10 Most Common Student Visa Denial Reasons

Posted on March 22, 2016 by katz

There is nothing more disappointing than getting a student visa rejected after lots of hardwork and finally receiving admission to a college or university in the United States.

Every type of visa has some eligibility criteria created by immigration that one must meet to receive a visa. A student visa can be denied at the consulate any time a student is unable to prove that they can and will comply with the visa program’s purpose and requirements. Below are some common reasons why a student visa may be denied.

top reasons for student visa denial

Top Examples of Visa Denial


1. No intention of returning to your home country
If the visa officer thinks that you do not have any intention of returning to your home country after you finish your studies in the United States, your student visa may be rejected. To avoid this you can prove that you have strong roots in your home country such as family ties, businesses, future job plans, or property.

2. Inadequate financial means
The visa officer needs to make sure that you have enough money to pay for your education and living expenses while studying in the United States. If your financial documents fail to convince them of your financial means this is a reason for denial you need to have liquid assets immediately available for use such as cash in the bank. You aren’t expected to show enough to cover your entire program, but you must show for at least the first academic year.

3. Lying to the officer
Giving false or incorrect information to the visa officer is the last thing you want to do during a student visa interview. If you are caught not only will your student visa be denied, but you can also received a fraud charge and be permanently barred from the United States.

4. Bad conduct at the visa interview
Arriving late for your visa interview does not look good. Also you should dress well and come across as self-assured and well-mannered. If you come across too nervous it could get you into trouble, and the visa officer can deny you your student visa for bad conduct at the interview.

5. Unexceptional academic credentials and lack of knowledge
You will need to demonstrate your credibility as a good student for obtaining a student visa, for example showing that you indeed obtained a prior degree with good grades, which would have been necessary for your admission to the program you plan to study in. Mediocre or bad grades and RFE scores can be a reason to deny to a student visa.

6. Bad English language skills
Your English skills need to be reasonably good to obtain your student visa in most cases. You need to prove that you can study in English at an American university or college if that program of study is in English.

7. Applying after program start date
Your student visa can be denied if you apply for it after the program start date on your I-20 or DS-2019 form. Your visa can also be denied if the start date has not passed yet, but the officer believes that you will not enter the United States until after the date has passed. It is important to plan ahead and schedule your visa interview as early as possible.

8. Failure to pass security check
All nonimmigrant visa applicants are required to undergo a security check. If your name is tagged in the Consular Lookout and Security System, you can be denied a student visa.

9. Inadmissibility charges
If you have been charged with inadmissibility to the United States, your visa will be denied. Charges for inadmissibility are things such as criminal convictions and time in the United States without legal status for more than 180 days.

10. Don’t bring all of required documents to the interview

You must bring the following documents with you to your interview:

• a valid passport

• a Nonimmigrant Visa Application, Form DS-160

• an application fee payment receipt

• a passport photo

• a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant (F-1) Student Status (Form 1-20)

If you do not bring these documents with to the interview, your student visa will most likely be denied.

If your student visa is denied, the consular officer should tell you the reasons both verbally and in writing. Depending on the reasons, you may be able to reapply for your visa once you have the required documentation to overcome the denial.

Posted in Visa Petitions | Tagged , , | Comments Off

Americanos Victimas de Delito en México

Posted on January 20, 2016 by katz

victima de delito en MexicoEs muy importante saber los derechos y obligaciones que una persona USC tiene en un País extranjero, en este caso nos enfocaremos a los derechos que se tiene en México en caso de ser víctima de un delito. Sin embargo la información que encontrarás en este blog, es básicamente una información general, por lo que se sugiere consultar a un especialista en leyes con licencia para ejercer en México en caso de ser necesario, ya que cada caso es particular.

El ser víctima de un crimen, resulta una experiencia muy dolorosa, y más cuando no te encuentras en tu País de origen, para estos casos la Unidad de Servicios Consulares a Ciudadanos de la Embajada de Estados Unidos en México, los Consulados y Agencias Consulares te asistirán http://spanish.mexico.usembassy.gov/es/citizen-services/recursos-locales/encuentre-el-consulado-o-agencia-consular-ms-cercano.html. Está dependencia es la encargada de dar la información, asesoría y acompañamiento para la protección de la justicia penal como extranjero en otro País. La Embajada de los Estados Unidos de Norteamérica proporciona la ayuda y orientación correspondiente con los procedimientos criminal derivado de haber sido víctima del delito.

