Amusement parks in the Czech Republic. Extreme entertainment in the Czech Republic

Things have already been collected, the mood is “suitcase”, tickets are in your pocket, it seems that only a simple formality remains - to get a visa. And suddenly - a shock, because instead of a long-awaited visa, a short answer comes: "denied". It sounds like a death sentence to plans that have long been built. Now you have to spend your vacation in a country cottage instead of the azure tropical shores. In another variation, plans to make good money abroad turn into ashes, and an unsuccessful labor migrant is forced to look for work at home or, in extreme cases, in another country. And there is no longer any certainty that another country will not refuse a visa. Consider the most common reasons for visa denial and the possible actions of an unsuccessful applicant in this case.

Immigration policies of countries

Today there are more than 250 countries in the world, of which 195 are independent. Almost each of them has its own immigration laws. The exception is the European Union, which has almost unified immigration laws. The rules are more or less similar for the Maghreb countries (countries located north of the Sahara Desert and west of Egypt) in the East African Union. The states of Latin America are relatively loyal in terms of immigration. Quite complex legislation in the countries of the British Commonwealth of Nations.

Therefore, it is almost impossible to talk about the existence of common reasons why they can refuse to issue a visa to any country of the European Union, Latin America, the United States, Australia or, for example, China. Each diplomatic mission is more or less strict in verifying documents submitted for a visa, and also has its own criteria for verifying and assessing the integrity of the applicant.

There are 252 countries in the world, almost each of which has its own immigration laws.

What types of visa documents and where are denied most often

Visas are different. They can be:

• tourist,
• guest,
• workers
• business,
• investors and so on
• as well as immigrant and non-immigrant.

Accordingly, for each of the types there are also the most common reasons for failure.

According to statistics, tourist visas are most often requested. The trend of the modern globalized world is a significant liberalization of the visa regime in many countries. For example, citizens of the Russian Federation in 2018 can come without a visa to 116 countries of the world for tourism purposes or as part of short-term private visits. Nevertheless, many popular holiday countries still have to open visas.

It is tourist countries that are most loyal in matters of immigration policy, if we talk about foreign tourists. But even when visiting such a country, it is very often difficult to obtain, for example, a work or business visa. Therefore, the same state can be loyal to foreign tourists and at the same time have much stricter rules for guests who come for other purposes.

So, there can be a lot of reasons for refusal to issue a visa. However, the main trends can still be identified. The exceptions in this case are states such as North Korea and China, which have a fairly strict immigration policy and consider potential guests not only in terms of their integrity, but also political loyalty to the communist regime. It is also necessary to say about those countries in which hostilities are underway and an extremely unstable political situation. We are talking about Syria, Iraq, Ethiopia, Eritrea and many African states. Not only can you not find those who want to visit these countries, at least for tourism purposes, during the day with fire, but also their governments are extremely reluctant to allow foreign guests into the controlled territory.

The main reasons for the rejection of the Schengen

Let's try to systematize the main reasons for refusal on the example of a Schengen visa. The Schengen Agreement includes 26 countries that are full members, as well as several European states that have agreements on police and legal cooperation with them. In this territory, there is a single Schengen legislation and the Visa Code, which is constantly being amended and adjusted. Therefore, it is advisable to consider precisely the refusals of a Schengen visa and analyze their reasons. After all, it is no secret to anyone that Europe has long and firmly held the palm as the main direction of migration traffic from the CIS countries. In addition, European immigration legislation has absorbed not only the latest achievements of scientific and technological progress, but was also initially built on the principles that later formed the basis of the laws of most countries of the world.

The European Union is an interstate formation of 26 European countries

To successfully obtain a Schengen visa, two key points are of fundamental importance:

• preparation of a package of documents;
• passing an interview.

The success of obtaining a Schengen visa depends on the correct preparation of documentation, and the results of the interview often form the basis for the decision of European immigration authorities to issue a visa or refuse it. In principle, a similar procedure is provided for when obtaining visa permits to other countries of the world.

The main reasons for refusal to issue a Schengen visa, as a rule, are:

• incorrectly completed visa application form;
• false information provided by the applicant about himself, his situation and intentions to travel to a European country;
• improperly selected and prepared documents;
• lack of a strong connection with the homeland (in other words, the intention to return to their country);
• lack of funds to financially support the trip;
• obvious signs of fictitiousness or forgery of documents;
• lack of sufficient travel preparation (tickets have not been purchased or their reservation has not been ordered, and a hotel room has not been booked);
• non-compliance of the declared purpose of travel with the type of visa requested;
• refusals to issue a Schengen visa or cases of violation of the immigration laws of the Schengen countries;
• serious problems with the law;
• potential threat on the part of the applicant to the national security of the state for which a visa is requested;
• suspicion of involvement in terrorist or extremist activities;
• previously unused or misused Schengen visa;
• administrative offenses committed during a previous visit to the Schengen area;
• the presence of an infectious disease that may become a threat to the population of the host state;
• lack of valid grounds for requesting a certain category of visa.

Video about the refusal of a Schengen visa to the Czech Republic and further actions

What reasons for visa refusal can be encountered in other countries of the world

Here are a few of the most common reasons for visa denial (some of them can be considered even exotic with a stretch), which can be encountered in other countries:

• visiting the state of Israel (typical for several Arab countries);
• an attempt by a young woman or unmarried girl to come to a country of orthodox Islam without being accompanied by a man;
• no deposit (for young people under 23 years of age applying for a visa to the United Arab Emirates);
• lack of necessary documents and grounds for requesting a journalist visa (typical for India, Ethiopia, Eritrea and even the USA);
• lack of sufficient professional qualifications when trying to participate in a specialized immigration program;
• attempting to obtain an immigrant visa for family reunification without a sufficient level of family ties;
• lack of necessary vaccinations when entering certain countries;
• lack of grounds for participation in the repatriation program.

