Can I be denied entry at the US port of entry if my visa is rejected?

[Amitya Kumar]

Dear Experts,

I am on H1B visa expiring August 2023. I have the visa stamped on the passport. I work in at a consulting company for a major US corporation. I received i797A approval for extension for another 3 years. I am thinking about going to Mexico to get the new stamp before the current one expires i.e. August 20, 2023 instead of going back to my home country i.e. India. I have never been out of status so I qualify for interview waiver. I don't mind the interview as well.

There are two possibilities
1. Approval - Everything is good and I can return back to the US
2. Denial - I get a 221g or any other reason.

Three questions:-

If the new visa is denied,
1. Can I return back to the US under the current visa stamp of August 2023 as long as I land back before Aug 20, 2023?
2. Do I have to stay in Mexico if the counselor asks for an interview?
3. Can I get stuck in Mexico for any other reason?

I would appreciate your expert advice. Thank you so much in advance.

[samuelebe]

as far as I have seen, if a new Visa is denied, Embassy will revoke or cancel all your active Visas too. So, I believe that once rejected, you cannot come back to States.

I believe you must be available in the applied location for an interview. A change of location might be processed as a new visa appointment. In case of rejection, the only place you can travel back is to your home country or to the countries where you hold a valid visa. I prefer traveling back to my home country so that even if I have to wait more days will not cause any out-of-status or visa issues.