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When I was a student in US, I had some hospital related debts and I could not pay all the debts, and they transfer it to a collection agency. I still could not pay, but I will hopefully. I recently applied for a tourist visa, and my interview was good, had no problems. I wonder if I would have any issues regarding the approval of the visa or not (because of having a debt in a collection agent).

P.S. I know it is not good to have a debt. But, you may know the health system in US. I will pay it sooner or later.

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    If I owe someone money, I'm the one avoiding them, not the other way around. If someone owed me money, I'd want them front-and-center where I can keep an eye on them— and maybe drop them silent but regular reminders. I never quite understood what it would serve a country to deny visas from people who owed money to it (or its citizens or institutions), though this seems to be a widespread fear.
    – choster
    Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 18:55
  • @choster In theory, if someone had defaulted on a lot of debt in the past, I could see why a country might want to refuse them entry due to suspecting that they won't be able to provide for their own expenses while they're present in the country. Ability to demonstrate that they have the needed funds for their stay is a common consideration of immigration authorities for a similar reason. Having the person present in the country doesn't help you to recover a debt from them if they have no means of paying said debt.
    – reirab
    Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 20:09
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    If you were ordered to appear in court and you didn't show up it's possible that a 'bench warrant' could have been issued. This might not affect your visa application but it could be important to be aware since your freedom might become rather constrained immediately upon arrival.
    – Spehro 'speff' Pefhany
    Commented Mar 1, 2017 at 21:38
  • @SpehroPefhany you mean I might be arrested? This is very scary. My debt was around $300-400. Probably, I will pay it before my arrival to US early May. Thanks for the input!
    – renakre
    Commented Mar 2, 2017 at 6:46

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Debt collectors are not tied into the federal databases, they are private businesses providing a service. Even if your case has gone to civil court, chances are slim it will be on record with Immigration.

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