There are many more reasons, we have listed above only the main ones. But they should be detailed in order to understand what can directly or indirectly serve as the reason why they can refuse a visa.

A yellow fever vaccination certificate is a required document when obtaining a visa to many countries in Africa.

Indication of false and incorrect information

The receipt of the visa permit itself largely depends on the correctness of filling out the visa application form to any country in the world. Each of the states has its own visa application form, in the Schengen countries it is universal, but even in this case there are certain adjustments adopted by each European country. You should carefully monitor the information entered in the visa application form and control its compliance with the passport.

So, for example, you need to correctly write your last name, indicate the place and country of birth, clearly indicate the purpose of the visit. For example, in English there are several variations of the spelling of the same surname, but in the questionnaire you should write the same way as the surname is written in the passport. Also, one of the most common mistakes is the incorrect spelling of the country of birth. For example, the country "Russia" does not exist, if you look at this issue from a legal point of view. It will be correct like this: "Russian Federation". The same is true for Belarus, which should be written like this: “Republic of Belarus”. Applicants born during the Soviet Union on its territory should write “USSR” as the country of birth, and not the name of the independent state that formed after its collapse.

The questionnaire should be filled out in legible handwriting, preferably in block letters, Latin and at the end put your personal signature.

Incorrect filling of the visa application form can lead to a refusal of a visa (in the photo - a sample of the correct filling)

False information provided about yourself will definitely cause a negative decision on issuing a visa. For example, the applicant claims to have a scientific degree or any international grants that he did not receive. The purpose of this false information may be an attempt to obtain a work visa and, in the future, the Blue Card of the European Union, which only highly qualified specialists can count on. Also, the applicant can hide any important information that affects the decision to issue a visa, ascribe to himself a high level of material support, and so on. It will also be deceitful to indicate, for example, tourism as the purpose of the visit, when there is an intention to get an illegal job in Europe. There can be a huge number of options for incorrect information, so it is simply not possible to describe each of them. Cases of fraud when indicating the purpose of the visit are very common, so the immigration officers of European countries (and not only European ones) carefully try to find out the applicant's travel plans (in some cases, even a written description of the intended travel route will be required). These nuances are usually clarified in the process of conducting a personal interview with a visa applicant. That is why it is necessary to carefully prepare for this procedure, regardless of which country a visa is requested for.

Some visa applicants, especially those trying to get it for the first time, initially pay little attention to preparing for an interview. And by the way, it's very useless. It is worth noting that any immigration officer always considers the visa applicant as a potential immigrant. His task is to find out the true motives for the request for a visa permit and the intentions of the applicant. If the immigration specialist has even the slightest doubt that the applicant intends to return to his homeland within the time limits set by the visa, then he can either postpone the decision on issuing a visa for further verification of information, or simply refuse. The interview is usually conducted in the language of the applicant's country of residence, which is spoken by employees of the foreign diplomatic mission, or in the language of the host country, or in one of the main languages ​​of international communication, if the applicant is familiar with one of them. Communication can take place in an informal setting, or it can be extremely formalized. It all depends on the rules adopted in the relevant diplomatic mission and the skills of the interviewer. The human factor must also be taken into account. After all, each of the immigration officers has its own principles of work, its own temperament and character traits. If one is scrupulous and meticulous in his professional duties, then the second can approach the issue of the exceptional from a formal point of view. If visas are opened for the whole family, then usually all its members are invited for an interview at the same time. When it comes to, for example, a group of specialists traveling abroad, or members of an international delegation, then each visa applicant in this case is interviewed individually. Once again, I want to say that during this procedure you should not relax. After all, every immigration officer has undergone serious training and a priori must have the skills of a psychologist. Therefore, lies, false information, false intentions can be revealed to him not only by the answers of the interviewee, but also by his behavior, demeanor and other indirect evidence. And the result will be a refusal to issue a visa, which will come as a complete surprise to her unsuccessful applicant.

You should come to the interview prepared not only internally, but also externally. A neat appearance, consistent with this procedure, will greatly strengthen the confidence of the immigration specialist in the interviewee.

Preparation of documents

When obtaining a visa to any state, you should first familiarize yourself with the contents of the basic package of documents that will be required for this. It is important not only to collect all the necessary documentation, but also to prepare it correctly. Particular attention should be paid to:

• for a visa photo, which must fully comply with the requirements;
• for the expiration date of the foreign passport, it must be several months longer than the period of validity of the requested visa;
• for certificates, confirmations, contracts with employers and so on.

In the absence of the necessary documents, a visa will be unambiguously refused until all identified deficiencies are eliminated. You should familiarize yourself with the specifics of preparing visa documents by reading the relevant materials posted on the website of the diplomatic mission of the host country. If a translation is required, you need to make a copy of the document, translate and certify everything with a notary.

In addition to the application, the basic package includes many documents

"Relationship with the motherland" is the official concept adopted in the visa office workflow. As already mentioned, the immigration authorities of any country consider visa applicants as potential immigrants. This is especially true for European countries, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Japan, South Korea. Therefore, the applicant must confirm in every possible way that he is going to return home after the end of the trip, since he is connected with his homeland not just by strong ties, but by steel ropes.

For example, as evidence of a connection with the homeland, you can present:

1. Documents confirming the ownership of expensive real estate, the presence of a large deposit in a bank, the possession of which automatically excludes the possibility of being in another country as an illegal labor migrant.
2. Letter from the place of work. It testifies, firstly, to its presence, and secondly, to a sufficient level of income that will not force the visa applicant to again go abroad as an illegal labor migrant.
3. A notarized copy of the marriage certificate and birth certificates of children. These documents will not become redundant, although they may not be included in the mandatory list, they will become intangible evidence of a strong connection with the homeland.

