As US visas become increasingly difficult to obtain, even for tourism, immigration lawyer Andrea Szew has shed light on the approval process, which she says does not work as most people think. Many applicants believe they were not given enough time to present their case, leading to rejection. However, Szew explained in a YouTube video that visa officers are trained to spot inconsistencies and must make quick decisions, as they lack the time to read the full intent of an application.
Here are 5 key things to know about US visa approvals:
1. Decision is already made but not final
Andrea explained that people often think their case begins when they reach the interview window. But by that time, the visa officer has already reviewed the DS-160 form, travel history, prior visa applications, and previous visa notes. They have formed a preliminary decision, though it is not final. Their questions are designed to confirm what they see in the application. Even for simple cases, officers are trained to ask if the applicant has any reason to return to their home country.
2. No benefit of the doubt
Visa officers are trained to look for patterns, consistency, credibility, logic, and risk. If something is unclear, it does not receive the benefit of the doubt; instead, it is treated as a concern. Officers do not have time to investigate every case, as they may interview up to 100 applicants per day. They ask targeted questions to obtain key information quickly.
3. Rambling and over-explaining hurt your case
Andrea noted that many applicants feel they did not get a chance to explain their case because the officer asked only one question. However, visa officers are not looking for long answers. In fact, rambling and over-explaining can harm the application. They seek short, direct, and aligned responses.
4. One reason why visa applications get denied
According to Andrea, applicants are not necessarily denied because they lied. A common reason for denial is inconsistency or a mismatch between the applicant's spoken answers and the information in their application. The visa officer is not looking for a perfect answer; the decision is based on the overall impression.
5. Sound credible, not rehearsed
Applicants must know their application thoroughly but should sound credible and confident, not rehearsed. Andrea advises anticipating key questions and answering them confidently.
