa applicants must also prove that they will leave the United States after completing their studies in the United States. Most people who study in the United States will stay in the United States for several months or years. In this way, the visa officer must comprehensively measure the applicant's conditions before deciding whether to issue a visa. If the applicant's general situation shows that his main purpose of going to the United States is not to study, but to stay in the United States for a long time, then he may still be refused a visa. Therefore, even if the school has accepted you and sent you the I-20 form, this is only one of the many factors that visa officers should consider.

20. Do I need to take TOEFL, SAT, GRE or GMAT for studying abroad? Do I need to reach a certain score to get a visa?

Generally speaking, applicants don't have to take any special exams in order to get a visa. However, we have noticed that students with positive and serious learning attitude often take such exams when applying for American schools. Taking one or more of these exams will help to prove that the applicant attaches importance to the study abroad plan.

2 1. As the only child in my family, I will definitely go back to China to take care of my parents. Why does the visa officer still think that my reasons for returning to China are not sufficient?

Relevant immigration data show that the only child will also stay in the United States indefinitely. However, the only child is only one of the overall conditions of the individual, and visa alone is not enough.