Consular Confusion: Overcoming B1/ B2 Visa Denials in Russia
by Matthew R. Morley
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Reprinted with permission.
About The Author
Matthew Morley The Law Office of Matthew R. Morley practices primarily (but not exclusively) in the areas of family-based immigration law, personal injury law, wills and estate planning, business law, and aviation law.
The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the opinion of
ILW.COM.
My standard, which was different than most other inspectors was: "What is best for the United States? While we don't want the B-2/B-1 visa used illegally, we do want foreigners spending money in the United States. That was my rationale. As long as I felt the applicant was more likely to benefit the United States, than harm it, I granted the Border Crossing Card. Sure, I made a few mistakes. But those who denied 90% of applicants were preventing America from benefiting from many legitimate applicants. I am sure the State Department visa section has similar problems. Some officers are tougher than others. The law gives great discretion to the issuing officer. As a manager, I looked for employees who used this discretion wisely.