Department of State’s “Invisible Wall”

Recent data released by the Department of State reveal that it too is laying brick after brick of an invisible wall that is curbing legal immigration to the United States. Visa inadmissibility statistics in FY 2018 reveal an uptick in just one year of almost 10,000 visa denials on public charge grounds (3,237 in FY 2017 vs. 13,450 in FY 2018); almost 3,000 more smuggling-related denials (2,521 vs. 5,379); and almost 100,000 more denials where the consular officer believes that the foreign national is ineligible to receive a visa (often for documentary reasons). Unlike many denials issued by USCIS which can in many cases can be appealed or even litigated, consular officer decisions are non-reviewable with limited exceptions.