Most countries in the world require proof of sufficient funds to live in the country. In the case of the Schengen countries, this is an amount clearly set by each of the states, which can vary from 3 euros per day in Hungary to 120 euros in France during the same period. The required average daily amount will need to be multiplied by the number of days of travel, determined by the availability of round-trip tickets or their reservation. In cases of obtaining a multiple-entry visa, we are talking about a fixed amount, which is set by each European country separately, and you must first consult the diplomatic mission of this state about its amount.

Almost every country requires confirmation of the solvency of its guest

The developed countries of the world are most demanding on the availability of funds, and the least, respectively, are the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. You can prove the availability of sufficient funds by bank statements on the movement of funds for the last three months before applying for a visa, statements from credit and debit bank cards, sponsorship letters. Sponsorship letters can be submitted by persons who have the opportunity to document their own solvency. It is desirable that these are representatives of the host country or immediate relatives. Documents that will confirm a sufficient level of solvency have a validity period of one month from the date of issue. Lack of sufficient funds for travel is often the basis for visa denial, especially for European countries, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Overseas immigration professionals can sometimes tell at a glance if the documents are forged and have signs of fictitiousness. It's no secret that applicants for visas, in particular Schengen visas, quite often use fictitious evidence of their own solvency, since the income of an average resident of the CIS in most cases does not allow living in a European country. The same is true for the United States of America, as well as for other economically developed countries of the world. Today, there are dozens of ways to confirm non-existent travel funds. Almost all of them have already been well studied by foreign immigration officers and can be recognized. Frankly fake documents are also identified quite quickly. Use of such documentation may result in:

• refusal to issue a visa;
• to a ban on entry into a certain state formation or a separate state for a long period;
• to the appeal of employees of a foreign diplomatic mission to the law enforcement agencies of the applicant's country of residence, which may well result in the opening of a criminal case under the article on the use of forged documents.

As you can see, the refusal to issue a visa in this case will be the least of the evils.

As a rule, when applying for a visa, it is necessary to present round-trip tickets, as well as a hotel reservation or an indication of the future address of residence in the territory of the host country, if we are talking about obtaining a visa by invitation. The invitation must indicate the address of the guests. This is especially true when obtaining short-term visas, providing for only a single visit to the country. Tickets in this case will be required to confirm the intention to legally enter the country and leave it within the time limits set by the visa. A hotel reservation guarantees a place to stay.

When applying for a long-term visa, as a rule, a medical certificate of satisfactory health is required. It implies that the applicant is not a carrier of diseases such as AIDS, an open form of tuberculosis, he is not a drug addict and does not pose a threat to the society of the host country.

Visiting some epidemiologically unsafe countries requires vaccination against yellow fever. This requirement is typical for most African countries and some countries of Indochina. Failure to vaccinate will result in visa refusal. If a visa is issued online, then sometimes this requirement is simply not mentioned, and the traveler can be returned back right at the border control point of the visited country.

When visiting the Schengen countries, as when traveling to most countries in the world, health insurance is required. Upon receipt of the "Schengen" this document must have a minimum coverage of 30 thousand euros and, in addition, a period of validity covering the entire period of stay of a foreigner in the territory of the countries of the agreement. A similar condition is relevant in other countries, only the amount of coverage may differ significantly. Therefore, you should familiarize yourself with the requirements for this document even before applying for a visa. In the case of the Schengen countries, the lack of insurance will be an unambiguous reason for refusing to issue a visa.

An insurance policy is a mandatory document for traveling abroad

When obtaining a visa permit, minors must present the original and a copy of the birth certificate. Also, in the event that a trip outside the homeland is made either only with the father or only with the mother, the absent parent must issue his notarized consent. The vast majority of countries in the world will not issue a visa without such a document. In addition, a visa may be temporarily denied to the parent accompanying the child. When traveling with a third party, the accompanying person must have the consent of both parents of the child, which must be translated into the language of the host country and notarized.

Violation of laws and rules of conduct as a reason for refusal

Violation of immigration laws during the last visit can most likely lead to a refusal of a visa. It may be about exceeding the permitted time of stay in the country, labor activity without the appropriate permission is also considered a serious violation of immigration laws.

For a Schengen visa, non-compliance with the “preferential stay rule” and the “first country” may become critical, in which most of the time spent in the Schengen area must be spent in the state that issued the visa permit. It should also be the first one when entering the territory of the agreement. If a person applying for a Schengen visa has an unused visa permit for visiting the Schengen area in their foreign passport, in most cases they may be denied a new visa. In any case, the argumentation of the reason why the previous visa permits were not used must be very strong and documented.

A serious obstacle in obtaining a visa will be:

• the presence of an outstanding criminal record;
• a ban on leaving the country of residence due to the presence of debt obligations and the corresponding court decision;
• being wanted (including by Interpol);
• criminal case opened against the applicant, and so on.

Many things can be understood as a threat to national security.

For example, for this reason, those applicants who are considered to be involved in the activities of the intelligence services or previously convicted of espionage (military, political or economic) will be denied. It is possible that certain countries will ban entry to their territory to foreign nationals who have previously been seen making public statements critical of their ruling regimes. North Korea is a typical example.

It should be said that the reason for refusing a visa due to a potential threat to the national security of the state can very often be simply far-fetched.

Suspicion of involvement in terrorism and extremism will become an obstacle in obtaining a visa, including a Schengen one. But the suspicion must be justified and based on undeniable facts and evidence. Only in this case is a refusal given and most often a ban on entry into this state is imposed.

