Q: I came in for a tourist visa and the officer told me after the interview that my application has been refused under Section 221(g). What does that mean and how long will it take? I need to travel next week for my son’s graduation.

A: The Department of State is committed to facilitating legitimate travel and providing prompt and courteous service. At the same time, we must ensure that applicants are both qualified for the visa and do not pose a security risk to the United States.

Applicants sometimes require additional screening to determine whether they are eligible for the visa. In such cases, the application will then be refused under Section 221(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) to allow us to conduct the required administrative processing.

Section 221(g) of the INA requires a visa application to be refused any time that the consular officer is missing information required to determine the applicant’s eligibility to receive a visa, or that an application has been placed on administrative hold.

The consular officer who interviews you will tell you at the end of your interview if action on your case is being refused under 221(g) pending further information. If further information is required, the officer will tell you how to submit that information. As part of this process, you will be given a written letter and will have 12 months from the date of your application to submit the requested documents without having to pay a new visa application fee.

After one year, if an applicant has made no attempt to provide the information requested, an application refused under Section 221(g) is terminated per Section 203(e).

Some visa applications require further administrative processing, which takes additional time after the visa applicant’s interview by a consular officer. Applicants are advised of this requirement when they apply. Most administrative processing is resolved within 60 days of the visa interview. When administrative processing is required, the timing will vary based on individual circumstances of each case.

Before making inquiries about status of administrative processing, applicants or their representatives will need to wait at least 60 days from the date of interview or submission of supplemental documents, whichever is later.

In case of a medical or other emergency, the consular section will do its best to work with you to accommodate urgent travel. Please note that we are unable to guarantee that your visa will be ready in time for your travel.

The Department of State is continuously working to improve processing and expedite visas and we appreciate your patience. The best way to ensure your visa will be ready in time for your trip is to apply as early as possible. That way, if your case requires administrative processing, it is less likely to interfere with your travel plans.

We highly recommend that you do not make travel plans until you have received your passport with the visa. We appreciate your interest in visiting the United States.

You can find more information on passports on our website jm.usembassy.gov and the Department of State’s travel website 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.