Home » Visas » USA » Cancelled Without Prejudice(CWOP) Stamp on US Visa Meaning

Cancelled Without Prejudice(CWOP) Stamp on US Visa Meaning

One of the things that may happen to you, after you attend a US Visa interview is to get a stamp of “Cancelled Without Prejudice” (CWOP) on your previous US Visa stamp. You may get it on valid or expired visas in your passport for visa categories like F1 Visa, B1/B2 Visitor Visa, or even work visa like H1B or L1 visa.

Also, sometimes, some CBP officers may write CWOP on your expired visas, when you are exiting the US. In this article, we cover all details related to the CWOP stamp, including samples and common FAQs

What is Cancelled without Prejudice(CWOP) on US Visa?

As per the Official US Department of State Reference state.gov website, Cancelled Without Prejudice(CWOP) is defined as below:

Cancelled Without Prejudice is a stamp the US Consulate or Embassy puts on a visa when there is a mistake in the visa or the visa is a duplicate visa(two of the same kind). It does not really affect the validity of other visas in the passport. It does not mean the passport holder will not get another visa

See the below screenshot from the state department website. Cancelled without prejudice from US State Department Official Website Guidance

Basically, it means that CWOP is usually stamped or written on a US Visa to indicate a clerical error or a mistake in the issued US visa or if there is a duplicate visa of the same type on the passport or some other similar reason. We will look at this in more detail in the below sections.

Common Reasons for getting CWOP? Meaning?

Below are some of the common reasons anyone can get a “Cancelled Without Prejudice” (CWOP) stamp or text on their US Visa.

  • US Consulates Stamping CWOP on a valid or expired visa.
  • CWOP written by CBP Officers
  • Mistake or duplicate visa
  • US Visa is no longer usable
  • Damaged Passport or visa

Let’s look at each of these below.

CWOP Stamped on Valid or Expired US Visa by US Consulates

When you got for US Visa Stamping at an Embassy or US Consulate, sometimes, the US Visa or Consular Officer may put a stamp as in the below image that says “Cancelled without prejudice” (CWOP) on your valid or expired US visa that is already on your passport.  

For example, if you had an F1 visa valid and you went for an H1B Visa stamping, then the Visa officer may put the stamp “Cancelled Without Prejudice” on your Valid F1 visa and then issue an H1B visa for you. This could also be stamped in any other visa type such as a previous H1B visa, B1/B2 Visa, etc.   

See the below screenshot of the CWOP Stamped on an F1 Visa, when I went for H1B Visa stamping.

US Visa Cancelled without Prejudice Meaning - Stamp on Visa Foil in Passport

CWOP Written on Expired US Visa by CBP Officer

Sometimes, when you are exiting the US, at the airport, or at any other land post, the CBP officer ( Sometimes TSA officers too) may check your passport and may scribble/write CWOP on it. This is not a very common situation, but recently starting in early 2022, many users have reported that they are getting CWOP written on an expired Visa stamp in their passport at Seattle Airport. It looks like this, as in the below screenshot.

You may experience this at any airport or any border checkpoint when you are exiting the country, where you see CBP officers or TSA officers. This is also done to ensure that the passport holder needs to get a new visa to re-enter the US. There is no other reason for this.

CWOP - Cancelled without Prejudice Scribbled on US Visa
CWOP – Cancelled without Prejudice Scribbled on US Visa

Mistake or Duplicate Visa

As per US State Department, you would get a “Cancelled without prejudice” stamp on your US Visa, if there is any mistake on your visa or if the visa is considered a duplicate.  This can happen anytime either when you apply for a new visa or when someone like CBP identifies the same.

US Visas No longer valid or usable

You may get a CWOP stamp on a US visa if the validity has expired( meaning not valid anymore). The key reason for putting this stamp is to ensure that the visa in it is not usable in the future and the passport holder needs to get a new US Visa to re-enter the US.

Damaged Passport or US Visa

If your passport or US Visa is damaged, including the US visa foil on the passport did not stick out well, then the Visa officer at the consulate could put the CWOP stamp. This is done to ensure that the US Visa is not used for fraud or manually glued somewhere else in another passport by the applicant. The US Consular officer would ask you to submit a new passport to issue a new US Visa.

