What to Do if Your Student Visa is Rejected?

For many students, studying abroad and settling in a country of their choice can be a dream they may have been working on for years. However, one slight mistake in a student visa application may shatter their dreams of pursuing a career abroad. Mistakes ranging from lack of proper documentation to falsifying details can lead to the cancellation of their student visas. Through this article, we will highlight some of the reasons why student visa applications get rejected and what are the possible solutions for the same.

Thousands of students from all corners of the world aspire to pursue higher education in countries like the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, France, New Zealand, Australia, and more since these countries offer better quality education that leads to even better future prospects. However, each of these countries imposes different rules and regulations for international students, such as requiring an appropriate student visa to not only pursue higher education but also to stay in the country legally.

Inevitably, the student visa application process in most countries would be difficult to crack without proper guidance and expert help. As stated above, there can be many student visa rejection reasons, however, with the help of a study abroad counsellor you can best the student visa rejection rate of any country.

Related Links:

What is a Student Visa?

In simple terms, a student visa is a non-immigrant visa issued to a student enrolled in an educational institute abroad. Any student seeking admission to an educational university abroad, whether at the school level or university level, must have a valid student visa for that particular country to legally enter the country and pursue education. Each country has its own set of requirements to accept a student visa application. The applicant must fulfil the criteria and the same must be approved by a visa officer at the respective embassy or consulate of the country that the aspirant wishes to study in.

A student visa is likely to be offered if the candidate is able to produce all the required documents and conduct himself well at the interview. However, in some unavoidable conditions, the student visa can be denied. However, as per visa regulations of most countries, applicants have the opportunity to reapply for a visa in case it was rejected on the first go.

If you are interested in studying abroad, reach out to our study abroad counsellors to seek guidance on completing all the processes related to university applications and student visas.

What are the Main Reasons for Student Visa Rejection?

Once a student gets enrolled in a university abroad, they must get their passport stamped with a valid student visa for higher education. Even with a letter of acceptance or offer of admission letter, students planning to study in any country would be required to present legal documents that allow them to enter the border of a country. Due to the importance of student visas, each country defines the parameters that should be satisfied by any international student wishing to study in one of the many universities in the country. Therefore, the inability to meet student visa requirements is one of the common reasons why student visa applications get rejected.

Some of the major reasons why student visa applications are rejected are as follows:

Lack of Funds: One of the main reasons behind the rejection of student visa applications is the lack of sufficient funds for education and daily living. If the financial documents submitted by the student are not able to justify their ability to financially sustain their education and living expenses, then the visa is likely to be rejected. Take a look at the documents required for an education loan to study abroad.

The Intention Behind the Application: Students must be very clear about their intentions of visiting a foreign country for higher education. While applying for a study visa, the student needs to specify the reasons behind choosing a particular country, college, and course for higher education, and their plans. A good rule of thumb is to avoid giving vague answers and sticking to the point. However, when answering the questions such as "why do you want to study/travel to our country?", students must offer a convincing but relevant answer.

Divided Focus: Building on the point above, students applying for a study visa abroad must have a relevant future goal. Their vision must relate to the field of study that they choose. In case the student is confused about their career, there is high chance of the rejection of the visa.

Unsatisfactory Academic Report: Candidates must have scored good marks in the previous years of study, especially in the subjects he/she is planning to study further. In the case of an unsatisfactory academic report, the chance of your student visa application being rejected increases.

Incomplete Documents: Candidates must submit all the necessary documents while applying for a student visa. These include academic transcripts, financial support documents, identification proofs etc. If any of these required documents have not been submitted, then approving a student visa application becomes difficult. However, in such circumstances, most countries provide the students with some leniency by offering them a limited amount of time to provide the necessary documentation. Failure to present the necessary documentation within the extended timeline will lead to the rejection of the student visa application.

Incorrect or False Details in Documents: For any student visa application to be approved, the first step is to enter authentic and complete details in the application form, backed by authentic and verifiable documents. All student visa applications will be rejected if the details/information found on the application form are found to be incorrect or falsified.

Language Barriers: Now, being fluent in the language of the country you wish to study in can be rather difficult. However, any candidate planning to study abroad must have a good command of the English Language, the universal language accepted in most countries abroad. In most student visa processes, especially in English-speaking countries, candidates need to prove their proficiency in the English language by providing scorecards of popular English proficiency tests such as IELTS, TOEFL, PTE Academic, Duolingo and more.