Suspicion of terrorism will be an unequivocal reason for visa refusal

Administrative offenses committed during a previous visit may prevent the issuance of a new visa. Minor offenses such as disorderly conduct, drinking in public places, traffic violations, for which an administrative fine has been issued repeatedly, indicate that the visa applicant is unlikely to behave accordingly on the next visit. Most likely, he will not be issued a visa.

A previous visit to Israel, about which there is a corresponding mark in a foreign passport, will become an obstacle in obtaining a visa to some countries of orthodox Islam. Examples include Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria and many other Arab states. When visiting Israel, it is recommended to put a visa stamp on a separate sheet or use a new passport when visiting Islamic countries.

Almost the same Islamic countries will also refuse unmarried girls, young women who are going to visit these states without a male escort. An accompanying person can be a husband, father, older brother. Proof of kinship will also be required in this case. This approach is determined by Islamic laws and rules of conduct in society.

Interest in the United Arab Emirates on the part of tourists and labor migrants has increased many times in recent years. It should not be forgotten that the UAE is an Arab state and when visiting it, you must comply with the laws of the Islamic society. Young people under the age of 23 can apply for a tourist visa to this country without any problems. But in any case, they will have to open a deposit when crossing the border, on which they will put at least three thousand US dollars. The deposit will guarantee that they will not become illegal labor migrants. These funds will be returned upon departure directly at the border control point. The fact is that when applying for a visa at a travel agency, you can get it without any problems, but they may not always inform you about the need to open a deposit. As a result, the necessary funds may simply not be available and you will have to return home. In addition, next time it will be much more difficult to get a visa to the Emirates. Young women and girls should also inquire about the possibility of crossing the border of the Islamic state without a male escort when obtaining a visa at a travel agency. By the way, the employees of the travel agency themselves may not have such information. Therefore, it is advisable to apply for a visa on your own and get all the information in the diplomatic mission of the Islamic country that they are going to visit. This will save you from wasting money and deep disappointment in the event that local border guards prohibit entry into your country.

Video story about the reasons for the refusal of a Chinese visa

Confirmation of the basis for issuing a visa

The type of visa requested must be fully consistent with the purpose of travel. It is indicated in the questionnaire and is confirmed by documents. If it is a tourist trip, then a tour must be purchased or the corresponding purpose declared in writing when a private trip is supposed. When applying for a work visa, it is necessary to have a contract with the employer and an invitation from him to work, students submit an agreement with a higher educational institution and an attitude from its administration with a request to issue an appropriate type of visa to a foreign student. Non-compliance of the requested type of visa with the document substantiating this request may lead to refusal of its issuance.

If the applicant requests a multi-visa that involves an unlimited number of visits to the Schengen countries, then he must have good reasons for this. For example, those who are going to regularly go on business trips abroad should take a letter from the employer confirming such a need. A multivisa can also be opened for those who already have several used Schengen visas in their foreign passport, as well as an impeccable visa history. Applicants who apply for a multi-schengen during the first request will most likely be denied.

In some countries, for example, in India, the United States of America, Saudi Arabia and other foreign journalists traveling to work in these countries, a special journalist visa is required. The document is issued on the basis of an editorial assignment, an international journalistic certificate and media accreditation in a given state. Visas will not be issued to journalists without relevant documents.

Even for a business trip to the United States, journalists will need a special visa, which may not be issued to everyone

Participation in some professional immigration programs implies that the applicant has a high level of qualification. In particular, this is typical for the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the Republic of South Africa. Lack of confirmation of a sufficient level of education and profile work experience may lead to refusal of immigration and visa issuance.

When participating in the family reunification immigration program, which operates in most countries of the world, it is necessary to have close family ties with residents or citizens of the host state. In most cases, spouses, parents and children, grandparents, as well as blood brothers and sisters can take part in it. More distant relationship does not give the right to participate in the family reunification program and obtain a visa.

If the visa applicant applies for participation in the repatriation program of representatives of a certain people, then he must confirm the presence of the corresponding roots in his family tree. Naturally, this will require documents that must be real and fully confirm the applicant's belonging to a particular ethnic group. If a forgery is subsequently opened, then all the reasons for being in the country will be completely lost, followed by deportation and a long-term ban on entry.

Video on US visa denial and next steps

Encoding decoding

In almost every diplomatic mission of a foreign state, when a visa is refused, an explanation of the reason is attached. Each country sets its own failure symbols. They can be alphabetic or numeric.

In case of refusal of a Schengen visa, there are standard encodings. The letter (A, B, C, D) indicates the category of the visa that was denied, and the number indicates the reason for the refusal. For category C visas (short-term), there are such designations:

• C-1: Denial of a one-time Schengen travel visa for up to a year. The reason, as a rule, is administrative or immigration violations during the last visit;
• C-2: involves an additional interview with the visa applicant and clarification of some contentious issues that arose from immigration specialists when considering the application and submitted documents;
• C-3: the visa was denied due to insufficient documents, their invalidity, incorrect filling of the visa application form, and so on. The refusal is not final and provides for the possibility of re-submitting documents for a visa;
• C-4: the most unpleasant form of refusal, which implies a lifetime ban on visiting countries that are part of the Schengen area.

For long-term visas of category D, the following codings are provided:

• D-1 - visa cancellation;
• D-2 - deportation for violating immigration rules;
• D-3 - forced emergency deportation with preliminary detention;
• D-4 - return to home country under escort.

Previously, when a Schengen visa was refused, only a stamp was put in the passport, where the refusal code was indicated. Since 2011, consular services are required to provide applicants with full information about the reason for the refusal. Therefore, the codes remain more for internal use, and the applicant receives a letter on a standard form.

