Q. I arrived at the airport to travel to the United States, but the airline informed me that I am unable to board my flight due to issues with my US visa. What does this mean?

A: There are various reasons why a visa holder cannot board a flight. If an airline refuses to board you due to a problem with your visa, you should contact the US Embassy that issued the visa to arrange a time to come in to discuss the matter further. If you are in a different country than the one in which the visa was issued, you should contact the nearest US Embassy for guidance. A couple of the common issues with visas that may preclude boarding a flight are detailed below:

Immigrant visa

The immigrant visa could have expired and therefore, the applicant cannot board. Please check your immigrant visa for the expiration date. We kindly remind applicants of the need to travel within ample time prior to the visa’s expiration date. If it has expired, the visa applicant will need to contact KingstonIV@state.gov and the Immigrant Visa Unit will send instructions on how to proceed.

Non-immigrant visa

If the boarding issues surround a non-immigrant visa and it has not expired, this could mean the applicant’s visa was revoked. If an airline refuses to board the applicant due to a problem with their visa, the applicant should contact the US Embassy that issued the visa. If you are in a different country than the one in which the visa was issued, you should contact the nearest US Embassy for guidance.

Q. How would I know whether or not my visa was revoked?

A: The US Embassy Consular Section advises individuals, whose visas were revoked, via e-mail with instructions on how to proceed. The e-mail is sent based on the information the applicant provided at the time of their previous DS-160 application. If the e-mail is undeliverable, the physical letter will be mailed to the applicant’s home address as indicated on their previous DS-160 application.

Q. How often are visas

A: Valid visas are only revoked in very rare instances. Revocations occur when additional information has become apparent to the US Department of State suggesting that the visa holder may be inadmissible to the United States and unable to receive a visa or maintain the current visa. Some of the reasons why a valid visa might be revoked are due to an individual’s previous/current immigration violations, having committed a crime, and/or unlawful employment in the United States.

Q. If my visa was revoked, what do I do?

A: To obtain a new visa, you will need to submit a new application and reappear before a US consular officer to establish your eligibility for a visa.

For all other inquiries about the non-immigrant visa application process, please visit usvisa-info.com. You may also contact the call centre, where agents are available to assist you from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm from Monday to Friday at (876) 656-8535, (876) 630-2040 locally or (703) 988-7005 if you are calling from the United States.

The latest information on our operating status can be found on our website at www.jm.usembassy.gov or by visiting www.travel.state.gov. Keep on top of embassy news on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/USEmbassyJamaica/and by following @USEmbassyJA on Twitter. We also answer general consular questions on our Facebook and Twitter pages.