Know possible reasons for visa denials. Be prepared, get approved on your application.
The Philippine passport is weak. We placed 73rd in the 2024 Global Passport Ranking. Filipinos can enter only 69 out of 225 travel destinations visa-free. Compare it to the number one, the world’s strongest passport which is that of Singapore; Singapore passport holders can enter 195 destinations visa-free.
Check the list of 69 countries and travel destinations where we can enter visa-free.
What is the significance of this, for us Filipinos? Among many things, this means that we have to apply for a visa to enter many countries and travel destinations. And many will attest that visa application can be tedious during the document preparation phase and nerve-wracking especially if there is a mandatory embassy or consular interview.
You probably know someone who was denied a visa. To lessen the chance of you suffering the same fate, check the common reasons for visa denial and how to overcome it.
Common Visa Denied Reasons for Filipinos
Incomplete or Incorrect Documentation: A major reason for visa denial is submitting incomplete or incorrect documents. This can include missing forms, incorrect information, or insufficient supporting documents like bank statements, employment verification, or travel itineraries.
You must ensure that all information you write in the visa application form is accurate. Do not lie in your application. All claims made must also be supported by documents.
Example 1 for an online freelancer:
You are a remote worker, and you said you have clients who are paying you well, but you could not provide an ITR, not even a COE or Certificate of Employment, not even a history of bank or Wise / Paypal transactions, etc. The embassy evaluator will not take your word for it, he/she needs to see documentation as proof.
Example 2 for a self-employed, businessman, entrepreneur:
This is the same, say you have a sari-sari store or mini-mart, for all practicality you own it. You provide the capital, you run the store, you do all the things for the business, but the DTI registration, the Mayor’s Permit, etc are in your mother’s name. In paper, the store is not yours but your mother’s, and thus you can’t claim it as your own and use it as financial proof for purpose of visa application.
Example 3 for an employed individual who is applying for a 30 days visa:
Okay, so here is a visa applicant, an employed individual who is able to submit ITR, COE, etc, he is applying for a 30-days visa. BUT he only submitted a 7-days travel itinerary. What he is applying for does not match his documents, a ground for visa denial.
Do not submit FAKE docs!!! Embassy visa officers are highly trained to spot liars and fake documents, and they have been exposed to lots of applicants and have developed instinct if an interviewee is telling the truth, embellishing, or outright lying.
And yes, some embassies are strict that they will call employers to verify employment status, work position, etc.
Did not Follow Guidelines: To avoid visa denial, adhere to the specific requirements of the visa type you are applying for, whether it’s a tourist visa or another category.
Are you traveling to say Japan for business? Then prepare the requirements and apply for a business visa.
Are you traveling to Dubai for leisure and sightseeing? Then apply for a tourist visa, submit complete requirements.
Are you traveling to Australia to visit family or friends? Then apply for a Sponsored Family Visitor visa (subclass 600).
The important thing is to apply for the type of visa that is most appropriate for your case, so that you will have a high chance of being granted one. You must also ensure to submit complete requirements.
Weak Ties to Home Country: Lack of strong ties to the Philippines, such as employment, property ownership, or family, can raise concerns about your intention to return.
You need to establish and make it known that you will return to the country after your stay abroad. One way to show that you have strong roots to the home country is by providing documents that are under your name like house and lot title, condo property title, and business. If you are employed you can show a COE, and hopefully your docs will show that you have been employed in that company for a long time and hold a stable position, that will make you not want to lose it by not returning.
We know someone who was denied a US visa because he is single, a nursing graduate, and his family is in America, he alone is left in the Philippines. He has high bank savings but no property in his name. His risk of overstaying and going TNT in the USA is high. He was denied a visa.
Insufficient Financial Capacity: Many visa types require proof that the applicant has the financial means to support themselves during their stay.
To prove that you can afford to travel to their country, you must submit financial documents under your name. What are these? Samples are bank certificates or bank statements, credit card statements, stock certificates, proof of income, etc.
