申訴信在英語中是“APPEAL LETTER”，原來是一個法律用詞，是申請者對于不服現有的判決而向上一級裁判機構提出的駁斥現有判決的法律或商業陳述。美國簽證中的申訴信，是簽證申請者對于不合理、不公正的拒簽加以闡述、駁斥，以書面形式遞交給另外一位簽證官的文件。與普通申訴信不同的是，你在美國簽證中的申訴信的閱讀者是同一領事館簽證處的另外一位簽證官，這位簽證官是拒簽你的簽證官的同事，而不是上級；還有一點不同的是，美國簽證主要是通過面試而不是文件來審查的，所以美國簽證申訴信充其量只是對你的簽證起到一個輔助作用，最后通過通不過還要看你的面試表現。所以，美國簽證中申訴信的寫作不但要符合標準英語商業信函的標準，更要考慮自己是否需要寫申訴信，什么時候寫，和怎樣寫才能起到好的效果。

　　從去年美國學生簽證情況來看，一方面是申訴信的使用幾乎到了泛濫的程度，很多學生一旦拒簽就訴諸申訴信，好像申訴信具有化腐朽為神奇的力量，而忽視了美國簽證主要看面試表現而不是文件的事實。正是由于有了申訴信，這些學生往往會忽視對自己的面試技能的培訓和心理狀況的調整，從而遺憾地浪費了本來就不多的簽證面試機會。我認為這也反映了大部分中國學生在英語口頭表達和交流能力方面普遍較弱這一事實。另外一個方面就是很多學生的申訴信，由于沒有專業的咨詢，或由于一些所謂“專業咨詢”的誤導，要么不符合英語商業寫作的規范和風格，要么冗長，生硬，根本起不到“申訴”的效果。

　　關于申訴信的必要性和什么情況下需要申訴信，我要重申一下我們一向遵循的原則。能否順利拿到美國簽證，關鍵在于良好的面試表現，在于申請者對自己的了解，對自己在美國所要學的PROGRAM的了解和對自己將來目標的了解，也就是我們常說的三個W。只有這樣，申請者才能在面試中擁有自信，對于簽證官的各種問題游刃有余，才能拿到簽證。所以申請者應該重點準備自己的面試，提高自己的面試技能，而不要盲目相信申訴信。只有在以下情況你才可能需要申訴信：1、至少拒簽兩次，一簽，二簽不需要申訴信；2、簽證官的拒簽有明顯的不合理。如我們的一個客戶去美國讀LLM，而簽證官卻認為她沒有工作經驗，不符合LLM的要求。這種明顯的錯誤就可以通過申訴信來駁斥，學校(而且還是美國法學名校)已經錄取了說明專職工作經驗并不是學LLM必需的；自己過去的兼職工作雖不是專職，卻是學校認可的QUALITY EXPERIENCE，自己有能力，有資格去學LLM；3、自己的案例特別復雜，與大部分簽證者不同，但一兩分鐘的時間又說不清楚。例如，我們就有一個客戶，在央行做了10年的銀行監管工作，又在商行做了5年的業務操作，當時去美國一名校學銀行法，這種情況乍一看是十分弱的，通過的幾率很小。像他這種精英就應該去公派出國培訓，而不是脫產像其他年輕學生一樣脫產去學習。但是這里面有一個情況是，該學校的PROGRAM IN BANKING LAW的招收對象正是他這種人。這種情況下，他就可以通過申訴信或者自述信來闡述該PROGRAM的特殊性和自己的“培訓”動機(不是“學習”目的)。

　　在具體寫作申訴信時，必須遵循以下原則：

　　1、一定要簡潔，易懂，要符合英語書信寫作的規范(BE BRIEF AND IDIOMATIC)

　　要知道，閱讀你的申訴信的是世界上最沒有耐心的人。簽證官每天要面對很多申請者，問很多同樣的問題，要忍受很多不同申請者的同樣的回答，還要在一兩分鐘內作出對于申請者前途至關重要的決定。我們應該同情他們，一定要把申訴信寫得簡潔、規范、通俗易懂，讓他們一眼就可以明了你的思路和邏輯。所以，你的申訴信最好不要超過一頁，最好剔除專業性太強的內容，最好請英語寫作高手來寫，至少也應該讓英語寫作很出色的外國朋友或國外的中國朋友潤色一下。

