Non-Immigrant Visas

Visa Denials

Applicants who have been refused once during the previous twelve months may reapply, following the same process described above, ONLY if their circumstances have dramatically changed from their last application.

Section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act is the most common ground of ineligibility for nonimmigrant visa applicants. Interviewing officers must apply Section 214(b) in determining whether an applicant is eligible for a U.S. visa.  Section 214(b) states:

"Every alien [visa applicant] shall be presumed to be an immigrant until he establishes to the satisfaction of the officer, at the time of the application for a visa that he is entitled to non-immigrant status."

This means that the visa officer is required by law to view each applicant as intending to immigrate permanently to the United States until the applicant demonstrates otherwise to the satisfaction of the interviewing officer.  It is important to emphasize that the burden is on the applicant to prove his or her qualifications to receive a visa. 

Visa applicants must convince the Consular Officer of the following:

• that he or she intends to depart the U.S. following a temporary stay
• that his or her financial situation is such that he or she can afford the trip without having to seek unauthorized employment in the U.S.
• that the travel is for legitimate purposes permitted by the applicant's visa category

Evidence may come in many forms, but when considered together it must be enough for the interviewing officer to conclude that the applicant's overall circumstances - including social, family, economic, and other ties in Tonga - constitute a compelling reason to leave the U.S. at the end of a temporary stay.  

“Ties” are the aspects of your life that bind you to your place of residence, including family relationships, employment and possessions.  In the case of younger applicants who may not have had an opportunity to establish such ties, interviewing officers may look at educational status, grades, the situation of parents, and an applicant’s long - range plans and prospects in Tonga.  As each person’s situation is different, there is no set answer as to what constitute adequate ties.

Each applicant should be prepared to present his or her case clearly and concisely. French, Tongan, Fijian and Hindi translators are available.

Whether particular ties are strong enough to justify issuance of a visa differs from country to country, culture to culture, and from individual to individual. Our visa officers all have knowledge of local conditions and of patterns of migration to the United States to help them make this determination.

Section 214(b) ineligibilities are not permanent. If you were found ineligible to receive a visa but you now have new information, or if your overall circumstances have changed significantly, you may re-apply following the same procedures as any other applicant.  Re-applying is the only way to have your application reconsidered.  

One common misconception about Section 214(b) ineligibilities is that qualifying for a visa is just a matter of providing more documents. A visa decision is not simply based on documents, however.  Rather, the consular officer looks at the applicant's overall situation to determine whether he or she has overcome the legal presumption that he or she intends to immigrate.   The documents listed in our telephone message and on our website can help the officer to make a proper decision, but no single document or piece of information guarantees visa eligibility. 

You can see the complete list of ineligibilities by clicking on Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas.

Koe ngaahi kole visa ‘ikai ke tali

‘E lava pe ke toe kole visa mai ‘a kinautolu ne nau ‘osi kole visa mai pea ‘ikai tali he māhina ‘e 12 kuo toki ‘osí, ‘aki ha’anau muimui pē he founga ‘oe kole visá ‘oku hā atu ‘i mu’á, KAPAU kuo ‘iai ha liliu lahi talu mei he taimi na’e kole visa fakamuimui mai aí.

Koe Kupu 214(b) ‘oe Lao ki he Fefolau’aki ‘a ‘Ameliká ‘a e ‘uhinga ‘oku lahi taha ai ‘a e ‘ikai tali ‘o e ngaahi kole visa taimi nounoú. Kuo pau ke ngāue’aki ‘ehe ‘ofisa fai ‘initaviú ‘a e Kupu 214(b) ‘i he taimi ‘oku ne fakakaukau’i ai ‘a e tu’utu’uni te ne fai pe ‘oku totonu ke ma’u pe ‘ikai ma’u ha visa ‘a ha taha . ‘Oku pehē ni leva ‘a e fakalea ‘oe Kupu 214 (b):

“Koe tokotaha muli kotoa pē (tokotaha kole visá) kuo pau ke lau pe ia koe tokotaha ‘oku fie hiki ‘o nofo ‘aupito ‘i ‘Amelika, kae ‘oua leva kuo ne lava ke fakahaa’i mai, pea fiemalie kiai ‘a e ‘ofisá ‘i he lolotonga ‘oe ‘initaviú , ‘oku totonu ke ma’u ha’ane visa folau taimi nounou”.

‘A ia ‘oku tu’utu’uni ‘e he laó ki he ‘ofisa ngāue ki he visá ke ne lau ‘oku taumu’a ‘a e tokotaha kole visa kotoa pē ke ne hiki ‘o nofo ‘aupito ‘i ‘Amelika kae ‘oua leva kuo lava ‘ehe tokotaha kole visá ‘o fakahaa’i ‘oku ‘ikai ke ne taumu’a pehé ni, pea fiemalie ki heni ‘a e ‘ofisa fai ‘initaviú. ‘Oku mahu’inga ‘aupito ke mahino atu koe fatongia ia ‘o e tokotaha kole visá ke ne fakamo’oni’i mo fakahaa’i mai ha ngaahi ‘uhinga ke makatu’unga ai hano foaki ange ha’a ne visa.

Ko kinautolu kole visa kotoa pē kuo pau ke nau fai mai ha ngaahi fakamatala pe fakamo’oni ‘o lava ai ke fakapapau’i ‘e he ‘ofisa koniselá ‘a e ngaahi me’a ni:

• Koe tokotaha kole visá ‘e mavahe mei ‘Amelika ‘i he ‘osi ‘ene taimi nofo aí.
  
