Immigration Corner | Why was the visa renewal denied?

Dear Mrs Walker Huntington,

I applied for renewal of my son’s visa in August 2025. At the time an interview was not required. I submitted the documents but was later advised that an interview is required. When the passport was picked up, there was a pink slip advising that the visa was refused for Section 221(g). When the documents were submitted, the actual DS-160 application form was not submitted, just the confirmation page. Could the non-submission of the application form cause the application to be rejected?

Your response will be greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

AT

Dear AT,

The US Embassy determines when an interview is required for the renewal of a non-immigrant visa, and that determination is based on factors from the embassy. Sometimes an interview is required based on how the applicant used their previous visa, etc. One should always treat the application for the renewal of a visa like a first time application – in that the applicant must demonstrate sufficient ties to their home country to satisfy the consular officer that they will return home after a brief visit to the United States. It is never a done deal that your visa will be renewed.

A denial of a B1/B2 visa under INA Section 221(g) is a generalised denial, but means that the Consular Officer found the applicant ineligible for a visa at the time of application. It does not preclude the applicant from applying again – especially when there are changed circumstances. It is often the reason given when an applicant is found not to have sufficient ties, e.g. has not worked long enough to establish ties to their job, or is not employed at all.

One of the statutory reasons for a denial under Section 221(g) is that “ 2) the application fails to comply with the provisions of this Act, or the regulations issued thereunder,…”. Clearly if you are applying for a visa and you did not submit the actual DS-160, the Consular Officer did not have a basis from which to review the application. At the same time, if you did not submit the application form DS-160, I do not know how the appointment for the visa interview could be scheduled. Also, when they scheduled you for the interview they would have known that the application was missing.

There might be some other reason for the denial of the visa renewal and based on what you were told during the visa interview, you can reapply for your son’s visa at the appropriate time.

Dahlia A. Walker-Huntington, Esq. is a Jamaican-American attorney who practises immigration law in the United States; and family, criminal and international law in Florida. She is a mediator and former special magistrate and hearing officer in Broward County, Florida. i nfo@walkerhuntington.com