　　以下是一個學生寫的申訴信中的一段：“I PLANED TO FOLLOW PROFESSOR XXX TO DESIGN DRUGS FOR CANCER IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. CANCER IS THE EXCESSIVE GROWTH OF MORBID CELL, WHICH IS THE RESPONSE TO SOME CARCINOGEN AN NORMAL CELL SUBJECTED. PROFESSOR RIEDEL''S RESEARCH JUST FOCUSES ON THE RECEPTORS, THE MEDIATOR BETWEEN THE EVENTS IN AND OUT OF A CELL MENTIONED ABOVE. THROUGH THE RESEARCH IN THE RECEPTORS, WE WILL FIGURE OUT THE STRUCTURE AND DETAILED MECHANISM OF THE DRUG WHICH CAN COVER THE SENSITIVE AREAS OF THE RECEPTOR TO PREVENT THE NORMAL CELLS FROM BECOMING ILL. THE FRUIT OF THIS RESEARCH WILL BE A CREDIBLE GUIDE FOR SYNTHESIZING DRUGS, WORKING OUT NEW STANDARDS FOR MORE CONVENIENT MEDICAL SCREENING AND EXPLAINING THE MARVELOUS FUNCTION OF CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINES.”

　　不說其中的語言錯誤了，這些專業的東西簽證官怎么能看得懂？這個學生給我講了足足半個小時我才稍微懂了那么一點點！如果這么寫，結果只有失敗。

　　2、要中肯，切題(DIRECT AND TO THE POINT)

　　這就要求申請者對自己為什么被拒簽要有一個明確的認識，這是你寫申訴信的前提。如果不知道簽證官為什么拒簽你，那你要申訴什么啊？所有被拒簽的申請者都最終被告知，有移民傾向。但是，之所以判定你有移民傾向，簽證官一般有更詳細的原因，但是什么原因，簽證官一般不會告訴你，但卻會在你的申請表中做標記，這就需要你仔細回顧自己面試中的各個細節，判定拒簽的主要原因。這樣在寫作時，就可以列出簽證官拒簽的理由，然后通過邏輯和事實來逐一駁斥，證明簽證官的拒簽是錯誤的。

　　3、駁斥要堅定有力(BE FORCEFUL)

　　在用強有力的邏輯和事實證明自己的“清白”和簽證官的錯誤之后，適當時候應該果斷地指出簽證官的不合理，不公正，不認真和不按照規定辦事。這一點往往是大多數中國學生所不具有的，尤其是那些“前途渺茫，后路已斷”，把所有寶都押到出國留學上的學生。例如去年有一個學生在第二次簽證時，簽證官竟然去咨詢上一次拒簽他的那位簽證官，回來后明確告訴他自己不能推翻同事的決定，整個過程幾乎沒有問他什么問題就把他給拒了！這明顯嚴重違反了美國使館在自己的官方網站上標榜的規定，而這位學生卻不敢當場駁斥他。要知道，美國簽證系統中是沒有正式的拒簽申訴程序的，但是幾乎每個申請人都可以再次或者多次提出申請，而提出新的申請也就等于是進行申訴，向簽證官提交新的材料。所以，美國使館規定，一個以前被拒簽而現在又申請的人應該受到全新的對待，應該給予他們公平的機會，來證明他們的簽證資格。美國是一個理性的國度，只要你的邏輯合理，就可以有理、有利、有節地指出簽證官的不合理和不公正，使簽證官不得不接受你的邏輯，改變以前的不合理決定。以下是一篇較成功的申訴信(有刪減)，希望那些不幸被拒簽者能體會一下申訴信的寫作原則。

　　DEAR VISA OFFICERS:

　　AS ONE OF CHINA''S VERY FEW LEGAL PROFESSIONALS PRIVILEGED WITH THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES TO UNDERTAKE ADVANCED LEGAL STUDIES IN THE US, I WAS GREATLY SURPRISED BY YOUR REJECTION OF MY APPLICATION FOR A STUDENT VISA. THE REJECTION REPRESENTS A BLOW TO NOT ONLY MY HOPE FOR ENHANCED LEGAL EXPERTISE BUT ALSO AMERICA''S PROFESSED COMMITMENT TO SEEING THE RULE OF LAW PREVAIL IN CHINA.

　　ALREADY ON THE CUTTING-EDGE OF CHINA''S MARITIME LAW, I HAVE TO STUDY IN A WESTERN LAW SCHOOL IF I AM TO FURTHER IMPROVE MY EXPERTISE IN MY FIELD OF SPECIALTY.SHAVINGSBEEN TRAINED AS PART OF THE COUNTRY''S FIRST POSTGRADUATE PROGRAM IN MARITIME LAW, I HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR SEVERAL YEARS AS AN IN-HOUSE LEGAL COUNSEL WITH THE XXX ASSOCIATION, HANDLING OVER 100 CLAIMS EVERY YEAR IN RELATION TO SHIPPING CONTRACTS. MY LEGAL EDUCATION AND LEGAL PRACTICE ARE ALREADY THE BEST POSSIBLE IN CHINA.

