Supreme Court Will Hear Visa Refusal Case

The Supreme Court has granted certiorari in the case of Kerry v. Din, in which a U.S. Citizen wife had petitioned for her husband. When her husband went to his immigrant visa interview at the U.S. Embassy is Islamabad, Pakistan, he was told he should receive his visa in two to six weeks. However, the Embassy ultimately sent a decision denying him the visa. The Embassy refused to provide specific reasons for the denial but indicated that it was due to terrorist activities. The Supreme Court held in 1972 that there is no constitutional right to obtain a visa. This case was brought in the 9th Circuit, where the is precedential case law distinguishing the denial of a visa where the denial affects a citizen’s protected liberty interest in marriage.