Imagine getting your H-1B approved, only to see it suddenly marked refused weeks later. That’s exactly what’s happening to Indian applicants, thanks to a flawed system that creates panic for no reason.
A recent case coming from the Hyderabad consulate highlights applicants’ frustration with this misleading “refused” status.
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An applicant attended a Dropbox appointment on February 25 and saw an approved update on February 27. However, after a month they got a sudden shock when their status changed to refused without warning.
The only explanation was a vague email about the administrative processing. There was no timeline, no next steps, just more anxiety for the H-1B aspirant.
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It was only when fellow H-1Bs offered help that things got clear. Actually, the US system automatically marks any 221(g) administrative processing case as refused, even if it’s just a temporary hold for background checks.
Many applicants later see their status change back to approved or get an interview request. This raises the question: why call it refused in the first place? And why is there no simple clarification for this false terminology?
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Indian visa seekers already deal with endless delays and uncertainty. The last thing they need is a system that scares them for no reason.
The US consulate needs to fix this. Until then, if your status suddenly shows refused don’t panic as it might just be still under review.
