Applying For A US Visa? Here Is Why You Have To Be Extra Careful

A US Visa is often the first step towards fulfilling the 'American Dream' of millions across the world.

But a new decision by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services may result in the dreams of many getting shattered for even small mistakes.

BCCL

They have now come out with a new policy under which it is free to reject a visa application for errors and missing documents.

The new policy will affect almost all immigration applications, petitions, and requests, including H-1B visas and Green Card applications.

"This policy is intended to discourage frivolous or substantially incomplete filings used as ¡°placeholder¡± filings and encourage applicants, petitioners, and requesters to be diligent in collecting and submitting required evidence. It is not intended to penalize filers for innocent mistakes or misunderstandings of evidentiary requirements," said USCIS.

BCCL

About 7 million people apply for permanent residence or visas each year.

Till now, USCIS had to issue Request for Evidence (RFE) or Notice of Intent to Deny (NOID) in cases of errors and missing documents.

The applicants and their attorneys were then allowed time to add the required documents or information to their applications, hoping they would be approved. The notifications also gave them the opportunity to correct errors before their cases were closed.

BCCL

But under the new guidelines, adjudicators have the full discretion to deny the applications without first issuing any notices.

As of April 20, 2018, there were 632,219 Indian immigrants and their spouses and minor children waiting for green cards also known as legal permanent residency cards.