Impact of having a “Cancelled without prejudice” stamp

Below are the details about the impact of the CWOP Stamp or text on a US visa in your passport.

  • If you get the “Cancelled without prejudice” (CWOP) stamp on an old expired US Visa, it does not really affect the validity of the other US visas on your passport.
  • It does not impact your general US Visa or US entry profile.
  • It does not impact your future of applying for any US Visa.
  • You may not be eligible for dropbox stamping for renewals. More info in the next section.

You may be in a panic when the CBP officer or someone at US Consulate puts this CWOP stamp on your visa. It has no bearing or impact on your profile or your future ability to get a visa. It is not the same as “Visa Revocation”, so do not worry.

CWOP Stamp Impact on US Visa Dropbox Eligibility

The presence of CWOP stamp and its impact varies by the country you are planning to apply for dropbox. It is best to check the CGI Federal Portal or USVisaScheduling.com website questionnaire in your country of choice. Below are two examples from India and Singapore.

US Visa Dropbox Stamping in India – CWOP question

Updated Feb 2023: In the past, having CWOP did not have any impact on your US Visa Dropbox eligibility when you applied it in India. But, this changed in late 2022 when the dropbox questionnaire got updated to include CWOP as well for applicants applying for dropbox stamping in India. After this change, if you have CWOP written or stamped on your US Visa and applying in India, you are no longer eligible for dropbox stamping.

The new question during the Dropbox questionnaire wizard for applicants applying in India, says “Was your most recent U.S. visa lost, stolen, canceled, revoked or marked CWOP?” Below is the screenshot of the actual question that asks about CWOP for India Consulates/Embassy on the appointment booking website USVisaScheduling.com

Was your most recent us visa stolen or lost - USVisaScheduling.com
Was your most recent us visa stolen or lost – USVisaScheduling.com

Even though CWOP is not the same as a US Visa being canceled or revoked for other reasons, for whatever reason, it has now been added in line with canceled or revoked in the questionnaire. In general, CWOP is more clerical and does not have the same effect as a US Visa being Cancelled.

If it is canceled, it would say “Cancelled with Prejudice”, meaning it was done intentionally due to the passport holder breaking the immigration law. Also, not sure, if this is possible, you may request the CBP officer as well not to write CWOP on the expired visa telling them that you would be ineligible for dropbox stamping.

US Visa Dropbox Stamping in Singapore – No CWOP question

If you look at the US Visa Dropbox questionnaire on the USTravelDocs Portal (portal.ustraveldocs.com) website for Singapore, it does not even mention CWOP. So, if you are applying for Dropbox stamping in Singapore, then having CWOP on your US visa has no impact on Dropbox stamping. You will be eligible for Dropbox, even if you have CWOP on your previous US Visa.

The actual question on the USTravelDocs Portal website for dropbox applicants applying from Singapore will say “Is your most recent U.S. visa (in the same class that you are applying) still in your possession (not lost or stolen).” It only asks about ‘not lost or stolen’, and does not ask about cancellation or CWOP. If you see the above section for applicants applying in India, it includes CWOP. Below is the screenshot of the question from the USTravelDocs Portal website in Singapore.

is your most recent US Visa still in your possession and not stolen or lost
is your most recent US Visa still in your possession and not stolen or lost

Sample “Cancelled Without Prejudice”(CWOP) Stamps

Below are common samples of the stamp “cancelled without prejudice”, it can have any kind of font or look, but the text is what matters. Sometimes, the officers may just write with pen as well, so do not be worried.

US Visa Cancelled without Prejudice Sample Stamps B1 B2 - F1 - H1B
Various CWOP Stamps on US Visas
CWOP written on US Visa
CWOP written on a US Visa

Common FAQs

My US Visitor Visa was stamped “Cancelled Without Prejudice”, does it impact me?

No, it does not. The visa type does not matter for the stamp. The stamp is just put by the Visa officer if they feel it is a duplicate or another category of visa is given to the individual.  It does not affect you.

Does having a Cancelled without Prejudice” or CWOP stamp on my visa deny me from getting future visas?

