A young Colombian woman has become the focus of international headlines after sharing her heartbreaking story of being denied a U.S. visa not once, but seven times. Camila Correa, a content creator and aspiring traveler, took to TikTok to publicly announce that she is officially giving up on her dream after a long and exhausting battle with the American visa system.
In a viral video she posted–which has since garnered hundreds of thousands of views–Camila is in tears as she explains the emotional toll of facing repeated rejections despite her best efforts to comply with every requirement. “I can’t keep going through this, this was my seventh attempt, and they said no again. I’m tired,” she said in the clip.
While she didn’t disclose the specific reasons for denials, her case has struck a chord with many Colombians and Latin Americans who see her experience as a reflection of the broader difficulties faced by travelers from the Global South when trying to enter the United States.
The Road to the US: A Colombian woman’s dream denied
Like Camila, many Colombians see their own story in her struggle, a road to the U.S. that never opens. In Colombia the dream of traveling to the U.S. is often tied to opportunity, progress, and personal growth. Yet for a growing number of citizens, that dream has turned into a bureaucratic nightmare. With every rejection, applicants not only lose money–often hundreds of dollars in non-refundable fees –but also dignity and hope.
The visa process, particularly under Section 214 (b) of U.S. immigration law places a heavy burden of proof on applicants to demonstrate they will return home. This requirement disproportionately affects young, single individuals and those without significant financial assets or property, creating an invisible wall even before a physical one.
Camila’s story has made visible what many have suffered in silence, a sense that that door to opportunity is closed, and no amount of effort seems to open it.
@camilacorreaalm Me negaron la visa por séptima vez y ya no lo seguiré intentando #tiktokcolombia #paratii #fyppppppppppppppppppppppp #visaamericana #visas #visacolombianos #visausa🇺🇸 ♬ sonido original – Chomi. ✨
When reading about Camila Correa’s story, one begins to understand the emotional cost of putting oneself through a process where rejection, often unexplained, looms large. For many, her experience reflects a sense that visa denials can feel arbitrary, and at times, unjustified and can leave people feeling powerless. Speaking to local media and through her own social platforms, she made it clear: she did everything right. “I felt like I wasn’t even heard. I showed them everything, documents, proof of business, bank statements. I don’t understand what more they wanted,” she added. Her frustration has resonated with thousands online, many whom share her sense of injustice and helplessness.
Although the U.S. embassies are not obligated to explain visa rejections in detail, critics argue that this lack of feedback creates an environment where even the most prepared applicants are left guessing.
As Camila’s story continues to gain visibility, it also ignites a larger conversation: Should there be more accountability in how visa decisions are made? And perhaps more importantly, how can a system that claims to evaluate risk also acknowledge human dignity?
Under Trump, the American Dream feels further away than ever
For now, the harsh reality is that under the Trump administration, questions surrounding the fairness and transparency of the U.S. visa process remain far from being addressed. And for many like Camila, the dream of reaching the U.S. seems increasingly out of reach.
President Donald Trump has long championed restrictive immigration policies. While much of the public focus has been on undocumented immigration and border control, the effects of his policies, and their lasting influence, have extended into legal travel and visa systems as well.
During his previous term, Trump implemented stricter visa scrutiny measures and increased consular discretion, making it harder for applicants from countries like Colombia to obtain approval even when they meet all formal requirements. That climate of suspicion and tightening controls hasn’t disappeared, and for many, it’s only worsened.
In this environment, stories like Camila’s are becoming more common. Young professionals, business owners, and even students are being denied the chance to enter the U.S., not because they pose an actual risk, but because they come from the “wrong” part of the world at the “wrong political moment.” And as one user who identified with Camila’s story put it, “It’s like the American dream has been placed behind a wall we can’t climb no matter how qualified we are.”
With Trump’s rhetoric returning to the political spotlight and immigration once again a key campaign issue, many fear the access to the U.S. will become even more difficult. For people like Camila, who once saw the United States as a place of opportunity and openness, the message seems clear: you’re not welcome, no matter what you’ve accomplished.
As Colombia and other Latin American nations watch these developments unfold, the growing sense is not just of lost visas, but of lost trust in a system that promises opportunity, but increasingly keeps delivering rejection.