Master prompt
Smart Mode — US refusal recovery (214(b) / 221(g) / 212(a) / RFE / NOID / I-290B)
Adaptive intake. The AI branches on refusal type — INA section 214(b) nonimmigrant intent, INA section 221(g) administrative processing, INA section 212(a) inadmissibility, USCIS RFE / NOID on a pending petition, or denial requiring Motion to Reopen / Reconsider on Form I-290B — to route the applicant to the correct recovery path with the strongest framing.
United StatesUSRefusalINA 214(b)INA 221(g)INA 212(a)RFENOIDI-290BMotion to ReopenAAO AppealSmart ModeAdaptive
Build a US refusal-recovery strategy for the applicant based on the answers I gave you.
§1 — REFUSAL DECONSTRUCTION
Set out:
(a) Refused stream (F-1 / H-1B / B-1/B-2 / L-1 / O-1 / I-130 / I-140 / I-485 / DS-260 / etc.)
(b) Refusal type with precise classification:
(i) 9 FAM 504.11 / INA section 214(b) consular nonimmigrant-intent refusal — soft refusal, NO appeal, only re-application with new facts
(ii) 9 FAM 504.1-3(g) / INA section 221(g) administrative processing — supply documents within 1 year OR await security check
(iii) INA section 212(a) inadmissibility refusal — requires waiver under 212(d)(3) (nonimmigrant) or 212(i) / 212(a)(9)(B)(v) / 212(h) (immigrant)
(iv) USCIS RFE under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8)(iv) — response required by deadline on letter
(v) USCIS NOID under 8 CFR 103.2(b)(8)(iv) — response required by deadline
(vi) USCIS denial — Motion to Reopen / Reconsider on Form I-290B within 30 days under 8 CFR 103.5; or AAO appeal under 8 CFR 103.3
(vii) BIA appeal for I-130 family-based denials
(c) Refusal / RFE / NOID date + critical procedural deadlines (count days remaining)
(d) CCD / FOIA records status — obtained / pending / not requested
(e) Adjudicator-recorded grounds, parsed line by line
For EACH ground, classify as:
(i) Documentary gap — curable by RFE response, re-filing, or re-application with stronger evidence
(ii) Interpretation / legal-test misapplication — better candidate for Motion to Reconsider or AAO appeal
(iii) Credibility finding — hardest to recover from; needs material new evidence
(iv) Statutory inadmissibility — requires waiver path
§2 — ROUTE RECOMMENDATION (60-80 words)
Pick ONE primary route (RFE response / NOID response / re-application / Motion to Reopen / Motion to Reconsider / AAO appeal / waiver application) and one secondary route (parallel track if applicable). Justify based on refusal type + deadline + applicant urgency + evidence available.
§3 — IF 214(b) RE-APPLICATION (consular nonimmigrant-intent)
(a) New DS-160 with truthful disclosure of prior refusal
(b) Materially new evidence — stronger ties to India under 9 FAM 402.5-5(E), new admit / scholarship / funding source, new family-back-home evidence
(c) Updated personal statement with explicit "addressing the prior 214(b) refusal" paragraph
(d) Interview script anticipating consular-officer questions about prior refusal
(e) Document checklist — financial, academic, family ties, employment
(f) Disclaimer: 214(b) refusals have NO formal appeal mechanism; re-application with new facts is the only path
§4 — IF 221(g) DOCUMENT SUPPLY
(a) Identify the exact document(s) requested per 9 FAM 504.1-3(g)
(b) Supply via consulate-specified channel (email, courier, in-person)
(c) Track 1-year deadline before 221(g) becomes final refusal
(d) If 221(g) is administrative-processing (security check), advise patience — supply is not the bottleneck
§5 — IF 212(a) WAIVER
(a) Identify the exact 212(a) subsection (212(a)(2), 212(a)(6)(C)(i), 212(a)(9)(B), etc.)
