What to Do After a Student Visa Refusal?
Have you just received a student visa refusal for France? Don’t panic, did you know you can contest this decision? In our last 3 videos, we discussed the 7 reasons for student visa refusals for France. Today we will see what steps to take to contest a student visa refusal. Take 2 seconds to subscribe.
Is your dream of studying in France shattered by a student visa refusal? Fear not. When a student visa application for France is refused, it is important to know that there are possible remedies to contest this decision. Hello to you and welcome to wlh, today we will discuss a topic that troubles many students who are denied their dreams of studying in France. If this is your first time discovering us, take a moment to subscribe and activate the bell. Here is a step-by-step overview of the procedures to follow to contest a student visa refusal.
- Understanding the Visa Refusal
A visa refusal can take two forms, it can be express or implicit. It is express when you receive a written notification from the consulate, and implicit if you receive no response two months after submitting your application. Fortunately for us, since 1st November 2016, consular authorities must justify their refusal for foreign students. This allows you to know the reason for the refusal, and if you disagree, you can now move on to the next step which is:
- Graceful Appeal to the Same Embassy that Refused the Visa
The first remedy to consider when understanding a visa refusal and wanting to contest it is the graceful appeal. You then ask the consulate to re-examine your visa application. To do this, it is essential to understand the reasons for the refusal and provide additional information or correct the issue.
Resubmitting the file (i.e. graceful appeal) is the quickest way to get a response. They are obliged to process each file and therefore review your application, which is why they identify why you were refused to correct the issue. Generally, if you have reasons 2 or 5 for visa refusal, a graceful appeal is always advised first.
But if the graceful appeal does not result favourably, you can make an appeal to the Commission of Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV). This brings us to this level.
- Administrative Appeal to the Commission of Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions (CRRV)
If the graceful appeal does not bear fruit or does not satisfy you, you can refer to the Commission of Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions for entry into France (CRRV). This step is mandatory before any appeal to an administrative court. You have two months to act after an implicit refusal and 30 days after an express refusal. The CRRV can be seized by yourself, a lawyer, or a family member. Your request written in French must be sent by mail to the following address:
Commission of Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions
BP 83609
44036 NANTES Cedex 01
The Commission of Appeals against Visa Refusal Decisions can recommend to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of the Interior to grant you your visa. It can also reject your appeal expressly (by written notification) or implicitly (by not responding within two months).
For the year 2019, 37,016 appeals were introduced before the CRRV. It ruled the same year on only 16,322 of them, leading to a high number of implicit refusals, i.e. 56%.
But if the administrative appeal does not result favourably, you can initiate a contentious appeal before the administrative court.
- Contentious Appeal before the Administrative Court
If the CRRV rejects your appeal or if the ministers confirm the refusal despite a favourable opinion from the CRRV, you can refer to the administrative court of Nantes within the following two months. This annulment appeal is more formal and often requires the help of a lawyer.
In summary, to contest a student visa refusal you must: analyse the reason for the refusal to understand why the embassy refused you the student visa, resubmit the application once the issue is corrected: this is the graceful appeal, if you still have a refusal despite this, you can file an administrative appeal, and even a contentious appeal in Nantes. Thank you for watching this video so far, if you have any questions or concerns, feel free to put them in the comments, and I will respond to you promptly. On this note, take care of yourself and good luck with your study project in France, we will see you very soon for a new video.
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