Despite high income, stable career, and family ties, the senior IT professional’s B1/B2 visa was rejected within 60 seconds, sparking online debate about US visa fairness
An Indian senior IT professional earning nearly ₹1 crore annually has claimed that his US B1/B2 visa was denied in less than a minute at the US Embassy in New Delhi, despite having a stable job, extensive travel history, and strong family ties. The man, who recently became a father to an eight-month-old daughter, shared his experience on a Reddit visa discussion forum, reported gujaratsamachar.com.
“I answered just three questions before being handed a refusal letter,” he said.
According to his post, the consular officer asked him only three questions — the purpose of his visit, details of his previous foreign trips, and whether he had any relatives or friends in the US. He explained that he intended to attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia, a major international conference focused on cloud-native technologies directly related to his work.
- To establish his travel history, he mentioned prior trips to Lithuania, Indonesia, and the Maldives
- When he stated that he had no contacts or relatives in the US, the interview abruptly ended with a 214(b) refusal notice, indicating that the officer was not convinced of his intent to return to India
High income and family ties fail to convince consular officer
The applicant said he was “shocked” by the outcome, emphasizing his ten-year career at the same company, his ₹1 crore annual income, and his responsibilities as a new father, which he believed were strong indicators of his rootedness in India. He had also booked hotels in Atlanta and prepared a detailed itinerary, arguing that attending in person was essential since the conference would not be livestreamed.
Following the rejection, he turned to Reddit to ask others for advice on possible reasons for the refusal and what steps to take before reapplying.
According to the US Department of State, a visa is not a guaranteed right but a discretionary privilege. Under Section 214(b) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, consular officers may deny an application if they are not fully satisfied that the applicant intends to return home — even if the concerns are minor or subjective.