No, it will not. It does not impact your ability to get a new visa or impact you as an individual. It is given for administrative reasons to indicate wrong ones with errors, either old or duplicate visas that are not usable anymore.

Do I need to indicate Cancelled without Prejudice in DS-160 as Visa Rejected or Denied?

No, your visa was not denied or rejected by the visa officer, if they put a stamp that says “cancelled without prejudice” . You do not have to indicate anything on the DS-160 form during the US visa application process.

Does having a “Cancelled Without Prejudice” stamp on my passport mean, my previous visa was refused or denied?

No, having this stamp does not mean your previous visa was refused.

Does having Cancelled without prejudice (CWOP) make me ineligible for Dropbox Stamping?

Yes, you will not be eligible for Dropbox with the CWOP stamp. This is a new change in the US Visa dropbox questionnaire that says, if you have CWOP, then you cannot get dropbox stamping.

What was your experience with CWOP? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments section below.

You may also read What is Clearance Received or Department Authorization annotation meaning on a US Visa.

   

Other Articles

53 Comments

  1. I went for H1B stamping and then I went for L1A stamping the same year. My H1B was cancelled without preduice.
    Questions
    1. Am I considered in H1B status as I completed the stamping atleast once
    2. Since my H1B was CWOP, Will I be cap exempt in future so I can use same H1B if needed in future employment
    3. Will I need to go through cap lottery selection again
    4. Can I do change of status /extensions within USA using CWOP H1B

    Reply
  2. My husband’s f1 visa has been canceled without prejudice. This is because the 1-20 he presented to the Consulate was edited by the agent who did the application for him. Will this affect his chances of obtaining a new visa if he reapply

    Reply
  3. Hi
    My US visa Cancelled with Prejudice in 2015, then I tried UK and got visa done masters, now I got match and he is in H1B, will I get dependent visa ?

    Reply
  4. Hello, I had a B1/B2 visa that was valid when I went for the interview for an F1 visa. The first time they rejected my visa since the consular had doubts about my intentions. After 2 weeks I booked another appointment and appeared for the interview and got rejected again. The second time the consular questioned what I was doing in the US for 3 months on my previous visits. I was there for training purposes but he made a judgment saying that I was generating income in the US on a visit visa which I shouldn’t have done. I explained to him that was not the case since I was there to understand the business and create training documents for my company in India.

    However, he signed CWOP on my B1/B2 visa saying that I was already told that the F1 visa wouldn’t be approved. Will this affect my future visa applications for the US or any other country like the UK? I’d appreciate your response on this.

    Reply
  5. “Do you have a previous U.S. visa in any visa class issued on or after your 14th birthday?” – what should I answer for this? Me, spouse, kid all have visa but kid is only 7 years old. Can I still go ahead and select ‘Yes’?

    Reply
  6. I had F1 visa which is expired last year. However, the visa does not have CWOP stamp on it and I am applying for H1B visa now. I was never rejected or had revoked visa of USA.
    Am I eligible for dropbox ?
    Is there anything I need to consider?

    Reply
    • Hi,

      They wrote cancelled on my visa who just I received on june 2023 which i don’t event use it to go to America. Is it means cwop or cwp? Am I still have a chance to get visa in the future?

      Reply
  7. I have c1d visa that I used to enter USA during my work as a cabin crow this Visa I already have it since 2021 and still valid for 2 years.
    I submitted for b1/b2 visa
    They sent me the. Passport with the new b1/b2 visa valid for 5 years
    But they stamp on my c1d visa
    cancelled without prejudice.
    what should I do ?
    I need the other visa for my job and why they cancelled it ?

    Reply
    • Is it possible that the consul made a mistake and did not notice that I applied for another type of visa, so he canceled the old one and gave me the new one?

      Reply
  8. Just wanted to understand how would emergency request help here?

    Some context..

    I submitted my passport for H-1B visa renewal via Dropbox at the Mumbai consulate on February 3, 2023. However, the agent at consulate told me that I’m not eligible for Dropbox and I will have to go for a biometric appointment and visa interview because of the (Canceled Without Prejudice) CWOP stamp on my expired US visa.