Schengen legislation obliges to explain to the applicant the reason for refusal of a visa

An example of a negative experience when applying for a Polish work visa: the documents were submitted on time and properly. They were accepted without question. A day later, the applicant received a call from the Polish embassy. Several questions were asked related to the purpose of the trip. The result was an unpleasant surprise. The work visa was denied due to insufficient explanation of the purpose of the trip.

Algorithm of actions in case of failure

What to do if the long-awaited visa is still denied? First of all, you should not despair and sprinkle ashes on your head. It is necessary to carefully analyze the current situation and understand how easily the cause of the failure can be eliminated. If it consists in an incorrectly completed application form, typos and mechanical errors in the documents, then these shortcomings can be easily corrected and you can re-apply for a visa. If the error is not so obvious, you can call the embassy or consulate for clarification. In the case of the Schengen countries, the law does not limit the time when you can next apply for a visa after a refusal. In some states there is a moratorium, the period of which can last from several months to two years.

If a Schengen visa is denied, an attempt to obtain a visa to another Schengen country will have no effect, since a single immigration database operates in the territory of the agreement, which contains information about all applications, refusals and other actions of the applicant. If, for example, a Polish visa is denied, then when contacting the Italian consulate, its employees will see this immediately and will also refuse the Schengen visa.

The European Union has a single immigration database

In certain cases, there is a possibility of misinterpretation of documents, biography facts of the applicant, his personal situation, and so on. In this case, it makes sense to appeal the negative decision in issuing a visa. Schengen immigration law provides for this two-month period, in other countries it may differ, but varies within the same limits. An appeal letter should be prepared and submitted to the consul of the country that provided the visa. Its preparation sometimes requires fundamental legal knowledge, as well as knowledge of immigration laws. Therefore, sometimes it is worth using the services of special immigration lawyers who have successful experience in resolving such issues. When this document is received by the diplomatic mission, its employees will be required to re-examine the documents and the visa application. It is quite possible that the facts set forth in the appeal letter will force a different look at the controversial issues and the decision of the immigration authorities will change. In most cases, in this situation, the appellant is called for an additional interview. The final decision on issuing a visa or refusing it depends on its result. If the decision remains the same, then this means a final refusal.

Two refusals to obtain a Schengen visa, which are in the passport, practically reduce the likelihood of opening a "Schengen" to zero. In most cases, this also means a ban on visiting the Schengen countries for a period of five years.

If the embassy or consulate refuses again, it is unlikely that it will be possible to obtain a visa at all

A sample application to be submitted at the time of appeal, along with an appeal letter, can be obtained from the diplomatic mission of the foreign country that denied the visa. As an additional measure, you can apply for an audience with the consul or other responsible person, during which there will be an opportunity to explain the situation. Very often, this way of solving a problem brings a tangible effect. If the appeal is satisfied by the consul, the “rejected” stamp is sealed with a visa permit or “extinguished”.

Today, in the immigration field, as well as a few years ago, a significant number of scammers are engaged in earning easy money. They call themselves intermediaries, their services cost a lot. As a rule, the intermediary promises assistance in obtaining a visa as soon as possible and guarantees a positive result. But a few days later the phone rings, and with a feeling of deep regret, he informs the applicant that the diplomatic mission has refused a visa. As you know, most countries do not return the visa fee in case of refusal. In this case, it is possible that the volunteer did not even go up to the threshold of the consulate of the country to which the visa was requested. He simply took the money for himself and informed the applicant that his visa had been denied. This was one of the main types of Schengen visa fraud. But the introduction in 2015 of the norm on the delivery of biometric data significantly reduced the possibility of this income. Nevertheless, when applying for a visa to other countries of the world, this scheme continues to work. On the Internet today you can find a lot of proposals for resolving contentious immigration issues, and in particular visa denials. The decision on whether or not to contact intermediaries is made by the applicant himself. After all, it is no secret that many, having received a visa refusal, throw a foreign passport on a distant dusty shelf and forget about this document for a year until the next vacation. The question is how important is the visa of a given country for the applicant. In some cases, it is still worth using the services of intermediary agencies. But it is recommended to check their reputation first. To do this, it is advisable to visit the agency's office, familiarize yourself with the license for the relevant type of activity and ask for feedback from customers who were able to change a negative decision with the help of the efforts of such a structure. In fairness, it is worth noting that it is much more difficult to effectively appeal against a visa refusal than to initially obtain it.

A 100% prepaid advance when working with intermediary agencies that supposedly guarantee a positive resolution of the issue in case of refusal of a visa is almost always synonymous with fraud. In this case, payment should occur, as a rule, upon successfully completed work.

Of course, the refusal of a visa is always extremely unpleasant. He can not only destroy plans, but sometimes change the course of life. But do not despair, it is enough to have complete information about the possible reasons for the refusal, try to avoid them and understand what can be done in this or that case. Sometimes from the hopelessness of the initial defeat to the final victory - just one step.

Obtaining a visa to enter the Schengen area is a rather lengthy and not always easy procedure. And although cases when it is not possible to put a stamp in your foreign passport are quite rare today, it is still better to foresee such a situation and be prepared for it in advance. Moreover, representatives of European states can be very picky and, after observing all the bureaucratic procedures, simply take and issue you a refusal of a Schengen visa. Is it worth it to panic, and what can be done in such a situation, requires a detailed study.

What is a visa to enter the Schengen

A Schengen visa is a special type of travel sticker that is affixed to the passport of travelers from visa countries. It provides an opportunity to enter and freely cross the borders of the participating countries.

