Application Refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g)

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Overview

Refusal under Section 221(g) means that essential information is missing from an application or that an application has been placed on administrative hold. The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if your case is being refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g). The officer will either tell you that the case has to undergo administrative processing, or will ask you to submit additional information.

If further information is required, the officer will tell you how to submit that information. As part of this process, you will be given a written letter and will have 12 months from the date of your application to submit the requested documents without having to pay a new visa application fee. After one year, an application refused under Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) 221(g) is terminated per Section 203(e).

If the Embassy or Consulate requested additional information or documentation from you, you must submit those documents at a Japan Post. This web page explains how to submit your documents for delivery to the Embassy or Consulate..

Other Information

Some refused visa applications may be refused under section 221(g) because further administrative processing is required. The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if your case is being refused under 221(g) due to required administrative processing.  The duration of the administrative processing will vary based on the individual circumstances of each case. Except in cases of emergency travel (i.e. serious illnesses, injuries, or deaths in your immediate family), before making inquiries about status of administrative processing, applicants should wait at least 180 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.

You may check your nonimmigrant visa application status online here by entering your interview location and your DS-160 barcode number.

Click here to check the status of your visa if your interview was at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or U.S. Consulate in Osaka/Kobe.

Contact Us to check the status of your visa if your interview was at the U.S. Consulate in Fukuoka, Sapporo, or Naha.