　　BY ATTENDING AN AMERICAN LAW SCHOOL, I CAN ACQUIRE THE KIND OF PROFESSIONAL SKILLS AND SOCIAL VALUES THAT CHINA NEEDS MOST AND AMERICA CAN TEACH THE BEST.……

　　THE REJECTION OF MY VISA APPLICATION PROBABLY MEANS THAT THE ONLY CHINESE WHO IS BOTH INTELLECTUALLY AND FINANCIALLY CAPABLE OF UNDERTAKING ADVANCED STUDIES IN MARITIME LAW IN YOUR COUNTRY IS REFUSED ENTRY. THIS, I THINK, RUNS COUNTER TO NOT ONLY MY PERSONAL INTEREST BUT ALSO THE INTEREST OF OUR RESPECTIVE COUNTRIES. AFTER ALL, MORE, NOT FEWER, CHINESE STUDENTS HAD BETTER LEARN THE AMERICAN LEGAL CONCEPTS AND PRINCIPLES, IF OUR TWO PEOPLES ARE TO LIVE IN PEACE AND DO BUSINESS WITH EACH OTHER. IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT YOU WILL SEE ANOTHER CHINESE STUDENT LIKE ME ANYTIME SOON, ALTHOUGH YOUR OFFICE SEEMS SWARMED EVERYDAY WITH CHINESE STUDENTS SEEKING VISAS.

　　I STAND APART FROM OTHER CHINESE STUDENTS ALSO IN THAT I HAVE A CLEAR AND IMMEDIATE PURPOSE FOR MY STUDIES. MY FAMILY''S COMPANY, XXX，NEEDS ME TO TAKE CHARGE OF ITS LEGAL AFFAIRS AS IT EXPANDS.……GIVEN THE INTERNATIONAL NATURE OF ITS BUSINESS, THE COST OF MY LEGAL EDUCATION IN THE US IS NOT ONLY A PIECE OF CAKE BUT ALSO GREAT INVESTMENT.

　　NOW THAT MY FAMILY HAS MADE ITS FORTUNES AND IS POISED TO MAKE EVEN MORE IN CHINA, THERE IS NO REASON WHY I WOULD NOT RETURN TO CHINA AFTER I COMPLETE MY STUDIES IN THE US. ALTHOUGH AMERICA IS OBVIOUSLY RICHER THAN CHINA IN OVERALL TERMS, I DO NOT THINK MANY AMERICAN FAMILIES CAN MAKE MORE THAN 1 MILLION US DOLLARS A YEAR. NOR DO I THINK THAT I WILL STAND A BETTER CHANCE IN A FOREIGN LAND THAN AVERAGE AMERICANS ON THEIR HOME TURF. UNLESS I GO CRAZY, I WILL NOT EXCHANGE MY VIRTUALLY GUARANTEED FUTURE WITH MY FAMILY COMPANY IN MY HOME COUNTRY FOR THE UNCERTAIN LIFE OF AN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT IN YOUR COUNTRY.

　　ADDING TO THE ALREADY COMPELLING REASONS ABOVE FOR MY RETURN TO CHINA IS MY WIFE, WHO WILL BE STAYING IN CHINA WHEN I LEAVE FOR THE US.……

　　MY PROPERTY, CAREER AND FAMILY TIES TO CHINA ARE SO STRONG THAT IT HAS NEVER OCCURRED TO ME THAT I WILL BE BUILDING UP MY CAREER AND REALIZING MY DREAMS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN IN CHINA. IF YOU CAREFULLY EXAMINE ALL THE FACTS ABOUT ME, I AM SURE THAT YOU WOULD NOT SUPPOSE THAT I MIGHT WANT TO STAY IN YOUR COUNTRY OVER THE LIMIT OF MY VISA. PLEASE KINDLY ACT ACCORDINGLY. THE RIGHT DECISION ON MY APPLICATION WOULD BE GOOD NOT ONLY TO ME PERSONALLY BUT ALSO TO THE PROCESS OF TRAINING A NEW GENERATION OF CHINESE PROFESSIONALS WHO CAN READILY UNDERSTAND THE ESSENCE OF THE AMERICAN POINT OF VIEW.

　　YOURS SINCERELY

　　XXX