A recent US visa applicant’s journey has taken a confusing turn after receiving an initial approval for a B1/B2 visa, only for the status to later change to “refused,” despite answering basic questions during the interview.
The applicant attended a visa interview on September 12, where they faced a series of straightforward, routine questions from the consular officer, including enquiries about their travel purpose, duration of stay, and any relatives in the US.
After the interview, the applicant was informed that their visa had been approved, and their passport was taken for processing.
However, just three days later, on September 15, the applicant received an unexpected update: the visa status had changed to “refused.”
The applicant expressed confusion, adding that the questions asked during the interview were basic and aligned with the information on the visa application.
Additionally, the applicant had expected no major issues, given the ease with which their responses could be verified.
What does the statement explain?
The official visa status update reads as follows: “A US consular officer has adjudicated and refused your visa application. Please follow any instructions provided by the consular officer. If you were informed by the consular officer that your case was refused for administrative processing, your case will remain refused while undergoing such processing.
The statement further added, “You will receive another adjudication once such processing is complete. Please be advised that the processing time varies and that you will be contacted if additional information is needed.”
The applicant has been left in the dark, wondering why their case was shifted to “refused” and what the next steps will be.
The visa status update hints that administrative processing could be the cause of the refusal, but without clear communication from the consulate, the applicant is uncertain about how long this process may take, or whether further documentation or clarifications are required.
‘You could have given mis-information in DS160’
Netizens posted the possible reason behind the refusal. A user noted, “You could have given mis-information in DS160.”
Another added, “The tracker sometimes says weird stuff. I’ve had it say both rejected and administrative processing on two separate occasions, before getting approved 1-2 days after. Depending on how nice your embassy is, you might want to try emailing them and ask for clarification.”
“The wording matches administrative processing. The case status online always says “Refused” until AP is finished. If they need extra documents or if security checks are pending, it will stay like this for days or weeks. It looks like your case is in administrative processing. Once it clears, the status will change, and if all is fine, they will stamp the visa in your passport,” noted a user.
“Administrative processing. You should get a mail in some time (days to weeks). I would contact the consular office to find out,” claimed a netizen.
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