US Embassy in London Implements Strict Visa Denials for Minor Criminal Histories
Immigration lawyers in London are increasingly refusing to represent clients with any criminal history, no matter how minor or dated, due to a near-certain rejection rate from the US embassy in the city. This stringent stance applies regardless of the applicant's professional status or the purpose of their intended visit to the United States.
Financial Times Report Highlights Widespread Business Visa Rejections
A recent Financial Times investigation revealed that the US embassy in London is systematically denying visas to top-level business executives. The rejections are based on minor criminal offenses that may have only involved law enforcement interactions without resulting in convictions. Alarmingly, some cases cited by the embassy date back to the 1970s, where individuals might have received nothing more than a police warning.
Legal professionals note that these offenses often include past cannabis use, involvement in bar fights, or driving under the influence. Many of these applicants had previously been granted entry to the US despite these records existing for decades.
Global Visa Policy Changes Create Chaos, Especially in India
This report emerges amidst significant disruptions in US visa processing worldwide. Thousands of H-1B visa holders are currently stranded in India due to policy changes that have created a logistical quagmire with no immediate resolution in sight.
The US State Department initiated enhanced social media vetting for H-1B visa applicants starting December 15, 2025. This time-consuming process has forced consular offices in India to drastically reduce daily appointment slots, leading to massive scheduling chaos. Many applicants who had interviews scheduled for December 2025 have been rescheduled to dates in April, May, or June 2026.
Since these individuals cannot enter the United States without fresh visa stamping, they face being stuck in India for at least six months. While this issue is not exclusive to India, the country has been particularly hard-hit due to its substantial contribution to the H-1B visa program.
London: Europe's Largest US Visa Post Faces Unprecedented Scrutiny
The Financial Times report confirms that both travel and business visas are being rejected in London, which serves as the largest US visa processing post in Europe. In 2024 alone, the embassy issued over 150,000 non-immigrant visas.
Lawyers report that these denials are frequently issued under Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows refusal when applicants fail to sufficiently demonstrate their qualification for a US visa.
"In our experience, anybody that has a criminal irregularity — no matter how minor — is unlikely to obtain a visitor visa, and in some cases even a work visa, from London right now," stated Christi Jackson, head of the US practice at Laura Devine Immigration in London. "We are telling clients with existing visas that they should guard them with their lives."
US State Department Defends Stringent Visa Policies
In response to the situation in London, the US Department of State issued a statement emphasizing security priorities. "The Trump administration is upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through the visa process... [the US] will not tolerate foreign visitors violating our laws."
This global tightening of visa policies represents a significant shift in US immigration enforcement, affecting business travelers, skilled workers, and tourists alike across multiple continents.
