Q: I am applying for a visa and I am worried about what to put in my application. Some people have told me that I shouldn’t be honest on the form I fill out, but I want to be. What should I do?

A: Thank you for asking this very important question! Although the visa application process may seem daunting at first — with numerous forms to complete and various fees to pay — it is designed to be straightforward and accessible.

Whether you are applying for a visitor’s visa or an immigrant visa, always provide true and consistent information. Even if you have been refused in the past using the correct information, please use the correct information again. This will only strengthen your case by showing that you are an honest applicant and that you are not trying to misrepresent yourself.

This also applies if you are providing documents to the embassy related to your application.

If you lie to a consular officer to obtain a visa, you have committed fraud or misrepresentation, which often results in a permanent ineligibility for any visa. Even if you obtain the visa initially, the embassy actively reviews visa issuances for past years and visas may be revoked if derogatory information comes to light.

Some actions that can lead to a permanent ineligibility include: Providing false information on your application or during the interview; presenting someone else’s passport at a port of entry in an attempt to gain entry into the United States; presenting a fake or improperly obtained identification document as proof of identity; presenting altered or fake civil documents.

The consular officer will inform you of any ineligibility during your interview.

Q: I am not the one who completed my application, as a visa agent/friend/family member filled it out for me. If there is an error or a lie there, it’s not my fault, right?

A: You are responsible for the accuracy of all of the information in your application, even if someone else filled out the form. Make sure all of the answers are correct before you submit the application. If you find an error after the application submission, you may tell the consular officer about it during your interview.

Consular officers are very highly trained. They will review application forms carefully and will ask you questions during their assessment of your case. Applicants must demonstrate that they are qualified for the visa and that they will use the visa as prescribed by law.

Officers may also have additional records they review, and they may ask you for additional documentation to support your application.

Truthfulness is not a guarantee of visa issuance, but deception may well permanently disqualify you.

You can find more information on visas on our website www.jm.usembassy.gov and the Department of State’s travel website www.travel.state.gov Keep on top of Embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/ and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter and Instagram. We also answer general visa questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.