If you have applied for a visa to visit the United States and been declined, can you get your money back? And what can you do to find out why you were deemed ineligible for a US visa? here we answer a few questions about the US visa program and what happens if you are turned down.

If you have applied for a US visa you will have paid a fee, but this fee is non-refundable. If you are refused a visa you won’t get the processing fee back. If you are found ineligible for a visa you can apply again at a later date. You must submit a new application and also pay the fee again. You may need to present information that proves your circumstances have changed significantly since the last time you made an application.

Your visa application records are confidential so your partner, family member or friend cannot call on your behalf to enquire about the visa. Sometimes the Department of Homeland Security allows an applicant to apply for a waiver of their ineligibility if they were refused. However, not every denied applicant can apply for a waiver. You will be told if you can apply.

If you are traveling to the United States as a new immigrant on a US visa you need visitors health insurance to cover you until you get a job that pays health insurance or your time in the United States is over. Visitors medical insurance is essential for all visitors to the United States, whether they are staying for a few days or many years. Make sure you allow plenty of time for your visa to be processed, and bear in mind the season who are applying in – leave extra time for applications and for travel during the holiday season.