The agreement was signed by 26 countries of the European Union. To visit each of them, there is no need to request a separate entry permit. The original version of the contract provided that the creation of a single zone would save guests from going through passport control. But today this preference exists formally. Due to the large flow of migrants and the threat of terrorist attacks, many signatory states have tightened control at the borders, and therefore, although conditional, the passport verification procedure still has to be passed.

Employees of embassies and consulates treat all applicants for a visa stamp with great exactingness and pedantry; if you receive a refusal in one representative office, the chances of opening a visa in another are sharply reduced. And yet, it is a mistake to say that if your passport is “decorated” with the Denied stamp, then requesting a Schengen again does not make any sense.

Before you go to the consulate and apply for an entry stamp, study in detail what it is.

What will the stamp look like if you are denied

When the package of documents is considered, events can develop according to three scenarios:

• you will get a visa;
• you will be stamped that the documents have been accepted;
• a refusal will appear in your foreign passport and you will receive a reasoned letter explaining the reasons for such a decision.

And if in the first case you can only be happy for you, in the second you can clearly talk about the mistake of the consular staff (although you have to deal with it extremely rarely), then the third option assumes that you will see a small stamp containing one alphabetic and one numeric character . For example, "1-C".

There are few options: consular officers use the numbers from 1 to 4 and the letters A, B, C, D.

Why can a visa be denied?

It is better to be prepared for unpleasant events, and therefore it is imperative to know the reasons for the refusal to obtain a Schengen visa:

• providing false or misleading information. It is well known that the package of documents must include a certificate issued by the place of work indicating income. But not all applicants can show a level sufficient for travel, which is the reason that the numbers in this document exaggerate. If the lie is revealed, rejection is inevitable;
• forgery of documents. Most often, falsified papers are provided when applying for a guest visa in the form of an invitation. Keep in mind that it will not be difficult for the consulate to expose the fraud;
• absence or insufficient (in the opinion of the consular staff) credibility of documents confirming the purpose of the trip;
• insufficient . If there are not enough funds in your account or your income, representatives of the country of visit will simply forbid you from entering for fear that you will have nothing to live with as a guest;
• damaged reputation in previous visits. Who can be denied a Schengen visa is violators of migration regulations. If you reacted in bad faith or stay in the Schengen country, this will be recorded in a single information base;
• . A clean passport can also cause a refusal. And although it is not an argument in itself, it can become a decisive factor in the presence of other errors;
• previous refusals due to deportation or violation of migration rules.

Take a sociological survey!

Types of failures

According to the new requirements of the Visa Code, starting from 2011, the diplomatic missions of the European powers are required to argue why they do not want to open entry to the Schengen area for this or that citizen - in case he considers it necessary to appeal their decision.

The letter designation on the stamp carries information about the category of visa you requested:

• A - airport
• IN - ,
• WITH - ,
• D-.

The digital code is the reason for the refusal. Immediately, we note that a stamp with the number 4 and any of the letters (A4, B4, C4, D4) is very rare. It usually means that the refusal you received is indefinite.

The most commonly seen combinations are:

• C1 - refusal to issue a non-durable tourist visa, which is associated with incomplete information in the visa application;
• C2 - means that the reasons also cannot be considered serious, but in order to apply for a visa, you will have to appear for an individual interview. Sometimes such a stamp may mean that it was not confirmed (in case the stamp was set, but not invited to the interview);
• C3 - indicates problems with the submitted documents. In most cases, the consulate accompanies such a refusal with an exhaustive list of papers and explanations. If there is no such letter, you should find out from the visa officer what exactly did not suit him.

Codes B1, B2, B3 indicate that you have not been opened a transit visa, and all marks with the letter D mean that the national sticker is denied.

Visa delay (quarantine)

In the Migration Code there is such a thing as visa quarantine. In practice, it represents the time during which an applicant who has received a refusal will not be issued a Schengen visa.

The duration of the visa quarantine depends on the severity of the violation that caused the refusal.

If it was significant, in the opinion of the consulate, then the candidate may remain restricted to travel abroad for several years.

How to get a visa open

There are a number of actions that can be taken to prevent failure:

• it is necessary to attach to your application as many papers as possible that would give you a positive description. Even if they are not on the list, they will help convince the consular officer of your trustworthiness and good intentions. Such documents include certificates of registration of the right to own property, a certificate of family composition, deposit agreements with banks;
• Pay maximum attention to filling out the application. Any mistake, typo or incorrectly completed column can be a decisive factor;
• Do not hide the negative aspects of your life. If your salary is low, back it up with evidence from other sources of income. By itself, an unfavorable fact may not produce a special effect, but hiding information is another matter;
• check if you have any outstanding obligations to the country of your visit;
• attach old foreign passports with previous expired visas to the package of papers.

Do not forget that all Schengen countries have different attitudes towards those who make the first visit to their territory. Someone is more loyal to newcomers, and someone will treat you with great suspicion and caution. Choose to first apply for a visa consulate, Spain or Italy. But it will be a little more difficult to open.

How to deal with rejection

Each person who was unable to open a visa has two possible options:

• request a visa stamp again by adding additional documents to the package of papers;
• file an appeal.

If the refusal is received, but at least a couple of weeks remain before your trip, feel free to try to apply again. Conduct a thorough analysis of what you did wrong and re-go to the consulate.

Do not forget that even unpaid fines in the country of visit may be the reasons why you may not get permission.

If an officer has a suspicion that you intend to migrate to his state, prepare evidence that you have reasons to return to your homeland. It can be real estate, children, own business or.

