Outlook Business Desk
A senior Indian tech professional earning nearly ₹1 crore a year faced an unexpected setback when the US Embassy in New Delhi rejected his B1/B2 visa within a minute, after asking him only three quick questions during the short interview process.
The applicant, a senior technical lead, turned to Reddit to share his experience and seek advice from the IT community. His post went viral, sparking widespread curiosity about how an apparently strong applicant faced such a swift visa rejection.
The techie recalled that the officer asked just three questions — his reason for travelling, past international trips, and whether he had family in the US. Moments later, he was handed a 214(b) refusal slip, ending the interview abruptly.
He explained that he planned to attend the Kubecon + CloudNativeCon 2025 conference in Atlanta, Georgia, to learn about new Cloud Native innovations relevant to his work. Despite the clear professional intent, the officer refused the visa without elaboration.
The applicant listed his prior travels to Lithuania, the Maldives, and Indonesia but mentioned he had no family or contacts in the US. Many Reddit users believed the absence of personal ties might have raised doubts about his travel purpose.
Surprised by the denial, he said he had strong reasons to return home, including a stable 11-year career, high income nearing ₹1 crore and an eight-month-old daughter, factors he believed should have assured officials of his intent to return.
The B1 visa is for short business trips such as meetings, conferences, or contract discussions. The B2 visa allows travel for tourism, family visits, or medical reasons. Most travellers receive a combined B1/B2 visa, which permits both business and personal trips.
Meanwhile, as per the US Department of State, holding a visa is an opportunity that can be withdrawn anytime. Officers may reject or cancel applications if they find inconsistencies, lack of honesty, or weak ties to the applicant’s home country.