Importante aclarar que para que la aplicación de la justicia sea rápida, la denuncia debe iniciarse en la entidad federativa donde ocurrió el crimen. Sin embargo, el proceso para levantar una denuncia puede ser complicado si no hablas el idioma español, y aunque el personal del Consulado pueden ayudarte, para este tipo de trámites ellos no pueden actuar como traductores oficiales, pero pueden ayudarle a encontrar un abogado que hable los dos idiomas para tu correcta representación, tal y como lo marca la Constitución de México (artículos 14 y 16). Para esto, el Consulado puede proporcionar información acerca a las oficinas de Ministerios Públicos en México (equivalente en los EE.UU. a la oficina de Public Prosecutor o District Attorney), y cuentan también con una base de datos de traductores oficiales.

Los Agentes del Ministerios Públicos deben tomar su reporte independientemente del lugar de la República donde hayan ocurrido los hechos, sin importar su nacionalidad o lugar de residencia. El Ministerio Público tiene la obligación de velar por sus intereses, aunque aconsejamos contratar un abogado mexicano que proteja los mismos.

A continuación te proporcionamos los datos de tu Embajada: Horario de oficina de 8:30 a.m. a 5:30 p.m., de lunes a viernes, excepto días festivos México/EE.UU. Las emergencias fuera de dicho horario son atendidas por el oficial a cargo. Dirección: Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtémoc, México, D.F. 06500. Teléfonos: 55-5080-2260; 55-5080-2000, ext. 2260, 4523 o4131, Larga distancia nacional: 01-55-5080-2260; 01-55-5080-2000, ext. 2260, 4523 o 4131. Email: [email protected]

Si deseas conocer más acerca de este tema, te invito a visitar nuestro website, inscribirte dejándonos tus datos o seguirnos en nuestras redes sociales.



Evaluación legal gratuita



Posted in Abogado de Lesiones Personales en Chicago | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

Legal Ways to Get U.S. Permanent Residency (L and H1B Visas)

Posted on November 17, 2015 by katz

U.S. permanent residency, Chicago immigration attorneysThere are several ways to become a U.S. resident, it is only a matter of obtaining the proper advice before we jump into it. As you’ve probably heard, the most common way to do it is to marry a U.S. citizen or resident, but this marriage should be based on love. If this is your case, lucky you! However, there are visas that can lead to your residency in the future, sure you wonder: What are these visas that can help me to obtain a residency? Now I will explain briefly:

The U.S. Government over the time and according to the labor needs of the country, has developed different working visas that can give you the U.S, residency with the time (your Green Card). For example, the “L” visa (Intracompany transferee) and the “H-1B” visa (for professional workers).

As every official processing, we must meet certain requirements in order to apply for this visa, we may even be eligible to obtain a work visa, even if we have a negative immigration record (with an immigration waiver). To learn more about this subject, we invite you to visit our blog.

To enter the United States with one of these two visas mentioned above, have a good behavior in the United States and then have the sponsorship of your employer, will make you a U.S. resident!!!

Posted in Visa Application | Tagged , , , | Comments Off

What Are the Requirements and Processes to Obtain a Work Visa?

Posted on November 10, 2015 by katz

work visa for USA, Chicago immigration law attorneysThere are different ways of working in the United States legally, how? Through a work visa! The U.S. government over the time has authorized work visas (for temporary jobs, professional jobs, exchange visitor, etc.) for foreigners; each one has different requirements and benefits, certain visas can lead to the U.S. residency by working with an U.S. employer. It is possible to get one of these work visas, even if you have negative immigration record!

To be candidate and successfully apply to the work visas that is convenient for you, according to your job and/or your profession you must first meet with an immigration process to prove that there is need that you enter the U.S. to work without taking the job opportunities to any U.S. resident or U.S. citizen (USC).

One of the main requirements is to obtain a labor certification with the United States Department of Labor, and file immigration form I-129, this proves the need of the US employer to bring and employer from abroad to work in the U.S. company, because in his region there is no skilled labor to cover that job with the U.S. company. There is also a work visa, called “TN visa”, which does not include this requirement, in this visa you should just prove that your profession is listed in the appendix 1603.D.1 of the Nafta Treaty (Treaty between the United States, Canada and Mexico).

To learn more about each type of work visas, and their requirements, processing times, benefits, duration of the legal stay in the United States and annual amount of visas available, I invite you to visit our blog.

Posted in Work Visas | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

What Immigration Record Can Affect Me in Becoming a U.S. Resident?

Posted on November 3, 2015 by katz

immigration record, citizenship, Chicago immigration lawyersIf you have a relative that is U.S. legal permanent resident or citizen, he can file a family petition in your behalf, so that you can be a U.S. resident (and if you wish, in the future to U.S. citizen). It is a process that is made with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, in which you must meet certain requirements, including demonstrate that you do not have a negative immigration record in the United States, (permanent and temporary bars of inadmissibility. Before this, in some cases there are waivers that can help you overcome some bars.