(b) Determine waiver path:
For nonimmigrant: 212(d)(3) waiver via Form I-192 or consular processing
For immigrant: 212(i) waiver (fraud/misrep) / 212(h) waiver (criminal) / 212(a)(9)(B)(v) waiver (unlawful presence) via Form I-601, or 212(a)(9)(B) provisional waiver via Form I-601A before departure
(c) Qualifying-relative requirement (USC or LPR spouse / parent) for extreme-hardship showing
(d) Evidence package — affidavit + medical / financial / psychological evidence of qualifying-relative hardship
§6 — IF RFE / NOID RESPONSE (USCIS pending case)
(a) Calculate days remaining until deadline (8 CFR 103.2(b)(8)(iv) — must be RECEIVED, not postmarked)
(b) Point-by-point rebuttal of each adjudicator issue
(c) New evidence + legal argument for each issue
(d) For H-1B specialty-occupation challenge: argue Defensor v. Meissner position-itself test + degree-specialty match + expert opinion letters
(e) For EB-1A categories challenge: argue 8 CFR 204.5(h)(3) categories met + Kazarian v. USCIS two-step + final-merits sustained acclaim
(f) For NIW Dhanasar prong challenge: re-argue prong 3 "on balance beneficial to waive job-offer" with specific national-importance + applicant-positioning evidence
(g) Cover letter with table of contents + executive summary
(h) Disclaimer: no extensions granted for RFEs; respond before deadline
§7 — IF MOTION TO REOPEN / RECONSIDER (Form I-290B)
(a) Motion to Reopen under 8 CFR 103.5(a)(2): new facts + documentary evidence not previously available
(b) Motion to Reconsider under 8 CFR 103.5(a)(3): incorrect application of law or USCIS policy
(c) 30-day deadline (33 days if mailed under 8 CFR 103.8(b))
(d) Brief addressing the specific legal error or new evidence
(e) Form I-290B + filing fee + any supporting affidavits
§8 — IF AAO APPEAL (Form I-290B)
(a) De novo review by AAO under 8 CFR 103.3
(b) 30-day deadline from denial
(c) Identify the legal / factual errors in the denial
(d) Brief addressing each error with precedent citations
(e) Realistic outcomes — AAO affirms / reverses / remands
§9 — PARALLEL TRACKS (where applicable)
(a) Different visa category — e.g. switch from F-1 to B-1/B-2 for short-term US visit, or from H-1B to L-1 if intracompany option exists
(b) Consular processing in a third country (note CCD records carry across consulates)
(c) Change-of-status if applicant is in the US in valid status
(d) Direct EB-1A self-petition if extraordinary-ability evidence exists, bypassing employer-sponsored route
§10 — THE 3 HIGHEST-ROI LEVERS BEFORE NEXT SUBMISSION
Rank what would move outcomes most for THIS applicant. Examples: obtain FOIA / CCD records urgently to know the actual decision rationale; secure new evidence on the specific officer concern (specialty-occupation expert letter, Dhanasar prong 3 national-importance evidence, fresh ties documentation); pivot to a different visa stream entirely; preserve Motion / AAO window in parallel; engage USCIS-experienced counsel for a Motion to Reconsider on legal-test misapplication.
§11 — CITATIONS
Anchor each recommendation to:
(a) INA section (101(a)(15), 212(a), 214(b), 221(g), 245)
(b) 8 CFR Part 103 (general filing, Motion, AAO appeal), Part 214 (nonimmigrant), Part 204 (immigrant), Part 245 (adjustment)
(c) 9 FAM 402.5 / 402.10 / 402.12 / 402.13 / 504.1 / 504.11 (consular refusal codes + reapplication procedure)
(d) USCIS Policy Manual Volume 1 (General Policies), Volume 2 (Nonimmigrants), Volume 6 (Immigrants), Volume 7 (Adjustment)
(e) Leading precedents — Matter of Cavazos, 17 I&N Dec. 215 (BIA 1980) (214(b) burden); Matter of Hosseinpour, 15 I&N Dec. 191 (BIA 1975) (preconceived intent); Defensor v. Meissner, 201 F.3d 384 (5th Cir. 2000) (H-1B specialty occupation); Kazarian v. USCIS, 596 F.3d 1115 (9th Cir. 2010) (EB-1A two-step); Matter of Dhanasar, 26 I&N Dec. 884 (AAO 2016) (NIW 3-prong)
(f) Form codes — I-290B Motion / Appeal, I-192 nonimmigrant waiver, I-601 immigrant waiver, I-601A provisional unlawful-presence waiver, G-639 FOIA
DRAFT — for licensed US immigration attorney review. Verify against current USCIS Policy Manual + Visa Bulletin before submission. Time-sensitive — RFE / NOID / I-290B Motion / AAO appeal deadlines do NOT pause; missing a deadline by one day typically means losing the petition. Verify all dates, deadlines, and current USCIS / DOS procedural requirements before relying on this draft.Unlock the vault to see the full prompt