(a) Termination following failure of applicant to apply for visa. In accordance with INA 203(g), an alien's registration for an immigrant visa shall be terminated if, within one year after transmission of a notification of the availability of an immigrant visa, the applicant fails to apply for an immigrant visa.

(b) Termination following visa refusal. An alien's registration for an immigrant visa shall be terminated if, within one year following the refusal of the immigrant visa application under INA 221(g), the alien has failed to present to a consular officer evidence purporting to overcome the basis for refusal.

(c) Notice of termination. Upon the termination of registration under paragraph (a) of this section, the National Visa Center (NVC) shall notify the alien of the termination. The NVC shall also inform the alien of the right to have the registration reinstated if the alien, before the end of the second year after the missed appointment date if paragraph (a) applies, establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer at the post where the alien is registered that the failure to apply for an immigrant visa was due to circumstances beyond the alien's control. If paragraph (b) applies, the consular officer at the post where the alien is registered shall, upon the termination of registration, notify the alien of the termination and the right to have the registration reinstated if the alien, before the end of the second year after the INA 221(g) refusal, establishes to the satisfaction of the consular officer at such post that the failure to present evidence purporting to overcome the ineligibility under INA 221(g) was due to circumstances beyond the alien's control.

(d) Reinstatement of registration. If the consular officer is satisfied that an alien, as provided for in paragraph (c) of this section, has established that failure to apply as scheduled for an immigrant visa or to present evidence purporting to overcome ineligibility under INA 221(g) was due to circumstances beyond the alien's control, the consular officer shall reinstate the alien's registration for an immigrant visa. Any petition approved under INA 204(b) which had been automatically revoked as a result of the termination of registration shall be considered to be automatically reinstated if the registration is reinstated.

(e) Interpretation of “circumstances beyond alien's control”. For the purpose of this section, the term “circumstances beyond the alien's control” includes, but is not limited to, an illness or other physical disability preventing the alien from traveling, a refusal by the authorities of the country of an alien's residence to grant the alien permission to depart as an immigrant, and foreign military service.

[52 FR 42613, Nov. 5, 1987, as amended at 56 FR 49682, Oct. 1, 1991; 73 FR 11028, Feb. 29, 2008]