What to Do If Your Student Visa gets Rejected?

After a visa is rejected students can reapply to avail visa for the same country as well as for others. There are several steps you can take to reapply and get another chance at receiving the appropriate student visa. Find out the steps to be taken to reply in the same country:

Step 1: Find out and Analyse the Reason Behind the Rejection of Student Visa

The first thing that an applicant must do if the student visa is rejected is to analyse the reasons behind the student visa rejection. Read and understand the points mentioned in the visa refusal letter as discussed by the visa officer at the embassy. Usually, the reasons are generalised and easily understood. In case the student finds it difficult to understand the reason for the rejection of the visa, they can request the visa officer to mention the points in detail in the visa rejection letter.

Step 2: Re-Apply for Visa in the Same Country

The most desirable option for a student in case their visa application is rejected is to reapply for the visa again. However, there is no point in reapplying for a visa without making the necessary changes to avoid student visa rejection again. The applicant can directly ask and understand the reasons for visa rejections by asking the visa officer at the time of the interview otherwise the same can be understood from the document stating the reasons for student visa rejection.

Applicants must ensure they make the changes as per the points mentioned in the visa rejection letter and try to apply again. It is highly recommended to reapply for a visa only if the issues have been resolved and the candidates are able to present new evidence to address the grounds on which the visa was refused earlier. Otherwise, the chances of the visa being rejected again would be the same, or in some cases higher.

To avoid any surprises or disappointments, you may reach out our study abroad counsellors who can help you reapply and avoid making the same mistakes. Check out our study abroad packages.

What to Do If Student Visa Gets Rejected More Than Once?

Study Visa can get rejected more than once. The reason for the rejection of a study visa can either be the same as the previous one or it can even be a new reason in the second attempt. In case, the study visa gets rejected more than once, the student must confirm and verify the reasons for the rejection of the visa. Unless the issue is rectified, there is no point in applying for a visa for the third time.

There are many cases in which students apply for study visas for the third time and finally receive approval. So, students who are confident with their profile and have all the relevant documents and reasons to apply for a study visa for the third time must apply for it. Therefore, it becomes crucial that all candidates are making the necessary changes as defined by the refusal letter received from the visa officer, before applying for a third.

It should be noted that while you can reapply for student visas after having them rejected before, it is extremely important to ensure that all the previous kinks that lead to the rejection of the visa application before have been ironed out.

Things to Consider While Applying for a Study Visa after More than One Rejection

There are two options, in case the study visa gets rejected more than once. Students can try apply to obtain visa for the same country or they can apply to study in some other country. In either of the two cases the student must consider the following important points which are crucial to increase the chances of getting the study visa accepted in the next attempt:

• Student must specify in detail the reasons for student visa rejection in the previous attempt.

• Student must have all proof to show that they have all the required documents and they meet the eligibility criteria to get the student visa.

• Student can also take help from the university from where they have received an acceptance letter from a university in the country.

How to Avoid a Gap in this Duration?

Study visa rejection more than once is a nightmare for students who have been waiting to travel abroad after getting accepted to their desired university abroad. Especially, in cases when students have taken up education loans to support their study abroad dream. While having your student visa applications can seem terrifying and worrying, it is important to keep your hopes and take the steps defined in the article to improve the chances of getting your student visa applications approved. If you have had your student visa application rejected more than once, here are the things you can do improve your chances of student visa approval.

• Do not panic and try to figure out the cause behind the rejection of your visa application. If you are sure that you have all the documents for the study visa then apply for the review as soon as possible. Check with the rules and regulations of the specific country and then attempt a review.

• Instead of applying in the same country, you can also apply as a new candidate in some other countries. For this, you will have to go through the entire process of applying to the university and then the study visa.

• As the process of reviewing a study visa is time taking, you can get yourself enrolled in an internship or job that will not only help you acquire relevant experience but will also help you have a backup plan, in case you are not able to acquire a study visa in time. You may also choose to enroll in short-term courses within your home country for say 2-3 months or a 6-month course relevant to your field of study to make your profile even stronger.

Professional advice is highly recommended, especially when the visa has been rejected more than once. Let our experienced study abroad counsellors help you! You may connect by writing at abroad@collegedekho.com.