But when we talk about Criminal Offenses, they do have an immigration impact, which in many cases can make you permanently inadmissible to get the U.S. residency through a family petition. Because of that, it is very important to take care of any criminal case in U.S. courts, since not only can affect your criminal record, but also the opportunity to adjust your immigration status and perhaps even get the U.S. residency.

A criminal offense may have one or more of four immigration impacts, for example:

  • Denial of admission to the country.
  • Denial of Residency.
  • Revocation of Residency and Deportation.
  • Denial of Citizenship.

To find out if in a case the crime is classified as a “Immigration Crime”, we have to compare the charges with the cases held in Circuit Courts and the BIA (Board of Immigration Appeals). To learn more about this subject, we invite you to visit our blog.

Posted in Criminal Issues and Immigration, Immigration | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off

How to Register a Birth Abroad

Posted on October 30, 2015 by katz

birth abroad, Mexico, Chicago immigration lawyersIn the United States, many children are born from Mexican parents, since they have born on U.S. soil they are U.S. citizens by birth (USC), but under Mexican law, they are entitled to be recognized in the same way as Mexican citizens. This is highly recommended, as both countries recognize dual citizenship, and when doing the register the minor would have the rights of a citizen on both sides of the border.

This registration of birth abroad, is made with the Mexican Consulate; as is done in Mexican territory, the child needs to be present during the registry process. Obviously there are more requirements, which are described below:

  • It is essential that parent’s names indicated in the Certificate of Birth Abroad, fully coincide with the name stated in their official identifications
  • It’s enough that just one of the parents is Mexican
  • Should be presented with the original Birth Certificate
  • Proof of Mexican citizenship (Passport, Consular Registration, voting card, etc.)

By doing this civil act before a consular officer, it gives the same validity as present the child born before the Judge of the Civil Registry in Mexico, since the Consular officer will make the necessary arrangements so the child born abroad is register in the Civil Registry. And so, it will be in the Mexican registry files the birth certificate of the Mexican citizen born abroad!

To learn more about this topic, I invite you to visit our website, subscribe leaving your contact information or follow us on our social networks.

Posted in Birth Abroad | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

How to Divorce Abroad (in Mexico)

Posted on October 27, 2015 by katz

divorce abroad in Mexico, Chicago immigration law attorneyThere are many cases in which for reasons of distance, love, or simply it is no longer possible to legally preserve the marriage between spouses. Sometimes it is the best to dissolve the marriage bond that unite you to a person, and especially if that person is in another country where you are!

One of the basic and essential requirements to obtain a divorce in Mexico, is that civil marriage has been celebrated in Mexico and/or the last marital home had also been established in Mexico. But also sufficient to show that the marriage was celebrated in Mexico, and their last address together as marriage, was in another country, like the United States.

In Mexico, currently is enough that one of the couple in the marriage wants to divorce so that it can be done this petition with the court, is no longer necessary to prove grounds for it. Perhaps you are wondering, how will I file this petition if I am in the U.S.? It all starts with the initial petition for divorce, this petition will must attach a proposed agreement, where will specify: who will have the custody of minor children; visitation rights; alimony; the proposed distribution of the properties. The good news is that this kind of trial can be made from abroad through legal representation, through giving Consular Power of Attorney to a particular person, which serves to act on the Court of Mexico as if the foreigner was on the spot.

 

Once the divorce trial begins, the judge in Mexico must request through rogatory letter the support from a Judge of the Family Court in the United States, so he on behalf of his Mexican counterpart, notify the petition in question, giving the opportunity to obtain a divorce from abroad, without the need to be present at the court of your country of origin. To learn more about this topic, I invite you to visit our blog.

Posted in Divorce and Separation | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Como Llevar un Juicio Testamentario o Intestamentario en Mexico

Posted on October 22, 2015 by katz

Sucesiones Testamentario en ChicagoExisten muchos casos donde por diversas cuestiones emigras de tu País de origen, y pasa y pasa el tiempo y haces una vida en el extranjero, en muchos de estos casos, desafortunadamente no cuentas con documentos legales que acrediten tu estancia migratoria legal, y esto te pone entre la espada y la pared, ya que a lo largo del tiempo generas lazos familiares y económicos en tu nuevo lugar de residencia y se te dificultaría mucho el regresar a tu País de origen con la posibilidad de no poder regresar nuevamente y perder todo lo que has cosechado a lo largo del tiempo.

Esto es muy común entre la migración de México hacia Estados Unidos de Norteamérica. En algunas circunstancias dejas en México trámites legales de importancia pendientes de resolver, o incluso se generan tiempo después… Un ejemplo muy cotidiano es el fallecimiento de algún familiar que te dejo como heredero, o que murió sin testamento y tú tienes derecho a heredar. Como le haces?