• ‘Oku malava pe ‘e he tokotaha kole visá ‘o fakapa’anga ‘ene folaú ‘o ‘ikai ke ne ngāue ta’e ma’u ha ngofua ngāue lolotonga ‘ene ‘i ‘Ameliká.
  
• Koe taumu’a ‘oe folaú, ‘oku fakangofua ‘i he fa’ahinga kalasi ‘oe visa ‘oku kole mai kiaí.

‘Oku kehekehe pē ‘a e ngaahi fakamo’oni ‘e ala ‘omaí, ka koe taimi ‘oku fakataha’i ai kinautolu ‘o vakai kiai ‘a e ‘ofisa fai ‘initaviú, kuopau ke ne lava ‘o tala mei ai ‘a e tūkunga ‘oku ‘iai ‘a e tokotaha kole visá – kau ai e nofo fakasōsiale, nofo fakafāmili, ma’u’anga pa’angá, mo e ngaahi fekau’aki kehekehe ‘oe tokotaha kole visá ‘i Tongá – ‘a ia koe ngaahi me’á ni kuo pau ke nau fakahaa’i mai ‘a e ‘uhinga mālohi ‘e mavahe ai ‘a e tokotaha kole visá mei ‘Amelika ‘i he ‘osi ha taimi nounou ‘ene nofo aí.

Koe ngaahi “‘uhinga pe ha’i malohi” ‘oku ‘uhinga ia ki he ngaahi me’a ‘i ho’o mo’uí ‘oku makatu’unga ai ho’o nofo ma’u ‘i he fonua ‘oku ke nofo aí, kau ai ho fāmilí, ngāué mo ho’o ngaahi koloá. Ko kinautolu ‘oku kole visa mai ka ‘oku nau kei talavou pe iikí, te’eki ke nau ma’u ngāue pe te’eki ma’u fāmilí, ‘e vakai ‘a e ‘ofisá ki he tu’unga ‘oku nau a’u kiai he akó, honau maaka mei he ngaahi siví, tūkunga ‘oku ‘i ai ‘ene mātu’á pea moe ngaahi palani pe fakakaukau ‘a e tokotaha kole visá ki hono kaha’ú. Koe’uhi ‘oku kehekehe ‘a e tokotaha kotoa pē, ‘oku ‘ikai ke ‘iai ha tali tu’u pau pe koehā ‘a e ngaahi ha’i pe ‘uhinga malohi ke ma’u ai ha visa.

Koe tokotaha kole visa kotoa pē ‘oku totonu ke ne teuteu maau ‘ene ngaahi me’á koe’uhí ke ne lava ‘o fakamahino mai he lolotonga e ‘initaviú ‘e ‘alu pea toe foki ki hono fonuá ‘Oku ‘i ai pē mo e kau liliu lea faka-Falanisē, Tonga, Fisi moe Hindi ‘i homau ‘ofisí.

‘Oku kehekehe pē mei he fonua ki he fonua moe tokotaha ki he tokotaha , ‘a e ngaahi me’a ‘oku pehē ‘oku kau he ‘uhinga pe ha’i mālohi ke ‘uhinga ai hano foaki ange ha visa ‘a ha tokotaha. Ko ‘emau kau ‘ofisa ngāue ki he visá ‘oku nau taukei mo ‘ilo ki he tūkunga ‘oe fonua takitaha pea moe ngaahi sīpinga ‘oe folau ki ‘Ameliká ‘aia ‘oku tokoni eni ki he’enau ngaahi tu’utu’uni ‘oku faí.

Kapau na’e ‘ikai ke tali ho’o kole visá koe’uhí koe Kupu 214 (b), ‘oku ‘ikai ‘uhinga eni ia ‘e ta’e tali ai pe ha’o kole visá ‘amui. Kapau na’e ta’e tali ho’o kole visa kimu’á, ka kuo ‘i ai ha toe fakamatala fo’ou, pe kuo ‘iai ha ngaahi me’a kuo liliu he vaha’a taimi koení, ‘e lava pē ke ke toe kole visa mai he founga mahení. ‘E toki mahino pē e tu’utu’uní ‘i ho’o kole visa maí.

Ko e taha e ngaahi me’a ‘oku fa’a ma’u hala’aki he taimi ‘oku ta’e tali ai ha kole visa makatu’unga he Kupu 214(b), koe pehē koe lahi ange ‘a e ngaahi pepá ‘okú ke ‘omaí ‘e ngali faingofua leva ai ke ma’u ai ha’o visa. Koe tu’utu’uni pe ‘e ma’u ha visa ‘a ha taha pe ‘ikai ‘oku ‘ikai fakatefito pe ia ‘i he ngaahi pepa ‘oku ‘omaí. Ka, ‘oku vakai’i ‘ehe ‘ofisa koniselá , fakalukufua ‘a e tūkunga ‘oku ‘iai e tokotaha kole visá ‘i he’ene fakakaukau’i pē ‘oku lava ‘e he tokotaha kole visá ‘o fakamo’oni’i mai ‘oku ‘ikai ke ne taumu’a hiki ‘o nofo ‘aupito ‘i ‘Amelika. Koe ngaahi pepa koení ‘oku hā atu he website koení pea moe telefoní ‘oku nau tokoni ki he ‘ofisá ke ne fai e tu’utu’uni taau ki he kole visa takitaha, ka ‘oku ‘ikai ke pehē ‘oku ‘iai ha fa’ahinga tohi, fakamatala pe pepa ‘e ‘omai pea pau leva ke ma’u ha’o visa.

‘E lava ke ke vakai ki he lisi ‘oku kakato ai e ngaahi ‘uhinga ‘e ta’e tali ai ha kole visa ‘aki ha’o lomi’i ‘a e “Classes of Aliens Ineligible to Receive Visas”.