The Key Steps to Getting an Immigrant Visa to the United States

The Key Steps to Getting an Immigrant Visa to the United States

While sitting US President Joe Biden was thought to have a significantly more progressive immigration outlook and policy than his predecessor, his administration has declined a significant number of visas in recent times.

There have been a number of mitigating factors (such as Covid-19, of course), but for now it seems incredibly difficult for students and professionals to apply for a US visa.

But what are the key steps to successfully getting an immigration visa, and what resources can you call on to achieve this objective?

The Decline in US Visa – And the Reasons Behind This

Biden’s administration walked straight into the coronavirus pandemic, with this 2020 election win coming towards the end of a damaging first spike of infections nationwide.

The new President’s first response was to strongly push his country’s vaccine rollout, while Biden also implemented and adjusted new restrictions that had been established early on in the coronavirus pandemic.

As an indirect consequence of this, the number of visas issued to individuals (especially immigrants who were applying for students and professionals) declined from 240,000 in Q1 2020 to just 79,000 in April.

Since then, we’ve only seen a marinal uptick in successful visa applications, with the total number reaching 130,000 in quarter four. This remains around 100,000 lower than the first quarter total, representing a huge decrease in a relatively short period of time.

What Challenges Do Immigrants Face and How Can They Be Overcome?

Ultimately, this decline has more to do with wider circumstances than a concerted approach to make immigration more difficult, and there’s no doubt that the coronavirus has had a significant impact on the number of successful visa applications stateside.

This trend has already begun to reverse as restrictions are lifted, of course, but what are the remaining challenges facing aspiring immigrants who want to come to the states?

On a fundamental level, a visa application may be denied because the consular office does not have all of the information required to determine eligibility. Similarly, the information provided by applications may place the individual within the legal scope of ineligibility, which should be clearly explained to people once a decision has been made.

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While some visas are rejected as a result of fraud or criminal behaviour on behalf of the applicant, this is relatively rare, with most issues occurring due to administrative errors or the failure to understand complex forms and precisely what is being asked of applicants.

To overcome these challenges, your best course of action is to seek out specialist advice from immigration lawyers, particularly those who operate internationally and understand the rules in place in relevant countries across the globe.

Such experts are well-placed to guide you through the process and provide guidance as and when required, while also answering questions that are specific to your own unique circumstances.