What to do if Your Student Visa Application gets Rejected?

Don't let your dream of studying abroad fade away. Understand the common reasons behind visa rejections and learn how to overcome them. This comprehensive guide will help you navigate the process, from identifying the issues to crafting a strong reapplication to get your student visas before your study program begins.

The first step to studying abroad, after receiving the offer letter from a university, is getting your visa stamped. We need to understand that there is a huge difference between these two approvals. A university application needs you to explain why you want to study a particular course in the chosen college, while a student visa is written to explain your desire to study abroad in a particular country. Making a study visa application lightly may cost you your dreams. Read the article to know the reasons behind visa rejection and what you should do thereafter.

What is a Student Visa?

With the help of a student visa, international students can travel to a different nation to pursue studies at an institution of higher learning. Those applying for a student visa need to be holding an offer letter from an accredited recognised institution located in the selected country. Some of the documents that you need to keep handy to apply for a student visa include an offer letter, passport, proof of funds to cover your cost of studies and living, health insurance evidence, etc. You may also be asked to submit a police clearance certificate (PCC). 

What to do if your Student Visa is Rejected?

There are only three steps involved:

Step 1: Understand why the Student Visa was Rejected

There can be many reasons behind a visa rejection. Upon rejection, you would be given a set of reasons that may have led to that rejection. These are given in pointers. There is no single pointer highlighted stating that you did not meet a certain requirement. However, if you succeed in finding the reasons for visa rejection, then the next step would be to rectify that or not repeat that mistake in your next application. On the other hand, if you fail to recognise what went wrong, and do not know what to do next, then do not be disheartened. There are some common grounds based on which a student visa is generally rejected. This will help you analyse your application and prepare you better for the next time.

However, there are a few provisions through which you can get accurate information about your visa process and visa rejection reasons. For instance, if your application for a Canada student visa got rejected, and you are not a Canadian citizen or do not hold a Canadian PR, you can apply for GCMS or CAIPS notes through a consultant or a representative who is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident. Global Case Management System or Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System will provide you with details information about your visa application. It takes around 35-40 days for you to receive these notes. You must check similar facilities for other countries as well. Such facilities allow you to get in-depth information about your visa application.

Main Reasons for Student Visa Rejection

The possible aspects that we tend to miss out or not pay attention to while applying for a student visa are:

• Lack of sufficient financial funds or proof to support foreign education
• The inability of confirming a necessary return to India after completion of education
• Incorrect or false documents
• Inadequate language or communication skills
• Misbehaviour during the visa interview
• Failure to explain the reason for choosing a particular course, university, or country
• Inability to provide convincing answers during the interview

Though the visa process and its requirements for most of the countries are the same, the reason behind a rejection may vary with different countries. Check out the detailed reasons for study visa rejection in popular countries:

Impact of Backlogs on Visa Application

A common query we often come across is whether or not a visa application is affected by backlogs. Please read the impact of backlogs on a visa application. Backlogs have a direct impact on university admission, but not on visa approvals. Some countries are strict towards backlog acceptance while some are quite lenient. Nevertheless, there is a limit to backlog acceptance in every country. Check out where the backlogs matter and where they don’t and up to which extent they are accepted.

Step 2: Steps to follow if a Student Visa gets Rejected?

If you are successful in establishing the reason behind the previous rejection, your second step should be finding a solution for the same. For example:

• If the visa was rejected due to finances, make sure that your finances are clear before the next time you apply.
• If you have provided any inappropriate information, which can be rectified, it is better to check it thoroughly before re-applying.
• If your intention of visiting the country was not clear the last time, make sure that you portray your home tie-ups very strongly (to convince the visa officer that you are not a potential immigrant).
• If you did not sound ready in your Visa Letter/SOP or Interview, make sure that choosing the right set of universities and courses is very important. The details about the course, department, and university should be at your fingertips.
• If you were nervous the last time in the visa interview, practice well, be honest, be confident, and be clear with the facts for the interviewer.

In another case, if you were unable to identify the cause, it is recommended that you consider the timeline of your visa application.

Timing Matters - Apply for Student Visa on Time

Early applications have higher chances of being accepted. The visa officers are loaded with a huge pile of visa applications, thus the late applications are more vulnerable to being rejected.

Step 3: Re-applying for Student Visa

Visa re-application has two parts:

1. You may apply to the same country.
2. If you have multiple rejections from the same country, you can look for study options in other countries.

Let us discuss these possibilities in detail:

Re-applying in the Same Country

If your visa application was rejected the first time, you have the option of re-applying. Many students are granted a Student Visa the second time whose visa applications were denied the first time. You must identify and rectify the reasons which may have caused the rejection.

If you had a visa interview, you can ask the visa officer the reason for rejection. In case you weren’t required to appear for an interview then you will receive a document stating the reason for rejection. Next, try to eradicate the reason and apply for your Student Visa again.

