Visa and immigration FAQs

Under section 214(b) of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, visitor and student visa applicants are presumed to intend to immigrate until they show otherwise.

• A 214(b) refusal means you did not sufficiently show that you qualify for the category, and/or did not overcome that presumption by showing strong ties to your home country.

• The State Department describes ties as the parts of your life that bind you to your home country — for example your job, your home, and your relationships with family and friends. What counts varies from person to person.

• Officers look at each application individually: your circumstances, travel plans, financial resources and ties.

• If you reapply, the State Department says you should be able to show significant changes in your circumstances since the last application.

Source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Denials · checked 2026-09-30

How it works, according to the State Department:

• First complete the DS-160, pay the application fee and book the first available interview. Only then will the embassy or consulate consider an expedite request.

• Urgent, unforeseen situations — for example a funeral, a medical emergency or a school start date — may qualify. You must provide proof.

• Weddings, graduation ceremonies, helping a pregnant relative, annual conferences and last-minute tourism do not qualify.

• Each embassy or consulate has its own request process. For Ghana, follow the instructions of the U.S. Embassy in Accra, and check current wait times on the State Department's wait-times page rather than relying on figures from other applicants.

Source: U.S. Department of State — Visa Appointment Wait Times · checked 2026-09-30

Under the international student cap:

• Most study permit applicants must include a provincial or territorial attestation letter (PAL/TAL) from the province or territory where they will study.

• Since 1 January 2026, students in a master's or doctoral degree programme at a public DLI do not need a PAL/TAL. (In 2025 they did.)

• If you will study in Quebec, you still have to meet Quebec's own requirements.

• Other exemptions exist (for example some primary and secondary students and some extensions). Check the IRCC page for the full list before you apply.

Source: IRCC — Provincial or territorial attestation letter · checked 2026-09-30

IRCC's 2026 priorities for category-based invitations:

• Long-term labour shortages: education, trades, transport, health care and social services, and STEM occupations.

• Attracting and retaining talent: new categories including foreign medical doctors with Canadian work experience, researchers and senior managers with Canadian work experience, and some highly skilled military recruits.

• French-language proficiency continues as a category.

• IRCC also said it will focus invitations on candidates with Canadian work experience (Canadian Experience Class rounds).

Eligibility for each category (including how much qualifying work experience you need, and in which occupations) is set out on the IRCC category page. Cut-off scores change with every round, so check the latest round on the IRCC website.

Source: IRCC — Express Entry category-based selection · checked 2026-09-30

From 22 July 2025:

• The general salary threshold is £41,700 a year, or the going rate for your occupation code, whichever is higher.

• New entrants can be paid less: at least £33,400 a year (and at least 70% of the going rate). New entrants include people under 26, people switching from a Student or Graduate visa, and people working towards a recognised professional qualification or chartered status.

• Other exceptions apply to some jobs (for example on the Immigration Salary List, or for some PhD holders), and Health and Care Worker visa jobs follow different rules.

• You need a job offer from a Home Office–licensed sponsor and a Certificate of Sponsorship.

Check the GOV.UK "Your job" page for your occupation code and the exact rules that apply to you.

Source: GOV.UK — Skilled Worker visa: your job · checked 2026-09-30

For applications made on or after 2 January 2025:

• Course fees: enough to pay any course fees not yet paid for the first year (as shown on your CAS).

• Living costs: £1,483 a month for courses in London, or £1,136 a month outside London, for up to 9 months (£13,347 or £10,224).

• 28-day rule: you must have held the money for at least 28 days in a row, counting back from the closing balance on your most recent statement.

• That end date must be within 31 days of the day you apply.

• Some applicants don't need to show living costs (for example if you have been in the UK with a valid visa for 12 months or more). See GOV.UK for who is exempt and which documents are accepted.

Source: GOV.UK — Student visa: money you need · checked 2026-09-30

How the rule works:

• The 180-day period "moves": on every day you are in the Schengen area, look back over the 180 days before it. You must not have been there for more than 90 of them.

• The days you arrive and leave both count as days of stay.

• Being away for 90 days in a row allows a new stay of up to 90 days.

• Overstaying can lead to fines, removal and an entry ban, depending on the country.

• Use the European Commission's official short-stay calculator (or Visa Intelligence's Schengen calculator) to check your dates before you book.

Source: European Commission — Short-stay calculator · checked 2026-09-30

• EES (Entry/Exit System): started on 12 October 2025 and has been fully operational at all external Schengen borders since 10 April 2026. It records non-EU short-stay travellers' entries and exits, with their facial image and fingerprints, instead of stamping passports.

• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System): for nationals of visa-free countries only. It is scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026; the exact date is announced by the EU.

• Neither replaces the Schengen visa. If your nationality needs a visa (for example Ghana, Nigeria or India), you still apply for one through the consulate or its visa application centre.

Source: European Commission — Entry/Exit System (EES) · checked 2026-09-30

What the Department of Home Affairs sets out:

• You submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect. The minimum score to be invited for subclass 189, 190 or 491 is 65 points.

• Points come from factors including age (the most points, 30, are for ages 25 to 32), English (20 points for "superior" English), skilled employment in the 10 years before your invitation, qualifications and study in Australia.

• For subclass 190 and 491, nomination by a state or territory (or sponsorship by a family member for 491) also gives points.

• You also need a suitable skills assessment for your occupation.

Use the official points table and points calculator on the Home Affairs website for the exact points for each factor.

Source: Department of Home Affairs — Points table (subclass 189) · checked 2026-09-30

According to the UAE government:

• Freelancers / self-employed: a freelance or self-employment permit, at least a bachelor's degree or specialised diploma, and annual income of at least AED 360,000 over each of the previous two years.

• Skilled employees: a valid UAE employment contract, a job classified at professional level 1, 2 or 3, at least a bachelor's degree, and a salary of at least AED 15,000 a month.

• Holders can sponsor family members, including sons under 25 and unmarried daughters.

• There is a grace period of up to 6 months after the residence permit expires or is cancelled.

Check ICP or u.ae for the current fees and full document list.

Source: ICP — Green Residence guide · checked 2026-09-30

This is general guidance, not a rule written by any one government:

• Consulates assess your financial resources as part of your whole situation (the U.S. State Department lists "financial resources" among the things officers consider).

• Statements that show your normal income and spending — salary, business income, savings built over time — are easier to understand than one large deposit shortly before you apply.

• If a large amount arrived recently (a gift, a property sale, a loan, a bonus), include documents that explain where it came from, such as a gift letter with the giver's own statements or a sale agreement.

• Never borrow money just to show it on a statement; misrepresentation can lead to refusal and, in some countries, a ban.

Each country publishes its own guidance on financial evidence; follow the one for the visa you are applying for.

Source: General guidance; U.S. Department of State (Visa Denials) · checked 2026-09-30

There is no single worldwide rule:

• Schengen area: your passport must have been issued within the previous 10 years and be valid for at least 3 months after the date you intend to leave.

• Other countries set their own rules — some require 6 months' validity on arrival, some fewer. Check the official government or embassy website of every country you will enter or transit, and your airline, which will check it at check-in.

• Visa and entry-stamp pages: some countries require blank pages; check the requirement for your destination.

• A damaged passport can be refused by airlines, border officers or visa centres; renew it before you apply if it is damaged.

Source: European Commission (Schengen); each destination's official entry rules · checked 2026-09-30