A visa refusal is a nightmare. It's agonising to spend hours and effort on a visa only to have it denied. Visa refusal not only dashes your hopes of travelling to your location, but also affects your future travel. What can be done? You may ask. We've developed a list of top 15 reasons for visa rejection; typical visa refusal grounds on which your visas get rejected, so you may be careful when applying.

Why is visa denied?

The embassy/consulate/high commission usually gives a reason for refusing a visa application. This helps you reapply after making changes. Major visa denial causes are —

• Visa violations

When applying for a visa, don't break the rules. Immigration affects a nation's safety. Immigration departments of different nations have written laws and guidelines with this in mind. The majority of visa applications are refused because applicants don't follow the rules. In truth, most visa rejections are due to not following rules.

• Incomplete Travel Plan

Itineraries display your exact trip plans. Most candidates don't offer an itinerary. Good travel itineraries list all the countries/states you plan to visit. It must include airfare and hotel bookings.

• Lack of Purpose

A visa is issued for a specific purpose. For business meetings, conferences, etc., a business visa is issued. Visa refusal results from not providing documentation or information about your visit's purpose. In the scenario above, for a business visa, you must verify that the invitation letter from the company in the destination country defines your purpose of visit explicitly.

• Travel document errors

Most of the times, the problem lies right before you. When arranging paperwork, the passport is often overlooked. Visa rejection is based on an expired/damaged passport or one with no blank pages. Each country has various passport requirements. This will be rejected if not met.

• Late Submission

Different firms' missions have varying processing durations due to many considerations. The embassies require enough time to process your application before your intended travel date. Submitting a late application with less than the embassy's recommended processing time till travel can lead to visa rejection. In many circumstances, the embassy has severe requirements on the number of days before your travel date.

• Low funds

One of the top visa refusal causes. While travelling, you must show that you have enough money to cover your entire stay. This is to ensure you don't have a hard time in the country and don't become a liability for it. If you lack finances, your application will be denied. It can be refused if funds are inaccessible.

• Unfinished Form

A blank application form will get you denied. Each application column is a question. Even if a question doesn't apply to you, the form will tell you to type N/A or something else. False information on the application form is another visa refusal reason. Check your application before submitting.

• Data mismatch

If your application form doesn't match your travel documentation, it will be refused. It happens often when people fill out forms quickly. Check that your application details match your passport.

• Previous criminal record

A criminal conviction poses a threat to the destination country. Due to this, your application will be straightaway rejected. With a clean record, you won't have any problems.

• Poor visa interview

Visa interviews can make or break your application. A bad visa interview nearly invariably leads to rejection. This includes being apprehensive, providing superfluous details, and not being able to communicate effectively. Be well-prepared for the interview so you can answer any queries without hesitation.

• False ID

Providing fraudulent documents results in visa rejection. Once you apply, visa officials will check your document's validity. If the document is false, they will reject the application and may restrict you from applying for a certain time.

• Regionally-languaged documents

Many of your paperwork will be in local language. Submitting such documents directly is futile since authorities can't verify them. The visa will be denied. Make sure your regional documents are translated as required by the embassy.

• No travel insurance

Though many countries don't require travel insurance, Schengen nations do. Coverage requirements will apply. If your travel insurance doesn't fulfil these criteria, your application will be denied.

• Poor travel record

Bad travel history is another grounds for visa refusal. Your application may be declined if you've been denied a visa to the country (or other countries) before, if you've overstayed in a country before, if you've performed activities not authorised under a particular visa category before, etc.

The adage “prevention is better than cure” applies to visas too. A visa application is demanding and frantic. To avoid a visa rejection, avoid the above faults and follow all the criteria. However, a reputable visa firm is your best bet.

After having known about all the possible reasons behind your visa rejection, it is highly advisable to act wisely and seek professional advice and expert guidance so as to avoid witnessing any of the above mentioned complications. This will not only ensure a seamless visa application process, but also keep you away from unnecessary apprehensions. A very well-known name in the foreign education consultants and immigration industry happens to be Rao Consultants, with an incredible experience of 20 years as Visa Consultants in Ahmedabad. They are one of the best when it comes to IELTS coaching in Ahmedabad, PTE coaching, CELPIP coaching, and assisting you in solving queries related to any types of visas may it Student Visa, Immigration Visa, Tourist Visa, etc.