10 Months in AP; visitor visa denied today

[Saudicitizen 0]

Pretty sure I know why but wanted outside opinion.  Saudi citizen living in Saudi, extensive travel throughout Europe and the US, attended and graduated an American college, yearly visits to US to visit college friends. 

 

Visitor visa expired last year. Reapplied and was put into AP. A couple weeks ago I was called back into embassy and questioned about my bank accounts. I have one bank account here and stocks and bond investments in the US. 

 

Denies today. 214 denial. Safe to say it's probably because of the US investments? 

 

I can sell and put my money back here in Saudi but how long should I wait to reapply? I recently received a promotion at work that will require some US travel so I really don't want to jeopardize getting that rejected. 

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[Boiler 45,941]

It is all down to the overall situation and you record is on file, seem to have a lot of contacts in the US. Give it a few years.

[Saudicitizen 0]

Thanks. Hmmmm, I wouldn't think one visit a year to 4 college buddies constituted a lot of US ties. And it wasn't the focus of their questions during the follow up interview. I don't really have a few years to wait as far as work is concerned. I need the best possible situation so I can hopefully get the visa I need to travel for work. 

[az2014 381]

5 minutes ago, Saudicitizen said:

Thanks. Hmmmm, I wouldn't think one visit a year to 4 college buddies constituted a lot of US ties. And it wasn't the focus of their questions during the follow up interview. I don't really have a few years to wait as far as work is concerned. I need the best possible situation so I can hopefully get the visa I need to travel for work. 

I doubt you will be getting it any time soon, best to tell your employer now.

[Coco8 1,042]

I don't know why having stock and bonds in the US would be a problem. The US has one of the biggest markets so I can't think a reason why that would be a reason to deny a visitor visa. 

 

Did you present enough ties to Saudi Arabia? Do you have property there? 

 

I don't think selling your bonds/stocks from the US would be a big enough change in your situation to apply for another visitor visa. They'd also know you had them before and you sold them to reapply. You need another type of change that would present a stronger tie to Saudi Arabia rather than a weaker tie to the US.

[Saudicitizen 0]

Aside from my car, no. Property is very expensive and I've only been in the workforce for 5 years. My job is here as is my entire family. I have no family in the US

[Saudicitizen 0]

Oh and also during the follow up interview the questions were about "linking" the accounts and the source of the us funds hence my assumption this was troublesome for them. 

[databit 328]

1 hour ago, Saudicitizen said:

Oh and also during the follow up interview the questions were about "linking" the accounts and the source of the us funds hence my assumption this was troublesome for them. 

Yes, I agree with you suspicions; my thinking is that they are suspecting money laundering or money obtained from illegal sources.

[Coco8 1,042]

2 hours ago, databit said:

Yes, I agree with you suspicions; my thinking is that they are suspecting money laundering or money obtained from illegal sources.

 

Ok. That would make more sense than just not giving someone a visa for investing in US bonds/stocks.

[Saudicitizen 0]

Yes, I never thought that US investments would be an issue. I don't think it had to do with no strong ties, per se, or else I would have been denied at the initial application. I was in AP for 10 months. To be clear, the questions revolved around my US investment account not being linked to a barely used American checking account that I had from college.  I only used it when I was visiting the states to give myself easy access to cash. I have a clear paper trail from my Saudi account to the US investment account and from my Saudi account to the hardly used old American checking account. They didn't see transfers between the us checking and the us investing account and that's what they questioned. I couldn't imagine a barely used checking account being the issue so I assumed it was related to the investments. I'm not really sure what could overcome their hesitation about those two accounts not being linked except to move money from one to the other once in a while. Seems pointless with the paper trail I have from Saudi to there on both. I'm not hiding anything with any account. 

 

I also didn't have concrete plans with my friends as we didn't know when I would be able to come so it was all up in the air.  Again, nothing was denied at the interview. It went back to AP, I'm assuming, and then the denial phone call three weeks later. I just feel strongly it had to do with money and those accounts based on how this went down. 

[Boiler 45,941]

You simply do not know why they denied, some things may suggest the reason why but it could be something completely different.

[Michael and Ganna 104]

Just curious, have you paid taxes on capital gains in your investment accounts? How many annual capital contributions are you making?

[GabiMatch 161]

I think the time that they say you should wait to reapply for a denied tourist visa is 6 months. Another thing, when I got my tourist visa in 2012 I brought with me an invitation letter of my husband (at the time my friend), and this was the only document that the consul looked at beside my work registration.

It might help.

Peace.

[mallafri76 1,012]

15 hours ago, Saudicitizen said:

 I have a clear paper trail from my Saudi account to the US investment account and from my Saudi account to the hardly used old American checking account. 

If this is indeed the reason you were denied, then they will be more interested in the paper trail showing how the money entered your Saudi account. That's the ballgame. If they're worried about money laundering, terrorism sponsoring etc, then they want to know where the money comes from, how it ends up in your Saudi account before it reaches your US investment account. 

[mallafri76 1,012]

9 hours ago, Michael and Ganna said:

Just curious, have you paid taxes on capital gains in your investment accounts? How many annual capital contributions are you making?

 

There's no capital gains taxes for non-residents as long as they've spent limited time in the US. Think it's less than 31 days in a calendar year.