    The agent told me that my appointment will be a “No Show” for February 3, 2023 and I will be able to book biometrics and consular invterview dates after 24 hours. However, I am only able to see dates after 90 days from my original appointnment, i.e., from May 4, 2023.

    I booked the dates of May 4 and 5 for biometric and consular interview.

    I submitted Emergency Request appointment on February 7 which got approved on February 8. I thought it would allow me to see the earlier or immediate dates of February. I could be wrong here. As of now, I still see the same dates of May 2023.

    Any help will be appreciated.

    Reply
  9. My visa is expired and it was stamped with CWOP when i tried to renew.I also lost 221 g letter somehow. Will be able to apply for renewal as per new terms i can apply for renewal with in 48 months

    Reply
  10. I had a b1/b2 visa and it had expired so I was eligible for a Dropbox visa after I applied and got it back my US visa stamp had a black ink stamp saying cancelled without prejudice on it. Will it affect me if I apply for other country visa.will they reject visas for having a stamp like that.
    Thank you will be waiting for you

    Reply
  11. Hello,

    My B1/B2 visa got cancelled at port of entry abu dhabi as i was engeged in unauthorised work in usa in my previous. As i was not aware with that so officer asked me what you did in last entry and i said true. I was worked 2 months. He said you can not work on B1/B2, and they cencelled my visa with red pen. But they allow me to withrow my applicaiton for admission into USA. So it will be worried for me next.

    Right now i am spouse of us citizen and got approval. Me waiting for my interview call. It will a problem to get immigrant visa?

    Reply
    • Darshit,
      Sorry to hear about your situation. Depending on what you signed on that day when your visa was revoked, it could have an impact for sure. It is a complicated situation. You should talk to an attorney and sort this out.

      Reply
      • They given me chance and signed Withdrawal of application for admission. I seen that meaning in google ( a withdrawal of application for admission does not create a bar to future entry )

        Reply
  12. I got a B1/B2 Visa in 2012 for 5 years. expired on 2017. On 2018 I applied for the same visa. I get rejected. the officer stamped Cancelled without prejudice on the expired visa.
    Now I need to apply and there is a question on the application form. Do you have a cancelled visa ? what shall I write?
    Thanks so much

    Reply
    • Abdelalim,
      Well, your visa was not technically cancelled, it was cancelled after the expiration just as CWOP, so it does not count towards cancellation.

      Reply
  13. I had my B1/B2 visa that expired in 2020 but never travelled to US. Now I am applying for H1B. In the US travel docs, I did answer as below.
    1) Do you have a previous U.S. visa in any visa class issued on or after your 14th birthday?
    A) YES
    2)Was your prior visa annotated “Clearance Received” or “Department Authorization”?
    A) NO
    3)Was your most recent U.S. visa lost, stolen, canceled, revoked, or marked CWOP?
    what should I answer for this question. If I answer as NO, its giving me eligible for Dropbox. Does visa expire comes under cancelled and should I give YES.

    Reply
  14. I and my wife’s B1,B2 visa was cancelled with a red pen and wasn’t indicated with or without prejudice.. We were advised to withdraw our application and ask to go back home to reapply. It’s been 5 years now. Is it possible for it to be reinstated and how do I go about it.. Thanks as I await response.

    Reply
    • Jatto,
      It depends on the reason you had that written. If it does not say without prejudice, it can be tricky. If you were sent back at port of entry, there could be some issue. It is best to speak to an attorney.

      Reply
  15. I am working on the cruise ships and last contract I resigned and officer arked my visa with CWOP. Now need to apply again and I am worried if this will have any influence on my application.

    Thanks

    Reply
  16. Hello
    My passport was returned to me with hand written note that sais CWOP and they always give a 221g paper, can I have some explanation please I’m not clear at all

    Reply
  17. Hi

    My f1 visa was cancelled by CBP at port of entry, they only write with red marker cancelled by CBP, no with or without prejudice and asked me to withdraw application and apply again, my sevis was mistakenly terminated by the university but after I returned to my country they activated the sevis now I am trying to get new visa but they gave men 214b rejection and visa officer didn’t even asked about the reason of my deportation

    Reply
  18. Can anyone provide the consulate email address to reach out due to the issue from CWOP? The traveldocs people dont seem to respond properly!
    Thank you

    Reply
  19. Can anyone provide the consulate email address to reach out due to the issue from CWOP? The traveldocs people dont seem to respond properly!
    Thank you

    Reply
  20. Hey
    I got CWOP on my f1, and I received
    214 b twice because I gave my interview twice. Does this mean they my SEVIS and visa status is deactivated now ? I can not continue my studies anymore ? Can’t marry my bf in US ?

