INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service) and U.S. Consulates are two agencies every foreign citizen who wants to come to the U.S. has to deal with.

They are two completely independent federal government agencies.  INS is a division of the United States Department of Justice.  Consulates are under the jurisdiction of the Department of State. 

Before a foreign applicant enters the United States, he or she has to deal with the Consulates where a visa is to obtained.  However, a visa issued by the consulate officer DOES NOT guarantee an admission by the INS officer who is responsible for the U.S. border security.  An INS officer may refuse a visa holder from entering the United States for any reason or no reason if the visa holder's behavior causes suspicion.   Of course, the visa holder may appeal the decision.

On the other hand, a foreign citizen, who has already obtained an approval from the INS, may still be refused an entrance visa by a consulate officer for some reason or no reason. And the consulate officer's decision most of time is final and can not be appealed.

Contact us if you are interested in obtaining more information.

The information contained in these articles are offered only for general informational and educational purposes.  They are not offered and do not constitute legal advice of this law office.  Please consult an immigration attorney for current information that applies to your specific situation.