The concern of many Filipinos is how much money you must have in your bank account before applying for visa. To come up with an amount multiply the number of days you will stay in your chosen country with the daily living allowance you will most likely need plus the plan special exploration expenses (entrance fees to parks abroad, all-pass trains, etc.). Also, add-in cost of the airfare and where you will stay hotel / AirBnB.
Example: Some says that the ideal amount to cover daily expenses of a tourist in Japan for budget travel is around $100, for the mid-range traveler this rise to $150 per day. Take note that plane tickets can be very expensive but not if you book one during a seat sale. Round trip airfare Manila to Japan that is a Cebu Pacific piso fare is around P9,500, travel tax already included.
You can check for the latest Cebu Pacific promos for 2024 to 2025.
Someone who just came from Hokkaido and spent 9 days and 8 nights there last July 2024, spent a total of P72,000 on mid-range DIY travel style, airfare and hotel already included.
However, take note that some embassies require bank statements of accounts (SOA) aside from a bank certificate. This is to check the transactions and the movement of funds in the account. This is to dissuade individuals from borrowing big sums of money then depositing this into the bank account, only to be withdrawn right after visa approval. The cash-in, cash-out transactions in the account can be seen in the SOA and not the bank certificate.
Now, if the embassy can see that you have a big amount on your bank certificate but in previous months you just had a few thousand pesos, they will be suspicious if you can indeed fund your travels or you just have a “show money”. They might deny your visa application on this basis.
More details about Show Money for Visa Application
If someone is sponsoring your trip, he or she needs to prove his/her financial capacity to support you by submitting the financial documents discussed above. Aside from this, you must establish your ties to the sponsor, be ready for your relationship to be scrutinized.
Visa officers tend to be a lot stricter if you have someone sponsoring you from the country you are seeking a visa from. This is because you have a higher chance of overstaying; you have more reasons not to return to the Philippines.
Previous Visa Violations: Overstaying on a previous visa or having a history of visa violations can negatively impact future applications.
Please do not overstay! Do not violate your visa! The embassy gave you the privilege of visiting their country for a certain number of days, go home before you go-over your allowed days. If you overstay, this will be on your record forever. And if you apply for a visa in a different country, the visa officer will most likely check this and find out you are not trustworthy. This is a strong point against you, so just don’t overstay.
Also do not violate the visa conditions such as working while you are on a tourist visa. It’s a no, no. If you plan to work in their country, apply for the appropriate work visa.
Insufficient Travel Insurance: Yes, this can be a reason for denial. Make sure to know what type of travel and health insurance or what coverage your travel insurance must have to be acceptable to the embassy where you are applying for a visa.
Example: A Schengen visa travel insurance requirement states that applicants must have a minimum coverage of medical costs of at least 30,000 EUR (equivalent to 32,500 USD as of July 2024) and must cover your entire stay in the Schengen area. If your travel insurance coverage falls short of this, your visa can be denied.
Passport Issue: A valid passport is a mandatory requirement when applying for a visa. If your passport is damaged, lacks blank pages, expired, or will expire while you are staying abroad (insufficient validity), you will be refused a visa by the embassy officials. This is a simple thing to spot and correct. Get your passport, check if it’s okay and no damage whatsoever, it still has blank pages, is valid and will not expire before you get back to the Philippines. If it misses a mark, apply for passport renewal asap.
Final Advise by Piso Fare PH Team for Visa Applicants
It’s essential to carefully review the visa requirements of the specific country and prepare your application accordingly to have a higher chance of getting approved. And if it is your first time to travel abroad where a visa is required and you are working remotely or an online freelancer, we recommend applying for a single-entry visa. You have a higher chance of approval for this versus applying for multiple-entry.
Always remember that any form of misrepresentation or deceit in the application process, whether intentional or not, can lead to a visa being denied.
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