yawahappens:
If you have ever gone through the rigors of planning, submitting and been interviewed for a visa, only to end up with a denial, then you probably have spent the night of the denial wondering what went wrong.

And if you are about to make your visa application, then you should look out for these signs to further prepare you against a denial. It does not matter if you are applying for a Student Visa, Visitors Visa, Work Permit, Family Reunion, or Tourist Visa

You should look out for the following signs to further prepare you for success:

1) The Uneasy Feeling about an Answer: If you have answered a question on your application but you don't feel comfortable about the answer you have provided, then you need to step back and take a look at that question again.

The reason is because, you will communicate your uneasy feelings to your interviewer while answering that question; particularly if they seem interested in that particular answer.

Only that question can be your undoing at an interview. I have seen interviews that have gone on smoothly until the visa officer asks a question that the applicant was obviously not prepared for. The weak and feeble answer the applicant gave became their undoing and resulted in a denial.

Ensure you are able to speak or write your answers clearly, avoid big grammar too, keep it short, simple and straight to the point, you stand a higher chance of getting your visa that way.

2) When you find it difficult to explain the source of funds in your bank statement. Most embassies will assume all applicants are seeking permanent entry into their country until you prove them otherwise. And one way to prove them otherwise is to present evidence that you have strong economic reasons to return to your country following your stay.

The pattern and consistency of in-flow and out-flow of funds recorded in your account is one of the most credible evidences that theses embassies rely on to justify giving you a visa or denying you.

So, if there are sudden surge of funds in your account, that is not consistent with the average pattern over the previous 12 months, then you need to explain it. Failure to provide a believable explanation will discredit your perceived economic status and this will most likely earn you a refusal.

3) When you have to fight through a history of refusals to get a visa: if you have a history of refusals from embassy to embassy, the next embassy could probably perceive you as desperate to leave your country. If you have been refused ONCE at ANY embassy, (even if it was 8 years ago) my advice is, don't submit any visa application without consulting reputable professionals. You can contact us at ServiceForts or use any professional you feel comfortable with, but the point is, use a professional, they will help you figure out what you are missing before you permanently damage your travel profile and history.

4) When you are applying for a visa category that is not consistent with your life style:
The way some people go about visa application makes you wonder at their level of wisdom. Here's an example, as a travel company, we have vacation packages that take singles, couples, families and businesses on Valentine, Easter, Summer and Christmas get-aways; to countries such as New York, Bahamas, Dubai, UK, Paris, Rome, South Africa, Banjul Gambia, Accra Ghana, Cape Verde, Seychelles on Cruise or Land Holidays. Now, we get so many calls daily making inquries about our packages, but one day, we got this particular call. It was a funny call.

The lady on the other end of the line says, "I have a junior brother, he just finished serving, and he wants to go on the Bahamas Cruise" ..and we were like "really??"

Come on, first, you sponsoring your brother on a cruise, have you gone on one yourself? Someone who just finished serving "in Nigeria" is more concerned about getting a job than going on a cruise "except they are trying to check out of the country", what travel history does your brother have to support his application for a visa on a Bahamas cruise?

We had so many questions, and all pointed to establishing the consistency between the applicants' life style and the visa he or she was applying for.

If your lifestyle does not support the category of visa you are applying for, that is a loud signal and alarm, which you should listen to and address adequately instead of going all the way to suffer the embarrassment of a rejection.

5) When the agent or consultant you are using does not ask you basic questions before submitting your application: Given my long years consulting with visa applicants, I have met people with really strange stories to tell. It's not strange for people to walk into my office and tell me stories like – "I gave one agent my passport to do the visa for me, he submitted my application and they refused me" then when I ask "can you recollect what was on your application form" they tell me, " I don't know, I just gave him my passport and went for interview "he did everything""

If an agency or a consultant promises to deliver to you a visa without asking you basic questions that only you have answers to, which are normally on the application form, you should feel very uncomfortable about that application, you are most likely about to face one of the most humiliating rejections of your "travel" life.

If your agent or consultant does not ask you questions, you ask them questions. Questions like, what are you completing on my application form, what category of visa are you applying for on my behalf, what other information do you need from me, etc.

So that they don't fill in rubbish on your form that will dent your reputation – that is if you care about your reputation anyways.

In summary, there are many signs that signal a refusal is in the pipeline, all you have to do is give a little more thought and attention to your visa application, ask intelligent questions about your application (whether you are asking yourself or your consultant) and in addition..it doesn't hurt to say a little prayer after you have done all your home work.

Here is wishing you success at your next visa application.