Top 7 Reasons You Could Be Denied Entry into the United States (2024)

FAQs

What is a reason you denied someone entry to the US? ›

Common reasons for being denied entry to the US include having incomplete or incorrect documentation, failing to prove the purpose of your visit, prior immigration violations, criminal history, or being suspected of intending to immigrate permanently without the appropriate visa.

Medical Inadmissibility – you might have several convictions (such as impaired driving) which suggest you suffer from alcoholism. It is possible you could be denied entry for medical reasons if the U.S. authorities believe you pose a serious risk to the United States.

People with medical problems, a history of drug use, criminal or terrorist activities, etc. are considered inadmissible and may never be given a visa, green card, or special entry to the US unless special permission, like the waiver of inadmissibility, is granted.

The general categories of inadmissibility include health, criminal activity, national security, public charge, lack of labor certification (if required), fraud and misrepresentation, prior removals, unlawful presence in the United States, and several miscellaneous categories.

Outright denial is oftentimes expected for reasons such as a criminal record or incorrect documentation. If a border officer in the USA decides to deny your entry, a second officer usually steps in to validate. If the second officer also denies your entry, the decision has been made. You cannot enter the US.

A US citizen cannot be denied entry to the US.

If you were allowed to withdraw your application for admission, you are allowed to re-apply the next day; if you were given an expedited removal order, a heavy 5-year bar may follow prohibiting entry into the U.S. following the denial. The consequences also depend on the reasons for the denial of entry.

Most immigrants were refused entry because of some medical condition. Shipping companies were required, at their own expense, to detain and return rejected immigrants to their homeland.

Section 212(a) contains ten general categories of inadmissibility grounds: health-related grounds; criminal and related grounds; security and related grounds; public charge proscription; labor certification requirements and qualifications for certain immigrants; illegal entrants and immigration violators proscription; ...

What disqualifies you from getting a US visa? ›

An applicant's current and/or past actions, such as drug or criminal activities, as examples, may make the applicant ineligible for a visa. If denied a visa, in most cases the applicant is notified of the section of law which applies.

Potential immigrants are evaluated based on family, employment, refugee and country-of-origin criteria. According to the State Department rules on which criteria make potential immigrants ineligible for visas under the INA, people can be excluded if they have certain health conditions or have a criminal record.

Is denied entry the same as deported? No, deported means sent back, and denied entry simply means you are not allowed in.

An application may be denied because the consular officer does not have all of the information required to determine if the applicant is eligible to receive a visa, because the applicant does not qualify for the visa category for which he or she applied, or because the information reviewed indicates the applicant falls ...

Definition(s)

In the global context, refusal of entry of a person who does not fulfil all the entry conditions laid down in the national legislation of the country for which entry is requested.

Reasons for a Green Card Application Denial

USCIS can deny a green card application if they determine that the applicant is inadmissible to the U.S. Reasons for a denial range from errors and incomplete application to criminal history or even the lack of required vaccinations.