    Reply
  21. I have a B1/B2 visa for the USA. On March 21, 2022, I tried to depart from Delhi to NYC, however, due to an emergency, I could not fly out of Delhi.

    At the immigration checkpoint, the officer placed a stamp on my passport: “canceled without prejudice.”

    Upon research, that stamp is usually placed on the Visa page, however, mine was placed on a blank passport page; it was placed on top of the “D2-015 Immigration stamp.”
    A friend of mine told me that during immigration checkpoints (at the time of flying) two different entry stamps are pasted, however, since I couldn’t fly due to an unforeseen emergency, the “canceled without prejudice” stamp was placed on top of “D2-015” stamp to indicate that the passenger will not be flying.

    According to Google, a “canceled without prejudice” stamp is usually placed (on the VISA page in the passport) when canceling a valid visa, however, that did not happen in my case.
    “canceled without prejudice” stamp was placed on top of the “D2-015” immigration stamp.

    I wanted to know if my B1/B2 Visa is still valid. Can you please check the status and let me know.

    Reply
    • Lalit,
      I am not familiar with the D2-015 stamp. What is that related to? Why was it put on your passport in the first place?
      In general, as long your B1/b2 visa does not have any marking on it, you are good to use the same.

      Reply
  22. Hi Kumar,
    I had a Dropbox scheduled at Delhi today and didn’t realise their was a CWOP marked on my expired H1B visa by a CBP officer when I visited them for Global Entry interview. He had said your visa is expired, get a new stamp when coming into US next time but I didn’t realize he wrote CWOP. Today at Dropbox Delhi, the VAC staff said your visa is cancelled and you should schedule an interview. I requested them to look into the details and they said the manager also looked into this and we cannot do anything. But it is really hard to get the dates again. What should I do?

    Reply
    • SJ,
      Frankly, they should accept your application. It is really frustrating to hear that the staff at front desk have no clue. You should write to consulate and then get their inputs, hopefully they give you clarity.

      Reply
      • Now on US Travel Docs, they have modified the question which asks whether your canceled or lost to include CWOP. The new question text is – “Was your most recent U.S. visa lost, stolen, canceled, revoked, or marked CWOP?”.. essentially meaning they have formalized this stance – If the last visa is CWOP, you would not be eligible for dropbox.

        Reply
  23. My F1 visa was stamped “Cancelled without Prejudice”. How to answer “has your US visa ever been cancelled or revoked ” in the DS-160 form? Answer Yes or No?

    Reply
    • Selina Su,
      The question you see is not related to ‘Cancelled without prejudice’. That only corresponds to cases where it says “Canceled with Prejudice” or due to fraud. If you have CWOP, it does not count as cancelled or revoked.

      Reply
  24. It happened to me exactly same, during F1 visa interview, us officer wrote CWOP on my B1 visa & refused to give me F1 visa. I don’t know what next step i take

    Reply
        • Prithvi,
          You can email the consulate and get it clarified. You would be given a form, when you exited the interview. If it is 214(b), then it means you had immigrant intent, so they could technically do that as that is also a non-immigrant visa without dual intent.

          Reply
  25. During h1b interview us officer wrote cwop on my B1 visa and h1b visa refused due to missing documents. I’m appearing for h4 dependent visa now. Does it have any impact

    Reply
    • Rajesh,
      Well, hard to say. Usually, it should not have any impact, unless it was done due to fraud. Usually they wont reject H1B for missing documents, they will issue RFE and then ask for it.

      Reply
      • Dear sir how are you how i contact you my b1b2 visa is cancel after one year i visit 13 days last year after one year cancel my Visa how i get again b1b2 visa please Ripley thank you

        Reply

Leave a Comment