{"id":4876,"date":"2024-06-26T15:37:16","date_gmt":"2024-06-26T19:37:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/iso\/?page_id=4876"},"modified":"2026-03-12T15:05:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T19:05:08","slug":"decisions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/iso\/visas\/application-process\/decisions\/","title":{"rendered":"Decisions"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"parent":4736,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"class_list":["post-4876","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"lead_in":"","display_title":"Visa Application Decisions","subtitle":"","call_to_action":"","hero_image_placement":"no_image","hero_media":"images","hero_pattern_option":"","hero_video":"","hero_image_landing":"","hero_image_landing_two":"","hero_image_landing_three":"","content_modules":[{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"","css_class":"mt-0 pt-15","title":"","content":"There are two main visa application decisions: Denial, and approval. There may also be delays due to administrative processing<\/a>.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"denial","css_class":"mt-0 pt-0","title":"

Denial<\/h2>","content":"If the interviewing officer doesn\u2019t feel that you\u2019ve shown sufficient evidence to warrant the requested visa, you\u2019ll be issued a denial.\r\n\r\nBefore leaving the interview, you should receive a written explanation for the denial. Be sure to request this if you aren\u2019t given one automatically. The most common reason for a visa denial is a failure to prove nonimmigrant intent<\/a> to the consular officer.\r\n\r\nPlease report the visa denial to our office via URcompass<\/a>.\r\n\r\nIf you choose to reapply, you\u2019ll need to provide new information or documents to address the reason(s) for the previous denial. The consulate won\u2019t reconsider your application if additional materials aren\u2019t available for review. Depending on the timing of a second interview, you may need to request updated documentation from the International Services Office (ISO).","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"approval","css_class":"mt-0 pt-0","title":"

Approval<\/h2>","content":"After successfully meeting the eligibility requirements for your requested category, your application for a nonimmigrant visa should be approved by the interviewing consular official. In some cases, the application will be approved subject to additional administrative processing, which can cause significant delays to processing time. Before your interview and again after approval, be sure to review the visa reciprocity table<\/strong><\/a>, which outlines the visa validity period, number of allowed entries, and applicable issuance fees for your specific country of citizenship. These factors determine what your final visa stamp will look like.\r\n\r\nIt may take the consulate a few days to process the approval and return the updated passport to you. The visa stamp will be issued as a full-page sticker in your passport. Make sure you understand whether you\u2019ll receive your passport by mail or are expected to pick it up in person.","background_color":"#ffffff","width":"width-medium"},{"acf_fc_layout":"text","anchor":"processing","css_class":"","title":"

Delays: pending administrative processing<\/h2>","content":"The U.S. government may require some visa applications to undergo additional review before a visa can be issued. Administrative processing involves checks by multiple government agencies and can add several weeks, or sometimes months, to the approval timeline. Most cases take three to eight weeks. Plan your travel with this in mind.\r\n\r\nThere is no way to predict who will be selected for additional processing, but it is more common for applicants who:\r\n