If your case is denied at the application stage, you could consider appealing.
Appeals Process
You can take your case to be heard by an Administrative Law Judge. The judge's decision time varies, depending on where your case is heard. The decision time can range anywhere from 8 - 20 months.
If the judge denies you case you can take your case to the Appeals council. The Council will consider whether to review your case.(It can choose not to)The review process can take up to a year depending on logistics such your case load and how complex your case is.
If the Appeals council denies your case, you have the last option of appealing to the Federal District court. This appeal's process at this stage takes about 8 months from the day of filing.(The timing varies for each state.)
