Consular processes can differ at at U.S. Consulates and Embassies around the world. Our experts can help navigate the maze.
The United States maintains embassies and consulates in 200 countries around the world to effectively serve as America’s gatekeepers. These embassies and consulates have a legal responsibility to interview individuals and review their visa applications in order to make a binding decision as to whether they can travel to the United States, what they may do and not do while here, and how long they can remain.
Regardless of individual circumstances, the law automatically presumes that every foreign citizen who wants to come to the United States intends to emigrate. Therefore the process of consular approval can be rigorous and demand considerable documentation to support the declarations made in a visa application as to the purpose of travel, the length of the visit, employment and financial considerations and/or the intention to return home at the end of the visa period. Consulates also deny permission to individuals not qualified for a visa because they are deemed a threat to the security of the U.S., or have personal histories that would make them ineligible for citizenship for legal, moral or political reasons.
Goel & Anderson is experienced in facilitating consular matters and maintains effective communications with the State Department and its embassies and consulates worldwide. We regularly counsel foreign nationals as to the most effective way to present their case to a consulate, and also step in to help “unstick” cases that are encountering hurdles to the approval of either a temporary visa or permanent visa in the consular process. Denials are both difficult to overcome and remain on an individual’s immigration record forever so our help at the beginning of the consular application process can be invaluable.