Embassy of the United States

Frequently Asked Questions

Visa Refusals

• Ineligibility information
  
  
• My application was refused under Section 214(b). If I send in more documents will I receive a visa?
  
  Applying for a Nonimmigrant visa is not primarily a document-based process. The main issue in determining if an applicant qualifies for a visa is intent, and documents alone cannot establish intentions. In some cases, documents can help establish an applicant’s intent to return to Sweden by showing that the applicant is well established here. In other cases, the circumstances are clear enough that documents are unnecessary. If your visa application has been refused it is highly unlikely that any document you could provide would alter the consular officer’s decision.
  
  
• What does a consular officer look for when determining an applicant's entitlement to Nonimmigrant status?
  
  In making that determination the officer considers the applicant’s personal circumstances, travel plans, financial resources and ties outside of the United States that will ensure his/her departure after a temporary visit.
  
  
• I’m already in Sweden, why can’t you issue me a visa here?
  
  The consular officer who evaluated your application is accredited in Sweden and is only able to assess your ties to Sweden. It is not possible for consular officers here to be experts about all other countries, or to understand any social or economic ties you may have to another country. Nevertheless, even though your application has been refused in Sweden, if you are here temporarily you may be able to qualify for a visa if you applied at home. Consular officers in your home country are better able to assess your situation there.
  
  
• I am a legal resident of Sweden. Why don’t I qualify?
  
  Many recent immigrants to Sweden cannot demonstrate sufficiently strong ties here to qualify for a Nonimmigrant visa to the United States. There is no magic formula that will work in each case. In general, you must be able to show that you have settled in Sweden and that this is, and will remain, your permanent home. In reviewing your application, the consular officer considered many aspects such as: How long have you been at your current address? How long have you been at your current job? Are you, or are your children enrolled in school? What commitments do you have here that would compel you to return to Sweden? What social ties do you have in Sweden? Often it is a question of time, and the best way to qualify for a visa is to reside in Sweden for a longer period of time and to build further social and economic ties here.
  
  
• Why didn’t they tell me when I called that I would not get a visa?
  
  Each visa application is thoroughly examined and evaluated on its own merits. Since it is impossible to obtain all relevant facts without seeing your passport and completed application, we are unable to tell you by phone whether you will or will not receive a visa. However, in no circumstances is someone able to guarantee in advance that you will receive a U.S. visa.
  
  
• Why can’t I get my money back?
  
  The fee that you paid is an application fee. Everyone who applies for a U.S. visa anywhere in the world must pay this fee, which covers the cost of adjudicating your application. As the application form states, this fee is non-refundable regardless of whether you are issued a visa or not. If your application was refused under Section 214(b) and you choose to reapply for a visa, whether at this Embassy or elsewhere, you will be required to pay the application fee again.
  
  
• Why have you stamped the back of my passport?
  
  The stamp in your passport, along with our worldwide computer system, simply indicates that your visa application was processed here in Stockholm. This stamp enables us to match subsequent applications with a file.
  
  
• Will the stamp in my passport prevent me from getting a visa in the future?
  
  Having your visa application refused here in Sweden does not make you ineligible to receive a visa in the future. U.S. consular officers will understand that your application here was evaluated and refused based on the strength of your ties to Sweden. If you choose to apply anywhere else, your application will be evaluated based upon any ties you have to that country, and on the merits of that application alone.
  
  
• Isn’t free travel a human right?
  
  The United States Government upholds the right to free travel as a basic human right. However, immigration to the United States is not a right. If you are able in the future to establish that you are a bona fide Nonimmigrant and you qualify for a visa, you will be able to travel to the United States as a temporary visitor. 

Do you still have a question?

Please e-mail us at stknivinfo@state.gov. Please include a telephone number in your mail. Your question will be answered within two business days.

You can also fax us at +46 (8) 660 5879 (please enclose reply e-mail address) or write to:

Nonimmigrant Visa Unit
Embassy of the United States of America
Dag Hammarskjölds Väg 31
SE- 115 89 Stockholm Sweden

You can also call us on +46 (8) 783 5469. Our telephone hours are Monday through Thursday from 1 PM to 2 PM. We are not open on Swedish and American holidays.