Can an Agent Help if the Student Visa is Rejected?

In case your student visa application does not get approved, you approach a consultant or an immigration agent and seek help with regard to your application. These executives are well-trained in handling the visa application procedure and have a good understanding of the laws related to immigration. You can request them to explain why your visa application got rejected and they can then help you apply for the same again in an enhanced manner.

Your agent will evaluate your original application, which you had sent, and check what is missing, unsuitable and not up to the mark. He or she will then provide you feedback regarding the same and tips to re-draft the application in a better manner. The agent will also check if you did not submit any specific relevant document. Many a time you can appeal the visa rejection decision and the agent can assist you with the same. If required they may even reach out to the immigration authorities on a personal level and get things resolved.

Please ensure that you rope in a good, licensed consultant for the aforementioned purposes.

Can a Student Visa Get Rejected More than Once?

Yes, your student visa application can get rejected over one time. Every country has a set of stringent immigration norms and policies which your visa application should follow. The problem arises if your application is unable to meet the fixed requirements. If your application is rejected twice you need to carefully analyse what’s wrong with it and see that the next time you apply should be the final time. You will have to recognize the gaps or errors in your application and treat the same seriously. Your application will keep getting rejected if the documents you’ve submitted are incomplete or have flaws.

It can also get rejected in case of insufficient or missing proof of funds to cover your cost of studies and living abroad. Your academic qualifications and certificates should also be accurate and authentic, otherwise the immigration authorities will have another reason to reject your document. Students are therefore recommended to consult an agent if their visa application is rejected more than once and get help with the same.

Apply for a Student Visa to Study in Other Countries

If you are tired of being rejected by the same country's visa officers and you do not wish to re-apply again, there are plenty of other options to explore. Try looking at universities in other countries that offer the same quality of education (at times, the same quality at a cheaper cost).

For instance, if you faced rejection in an American student visa application, you can consider studying in Australia or exploring universities in the UK. You may also try your luck in Canadian universities or European countries as they offer high-quality education.

Many students prefer going to German universities for their higher education. These countries have many high ranking universities on the top universities list. The visa process for these countries is easier, comparatively.

Check out the complete series on the application process to universities abroad.

If studying abroad is a must for you, then you should wait for the next intake and meanwhile prepare for the same. Having decided to re-apply in the next intake or next year, you should utilise this time to add to your qualification, whether academic or professional.

Wasting a whole year or even half a year doing nothing is harmful as it makes you look unfocused and lazy. It would be difficult to convince the admissions officers and visa officers about the gap year. You may utilise this time for some relavant activities, such as:

Academic Pursuit: Pursue Something Useful

Pursuing any short-term course, acquiring an online certification, or joining a training centre related to your choice of subject will be beneficial. It will not only add to your knowledge base but increase the list of skills and qualifications to your resume while strengthening your candidature. You should sound determined to learn and focus on your academic goals.

Professional Pursuit: Apply for a Job/Internship

While preparing for the next time, you can start working in the meantime. This will add more work experience to your CV, which will make it easier for you to get re-admission the following year. Having more on-field experience will only make your application look more credible and considerable over the others.

The aforementioned information should help you deal with visa rejection. However, if you do not wish to waste any more time and just focus on education, you can always apply to Indian universities.

Study in India

India has many good colleges that offer quality education and job opportunities. Since the application process to these colleges is not as complicated as that of foreign universities, the admission process should be done over with quickly. Many Indian universities require entrance exams, which need to be attempted to secure admission to these colleges.

Tips to Avoid Student Visa Rejection

Candidates should keep a few things in mind in order to ensure that their visa application does not get rejected. They should be well aware of the causes which can lead to their visa application getting rejected and avoid making them. Invest a good amount of time in making a list of all the important factors which you need to remember before drafting your visa application. Some of them have been listed below:

• Early Application: It is always good to draft and submit your application early as the same increases its chances of getting accepted. If you submit your application late or during the peak admission season, the chances of it getting rejected may increase as a large number of reach the visa executives altogether.
• Verify your Documents: Before submitting your visa application, make sure that you have included all the documents which are required for the purpose. All your academic qualification papers such as certificates, transcripts, certificates, etc., should be genuine and error-free. Make sure no detail or document is wrong or missing as the same will increase your chances of facing a rejection.
• English Language Proficiency Proof: Many countries need the students who are applying for higher education at their institutes to prove that they hold a good hold over the English language. For this purpose, they need to submit a language proficiency score certificate such as TOEFL/IELTS/PTE/DET, etc.
• Confidence during Interview: When you appear for the visa interview maintain your confidence as much as you can. Respond with complete honesty and try to state the reason for you studying abroad as elaborately as possible.

Tip: The next time you go for a visa interview, you would find Interview Tips for Student Visa helpful.

All the best!