A J-1 visa holder is facing a difficult ordeal in the US. After working tirelessly for months on her F-1 application, she was met with a brutal rejection for reasons that didn’t even make sense.
The international student claimed she had submitted all the required documents, even responding to a Request for Evidence (RFE). Then suddenly she was handed a USCIS letter, alleging she did not maintain valid J-1 status but her spouse backed her up and said she has a valid visa until September 2025.
In addition to her J-1 status, USCIS even questioned her financial documents despite the applicant saying she provided a sponsor’s affidavit and other statements as asked by the authorities.
Even after giving these two reasons, USCIS never fully addressed the core of the denial when the applicant tried to reach them, leaving a lot of unanswered questions. The student’s immigration attorney called it “very rare that she had been denied the new status.”
It is frustrating for the F-1 aspirant and might be a sign of things to come. Under Trump’s rule, international students have become a soft target, who are facing the brunt of the nationwide crackdown against immigrants.
The system isn’t always logical, and sometimes, you have to push back hard to make your case. It is just sad to see that the authorities are not answerable to anyone and they can reject the applicant even if they might have all the documents.
