Suppose you’re abroad and your application is denied at the embassy interview. In that case, the consular officer will give you a form explaining why the application was denied. In many cases, you can apply for the visa again, and depending on the reason for denial, you may be eligible to apply for a waiver of inadmissibility.

Reasons for denying a visa application may include health reasons, a criminal background, prior issues with U.S. immigration, the officer not believing your intent to enter the U.S., or other reasons. If the denial relates to a prior immigration history where you accrued unlawful presence in the U.S., your inadmissibility may be for 3 or 10 years, and a waiver may be available to allow you to obtain a visa sooner. However, some reasons for inadmissibility preclude you from ever getting a visa to the U.S. It is important to note waivers are available for non-immigrant and immigrant visa applications.