The applicant claimed that he had planned a two-week trip to the United States, including visits to Disney World, Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center, and various beaches.
A young man’s dream of an international trip to the United States was shattered in mere 40 seconds after he honestly answered a question posed to him during his visa interview.
A Reddit user with username “nobody01810″, shared his ordeal after appearing for B1/B2 tourist visa interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi.
“I had my B1/B2 visa interview at the US Embassy recently, and I was rejected in less than a minute after just three questions. I’m trying to understand what went wrong and how I can improve for next time,” he said in a post on the social media platform.
The applicant claimed that he had planned a two-week trip to the United States, including visits to Disney World, Universal Studios, Kennedy Space Center, and various beaches.
He said that he was asked three questions– Why do you want to travel to the US? Have you traveled outside of India? and Do you have any family or friends in the US?
When asked by the visa officer, “Do you have any family or friends in the US?” he answered, “Yes, my girlfriend lives in Florida, and I plan to visit her.”
After hearing to this honest answer, the visa officer didn’t ask any follow-up questions. Instead, handed him a 214(b) refusal slip and ended the interview, crushing his visa hopes and international trip dream.
Netizens React
The netizens quickly diagnosed the issue, saying “strong ties to the US, weak ties to India.”
“It’s a dangerous minefield—one small slip-up can cost you your international travel,” one user commented.
“You’re a textbook denial, unfortunately. You have zero travel history, especially to Western countries. Plus, a girlfriend in the States? That’s a strong tie to the US,” commented another.
“You were honest mentioning your GF … yes but then again in the eyes of the embassy worker you just want to stay in the US illegally , even if you don’t they think so because you have stronger ties to the US than to India,” another commented
“The moment you mention a relationship with a US citizen or resident, it often triggers an instant rejection. This subreddit is full of such cases,” added another user.