Filing an Appeal

It is necessary to resort to this way of solving the problem when your trip is “burned out”. In this case, it is necessary to focus on the requirements of the migration legislation of the state that refused the visa. At its core, an appeal is a letter in which you must state all the reasons why the visa application should be reconsidered. Be sure to attach all documents that can support your arguments to the letter.

You need to contact the consulate within a month after the decision was made not in your favor. Compose the text of the appeal in the state language of the country that refused you. It is best to file an appeal in person.

If it is not possible to come on your own, send a letter by mail - regular or electronic. In the second case, the document should be attached in pdf format.

If your application is granted, the consulate will send a notification that you can resubmit your documents. In this case, the visa will be placed on top of the refusal stamp.

In different consulates, the filing of an appeal is carried out in various forms, in fact, as well as its consideration. Consider the most popular destinations:

• Belgium and Denmark - an appeal is made to the Supreme or District Court, the Ministry of Migration.
• - the application is submitted to the consular department. If you are refused again, you have a month to apply to the administrative court in Berlin.
• Spain - you can apply for a month.
• Luxembourg - you have exactly one month to apply.
• Italy - The rejection stamp will be in Italian. You have 2 months to file an appeal. You need to apply to the Administrative Court of Lazio.
• Norway – You have only 3 weeks to apply.
• The Netherlands accepts applications within a month after the refusal.
• Sweden and Finland – it is not possible to appeal the decision to refuse representations of these countries.
• France - 2 months to file an appeal. You will have to apply to a special commission. If she rejects the application, then you can petition the State Council. You will have 2 months for this.

How can a refusal affect future visa requests?

Given the complexity of the procedure, the question is whether a Schengen visa can be opened after a refusal. Theoretically, you have no prohibitions on the subsequent filing of a petition, and you can contact the consulate immediately after you learn that your trip is in jeopardy.

But so that your efforts are not wasted, first find out why your visa was not opened. If the matter is in an incomplete package of papers or errors in the application, then there will be no special problems. First, eliminate the grounds on which you were denied, and then reapply for a visa.

If the problem is more serious, then, most likely, information about the refusal will go to the general information base and other member states of the Schengen Agreement will learn about your situation: therefore, it will be problematic to open a visa at the representative office of another country until the misunderstanding is resolved.

Dispelling the myths

Myth one: re-applying for a visa stamp must be done at the same consulate that denied you. Most often, such tricks are resorted to by travel agencies that simply do not want to return your money. They motivate this by the fact that with the Denied stamp, it makes no sense to look for happiness in other representative offices. In fact, the consulates of different countries differ in different degrees of loyalty, and the requirements for applicants may vary somewhat. Therefore, if you prepare a new package of papers and contact a more friendly representative office, then you will again have a chance to open a visa.

Myth two: having received a refusal, you can put a visa stamp in your passport only for a bribe. This “service” is also in great demand with agencies that offer to save the situation for 300-500 euros.

In practice, not a single officer of the embassy service will take such a step. And a visa in your passport can only appear by submitting fake documents: at best, you will receive a second refusal and lose time and money, at worst, you will be banned from entering the Schengen altogether for falsifying documents.

Myth three: to open a visa, you have to. Do not forget that all visa information is entered into a single system available to all countries. This means that even if you present a blank passport, your entire visa history will still come up during the background check.

Summing up

In 2016, the attitude of European states towards Russian citizens in the issue of issuing visas became more loyal. This is evidenced by the statistics on failures:

In total, in 2016, the number of refusals was 9.29 of all applications, and the approximate number of visas issued reached 3.2 million. If we take into account that the average percentage of failures worldwide is 6.9, then we can say that the Russian indicator is not the worst. This suggests that the process is not as terrible as it is usually described in the press.

Even if you were denied, be sure to take some action. Especially if you know that your intentions and actions are pure. If you leave things as they are and do not appeal, the fact of refusal will remain in the international database, and subsequent requests for a Schengen visa will face constant obstacles.

Why can a Schengen visa be denied and how can the decision of the consulate be challenged? This will be discussed in today's article.

A refusal to apply for a Schengen visa to a particular consulate is issued only in writing, as indicated in the new Visa Code. The procedure was approved by the Schengen Agreement in 2009. A standard form is issued in which there is a special column called the “motivation part”. There, the consulate lists the reasons for its negative decision. The form also lists a number of typical reasons, and one of them is simply marked with a cross. These typical reasons could be:

• Lack of a document (expired, inappropriate, etc.), on the basis of which it is possible to cross the state border;
• There is no document, guided by which you can stay in the Schengen area;
• Lack of sufficient cash.

Classification of refusals in the Schengen visa

In addition to the form, the applicant receives back his passport, where a stamp is affixed. The stamp contains a code of letters and numbers, each of which indicates the reason, category and period of validity of the negative decision. The letter designation indicates a denial of:

• A - airport visa;
• B - transit through the countries of the Schengen zone;
• C - stay in the Schengen area;
• D - deportation from the Schengen area and the EU.

Examples of common Schengen visa denial options are:

• A1-A3 - the most common options, due to the lack of any documents, after receiving such a stamp, you must immediately sign up for a new interview at the embassy or consulate and appear in person;
• B1-B3 - refusal to transit through the Schengen area;
• C1 - refusal for a period of 1 year;
• C2 - refusal to enter the Schengen and the EU for a period of 2 years;
• C3 - the embassy or consulate has identified serious disagreements in the documents, you should find out which ones and re-submit the documents;
• A4, B4, C4, D4 are the most serious options, which are extremely difficult to challenge.

Reasons for refusal of a Schengen visa

Any refusal can be challenged. The easiest way to challenge the C1 stamp. The form must indicate: how to file an appeal, where to apply, how much time is allotted for this. But according to the law, the consulate may not explain its decision, so it is very important to carefully approach the issue of preparing and submitting documents for obtaining a Schengen visa.