Para poder iniciar un Juicio Testamentario (existe testamento) o Intestamentario (no existe testamento) en México, se debe presentar la demanda de denuncia de la sucesión, presentando o no copia del testamento según sea el caso; el Juez que conoce del Juicio gira los oficios respectivos para saber si realmente fue la última disposición legal que existe, se convocan a todos los herederos, se nombra albacea, declara el albacea con los bienes con que se contaban antes de fallecer el autor de la sucesión, se realiza un proyecto de repartición de los bienes, se reparten los bienes y se realiza la adjudicación de los bienes con los que conto el autor de la sucesión.

Para tu tranquilidad, en este tipo de juicios te podemos representar desde el extranjero, o iniciar la demanda-denuncia, aunque el interesado este en el extranjero, por medio de la representación legal adecuada, es decir; con la personalidad jurídica correspondiente, basta un Poder Notarial Consular, el cual sirve para actuar en la Corte de México como si el extranjero estuviera allí mismo. Para saber más acerca de este tema, te invito a visitar nuestro website o seguirnos en nuestras redes sociales.

Posted in Abogado de Inmigración de Chicago, Testamentario | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

How to Obtain U.S. Residency for a Relative

Posted on October 22, 2015 by katz

residency for a relative, Chicago immigration lawyerThere are different legal pathways to become a US resident: through work, investment, or even for having been a victim of a crime; but the most common, easy and quick method (depending on the degree of family relationship) is through a relative that is US resident or citizen (USC). This is a right that the US resident or citizen has under US law to file a petition for an alien with the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, so this alien can enter the US as a legal permanent resident, and later even become US citizen.

As with every government process, certain requirements must be fulfilled before being approved. For example you are often required to be on a wait list until your “priority date is current” and it is your turn to go before a consular officer for an interview and for a background check of your immigration record in the US and even your criminal record, in order to demonstrate to the US government that you do not have grounds of inadmissibility and that you are not a risk to national security.

Something important to note is that the wait time depends entirely on your family relationship with the relative that petitions you and the current processing times within immigration itself.

As we mentioned, the petitioner must be a US citizen, or at least a US resident. For the majority of cases where the petitioner is the spouse you will face an important question: How did you meet, where did you get married, and what was your immigration status in the US during this time? Sometimes your circumstances, such as having had unlawful presence in the U.S., may create a ground of inadmissibility (temporary or permanent, depending on your immigration violations). For this particular case, you can submit an immigration waiver for a deportation or your unlawful presence in the United States. (Each case is unique, and grounds of inadmissibility may be different for each one).

There is an exception for the immigration waiver (waiver I-601 and I-212), for those who have filed a family petition on or before April 30, 2001, or those who entered with a valid visa and overstayed the time granted (I-94).

Posted in Immigration | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off

Cuales Son Las Manchas Migratorias Que Me Afectan Para Ser Residente Americano

Posted on October 15, 2015 by katz

ciudadano americano, Chicago abogado de derecho penalSi tienes algún familiar residente y/o ciudadano americano, él puede hacerte una petición familiar, para que así tú puedas ser residente americano (y si lo deseas, en un futuro hasta ciudadano americano USC). Es un proceso que se hace ante el Departamento de Migración Americano, en el cual debes cubrir ciertos requisitos, entre ellos, demostrar que no tienes manchas migratorias en Estados Unidos de Norteamérica, (barreras de inadmisibilidad temporales y/o permanentes), ante esto, en algunos casos existen perdones migratorios (waiver) que pueden ayudarte a brincar algunas barreras.

Pero cuando hablamos de Delitos Criminales, estos tienen un impacto migratorio, el cual en muchos casos te pueden hacer inadmisible de forma permanente para conseguir la residencia americana por parte una petición familiar. Por esta razón es de suma importancia arreglar cualquier caso criminal en las Cortes Americanas, ya que no solo pueden afectar tu record criminal, sino también la oportunidad de arreglar tú status migratorio y quizá hasta conseguir la residencia americana.

Un delito criminal puede tener uno, o más de cuatro impactos migratorios, por ejemplo:

  • NEGACIÓN DE ADMISIÓN AL PAÍS.
  • NEGACIÓN DE RESIDENCIA.
  • REVOCACIÓN DE RESIDENCIA Y DEPORTACIÓN.
  • NEGACIÓN DE CIUDADANIA.

Para saber si en cada caso el delito se ha clasificado como un “Delito Migratorio”, debemos comparar los cargos con los casos de las Cortes Federales de Apelación y con la BIA (Corte de Apelaciones de Inmigración). Para conocer más sobre este tema, te invito a visitar nuestro blog.

Posted in Abogado de Defensa Criminal en Chicago, Abogado de Inmigración de Chicago | Tagged , , , | Comments Off