US Visa Rejection

Hangout GupShup Cafe
1

**** for an update, see the blue text at the end of this post **

Someone I know just got his student US visa rejected this weekend. He already has a valid visitor’s visa to the USA till 2005, he just came back from the USA a couple months ago, he was gone visiting.

He had gotten into one of the top 10 business schools in the US for an MBA, and his funding and everything was all sorted out.

He’s still going to try and appeal and reapply etc. Abt the interview procedure at the US embassy in Islamabad he said the interview was only 1 minute long, the guy taking the interview didn’t even look at his whole application, just looked at the first page, and you can’t even speak extra at the interview and volunteer extraneous info, so he doesn’t even know if the interviewer even knew that he has a valid visitor’s visa. He basically asked him why he was going for his studies there, what job he does here, and things like that. Then the interviewer did something on his computer for half a minute and then immediately told him “Sorry…Thanks for applying…but…”

The guy’s not showing that he’s affected but it must be tough to accept coz he was reallly counting on it and had worked hard to get into that school, getting into one of the top MBA programs in the USA is not easy!

He was saying that all the guys who he met that day at the embassy got their visas rejected, he didn’t meet a single guy whose visa got accepted.

Another friend’s parents had applied for an official tour sponsored by their employer company. The trip was fully planned and their family is very well settled in Pakistan. The uncle has gone to college in the USA too. They also got rejected.

There are people though who’s visas are also being accepted. I’ve heard of such cases too. But the number of acceptances has sharply declined.

The mind boggling thing though is, what criteria are they using? And granted they have the sovereign authority to grant visas but wouldn’t it be a bit nice, a bit humane, if they could provide atleast some explanation about the reasons for rejection, and shed some light on the strategy they are using, if they are using one at all, to decide who to give visas to and who not to. The whole process seems so arbitrary, almost completely random.

edited after approx 3 weeks of the original post: **so the person i was talking abt in my original post above 3 wks ago reapplied for the visa immediately, got a walk in interview, and ended up getting the visa last week. i havent had a chance to speak to him yet abt the process he went thru in detail but just found out that he’s gotten the visa now.

he has to undergo further background checks tho that might take a month to one yr. i heard that basically in this they check his record of whether his last name matches that of any terrorist and if so if they r related.**

2

Re: US Visa Rejection

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by irem: *

but wouldn't it be a bit nice, a bit humane, if

[/QUOTE]

care to tell me of something in the recent days that american government has done that was a bit nice, bit human....

3

sigh

4

America is a good country. I like it very much. I wil be law abiding citizen once I go there. I like American people they are very friendly and co-opperating. I like american culture, it is very open and people have freedom of speech. America like democracy every where and wants to make people happy around the world. :gizzy:

Jaarj bush zinda baad :jhanda:

5

irem u have scared the living daylights out of me

I have recently submitted my papers to the US embassy , and in a few days I am destined for an interview ……

Aab mera kya bany ga ???..ufffffff…:mad:

6

Pakora - Allah karay u get it inshallah…there’s no need to feel scared because there are many people who are getting visas too…my point was that for those who are refused, an explanation should be provided…i mean this guy had worked really hard to reach this point and now his visa was just rejected…i thought it was sad…and he was just left in the lurch
p.s. i’m scared too :frowning: coz i will be applying for a visa for grad school :frowning: jab se mein ne ye news suni hae subha se mera dil ghabra rha hae :crying: but i know this is a matter out of my control…i just have to pray to Allah swt…and you should too :slight_smile:

Code_Red - lol

7

Well the law they have is called 214(B)

It works on the presumption that every one applying for a visa is a potential immigrant and the applicant has to prove otherwise …….
The law also states that “The applicant has to show social / economic ties with their native country that will compel them to return,** no fixed set of rules can be given for this** as everyone’s circumstances vary “.

So in reality the Americans can effectively juggle with the legal connotations of this absurd law and refuse a visa of a “chaprasee” or “The president of Pakistan”.

8

I think I will email President Bush ....

Probably that might help ?

PS:: I am serious!!! I don’t want to spend my vacations in Peshawar and my parents gallivanting in Minneapolis.

9

I hope u guys can get visa for abroad for study n visa purposes, but on a long term view I wud suggest u guys to live on PK...apne ghar se achi jagga koi nahin...

haye me missin pk:(

10

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Pakora: *
So in reality the Americans can effectively juggle with the legal connotations of this absurd law and refuse a visa of a “chaprasee” or “The president of Pakistan”.
[/QUOTE]

Amreeka nay koi theka to nahin rakha na sabb ko istoodent vija ya vijitor vija denay ka. Unka mulk hai jiss marji ko vija dain ya inkaar karain ;p

And yes you are right, everyone's circumstance vary and a lot of times its upto the immigration officer at the embassy to simply deny you w/o giving you any plausible reason.

11

Pakora :frowning: :crying:
dont worry tho, i hope u will get it inshallah…i am pretty sure u will :slight_smile:

MC i’m a homeless wanderer… :frowning: a jogan…mujhay khud nai pata mera ghar kidhar hae :frowning:

JaGGa un ka mulk hae par hamaree bhee to nanni khwahishein haen cant they be a bit more rehmdil :halo: look at pakistan, hum ne to kadi kisi ka visa deny nai kya, cept for shbaz sharif :frowning:

12

:rotfl:

And anupam kher, bechara * tind* ki waja se reh gaya :hehe:

Sab ganjoon ka dakhla mana hai

13

we denied visa to him?

14

He was comming for shows in karachi,lhr,islo but govt did't gave NOC cuz of security situation.

15

Irem, where have you applied for Grad school?

16

Well..he should first go and thank the boys at Lakshar, Al Qaida and other thought leaders for making the process as onerous as it is. Then he should think about many ways in which he will say "what if.." for the rest of his life.

I can't blame the US gov't for being tough on immigration from Pak. Considering the consulates are always being attacked.

17

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Matsui: *

I can't blame the US gov't for being tough on immigration from Pak. Considering the consulates are always being attacked.
[/QUOTE]

Mugar uss may mera kya kasoor hai......:(

being punished for the deeds of others ...isnt that unfair?

18

Why doesnt he go to Sweden or Germany or those european countries where it's cheap and free too, to study..
I don't know about the visa deals but i think it's better than US, like he can save alot..
:s

19

Pakora, you are judged by the company you keep. It may not be fair, but such is life. This guy who is sooooo very smart, should instead go work for the FBI in the many ofices located across Pakistan to sniff out ht jihadi boys and have them packed and shipped one way to X-Ray. He will get the visa asap. :k:

20

Anupam Kher's visa was refused after his program was announced in Lahore and two other places. At that Anupam is not an Aamir Khan or Shahsrukh (the Khans not being too keen on Pakistan). Aupam considers himself a friedn of Pakistan.

Bottomline, US has every right to disallow the people that it wants just as Pakistan has its rights. Agar koi chokri ne hame naa kaha, albatta ham usay bahot chahte hain, to ham karen bhi kya? Vohi baat rahi na?