8 U.S.C. § 1775: Retention of nonimmigrant visa applications by the Department of State

The Department of State shall retain, for a period of seven years from the date of application, every application for a nonimmigrant visa under section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(15)) in a form that will be admissible in the courts of the United States or in administrative proceedings, including removal proceedings under such Act [8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.], without regard to whether the application was approved or denied.