But, as follows from paragraph 1 of Art. 5 of the Convention on the Application of the Schengen Agreement, when any member state of the Schengen area issues a refusal to the applicant, no other member state is entitled to issue a visa in spite of this. For example, after submitting an application to the Italian embassy and receiving a negative stamp, you cannot go to the Swedish embassy and try to get a positive decision there. This is out of the question. A mechanism for complying with this rule is also provided.

VIS - Visa Information System - a database within the EU that contains information about everyone who applied for a Schengen visa. When contacting any of the consulates or embassies of the Schengen area, all information from the questionnaire is automatically entered into this database. When issuing a negative stamp, this is also reflected in the database. In the future, it is enough for any employee of any of the consulates and embassies to check the database to make sure whether the applicant previously received a visa or was denied, and for what reason.

Embassies and consulates of the Schengen countries most often issue negative decisions for the following reasons:

• Invalid data in the questionnaire (does not matter intentionally or by mistake). The questionnaire must be filled out very carefully;
• The applicant is guilty of any offense in the Schengen countries (failed to pay a fine, is accused of petty hooliganism, etc.);
• A Muslim applicant will definitely face more nitpicking attitude when obtaining a visa, this is due to the current anti-terrorism regime in the Schengen area;
• The applicant did not disclose the real reason for the trip;
• The applicant did not confirm the presence of real estate property, close relatives, permanent well-paid work, which means that he aroused suspicion of his intention to emigrate to the EU;
• The passport turned out to be expired;
• Provided a false travel document;
• Used a previously issued visa in a different way than stated when receiving it in the application form (for example, a visa was previously issued for visiting Spain with a tourist purpose, but in fact the trip was to the Netherlands);
• Has violated EU passport and visa regulations in the past;
• Seen in smuggling;
• Has a criminal past;
• Lack of insurance (often contrived, since the applicant already has insurance, but it’s not worth arguing);
• The applicant's income does not meet the minimum cost of staying in the Schengen area;
• Did not provide documents confirming the stability and size of income.

Appeal

A negative decision on the application form for a Schengen visa is not final and irrevocable, no matter what alphanumeric designation it may be stamped with. An appeal can always be filed, especially if the applicant is convinced of the unfairness of the refusal or has taken all measures to eliminate its cause.

It is important to note that each of the countries of the Schengen area is guided by its own procedure for considering appeals. To increase your chances of success in contesting a denial, it is important to carefully read the laws in force in your country. With the support of a qualified and experienced lawyer, the probability of success, according to statistics, is 8 out of 10.

An appeal must be filed in the language of the country where the application was submitted. At the same time, you do not need to personally come to the embassy or consulate to file an appeal. Documents can be sent by registered mail or fax.

• Belgium. The refusal is issued in writing. When submitting an appeal, a refusal form must be attached and the documents sent to the Belgian Council of State by registered mail. The time for appeal is quite limited - only 30 days from the date of receipt of the rejection. The Council will consider the appeal, find out how legally the visa was denied, and make its decision. If it turns out in favor of the applicant, then when re-submitting documents for a visa to Belgium, an additional decision of the council should be attached to the new questionnaire.
• Germany. The first step after receiving the stamp and form is to apply to the German consulate in order to have the decision reversed. A repeated refusal is the basis for an appeal to the administrative court in Berlin. Time is also limited - 30 days from the date in the stamp. The decision of the administrative court is final. It can no longer be disputed.
• Denmark. The laws of the state are more lenient and give much more time to applicants to challenge the refusal, there is no restriction. You must first file an appeal with the Ministry of Refugees and Immigrants. It is best to make such a complaint under the guidance of an experienced lawyer. The denial of the appeal provides an opportunity to try your luck in a Danish court.
• Italy. The Italian Consulate always issues its decisions in the language of the applicant, in this case in Russian. In total, the applicant has 2 months to appeal the refusal to issue a visa, and it is necessary to file a complaint with the Administrative Court of Lazio. The decision of the court is final and there is no legal procedure for challenging it.
• Spain. The Spanish Consulate only gives applicants 30 days to contest the visa denial. The authorities do not notify the reason for the refusal, reserving this right. If the applicant has missed the deadline for filing an appeal, one should apply to the tribunal located in Madrid, since the decision on these issues is within its competence.
• Luxembourg. Only 3 months are given to rejected applicants to appeal to the administrative tribunal. In fact, this will be the first step. If the tribunal refuses, you can appeal again, but to a higher court no later than 40 days after the second negative decision is made.
• Norway. The deadline for filing an appeal is very short - only 3 weeks. It should be submitted to the consulate. The complaint is then submitted to the Aliens Department for consideration. The decision of the management is final. Therefore, you should be extremely careful about the wording of the complaint and back it up with all the necessary documents.
• Netherlands. The applicant has a short period of 30 days to appeal the refusal of a visa. A complaint should be submitted to the consulate in the form of a petition. After consideration and in case of a decision in favor of the applicant, a positive recommendation is transmitted to the visa department of the consulate.
• France. The Appeals Board considers petitions only up to 2 months after the refusal is issued. If a positive decision is made, the recommendation is forwarded to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A negative decision makes it possible to submit an application to the Council of State no later than 2 months. The positive decision of the Council is transmitted in the form of a recommendation to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Finland. In this country, it is impossible to appeal the decision of the consulate. It is final, the law does not provide for an appeals mechanism.
• Sweden. It also does not accept appeals against a negative decision in issuing a visa, but if there are really good reasons for challenging, you can file a petition, attaching documents in support of these reasons. The original decision may be revisited.