B1/B2 visa: A 35-year-old applicant from Hyderabad traveling alone for a vacation to the United States has shared his B1/B2 visa approval experience on Reddit. The applicant highlighted that his prior international travel history played a major role in the approval process.
Smooth and Straightforward Interview
According to the applicant, the interview at the Hyderabad consulate was concise and straightforward. The conversation began with the visa officer greeting him, “Good morning,” to which he replied, “Good morning Sir.” The VO then asked him to hand over his passport. When asked about the purpose of his travel, he said, “My school is closing for the winter break in December, so I intend to travel for a Vacation.” The officer inquired about his profession, and he replied, “I am the Headmaster of a School,” giving the name of the school and a general idea of his role.
The VO observed his prior travel history, stating, “Seems like you have travelled before.” The applicant offered to show his old passport, and the officer noticed a German visa, prompting the question, “Could you describe the trip that you made in May?” He explained, “I started in Denmark, then went to Germany, Switzerland, France and had a return flight from Barcelona.” The VO asked, “Where did you go in Germany?” and he replied, “Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich.” When asked about Munich specifically, he said, “I went for a walking tour, visited a couple of Beer gardens, went towards Neushwanstein Castle.” The VO then requested to see the old passport again.
Travel History and Solo Trip Matter
The officer also asked about his December 2019 travel, and he responded, “Backpacking through Amsterdam, Berlin, Prague and Budapest.” When asked about his income, he said, “X LPA plus benefits from the school.” The VO questioned who he was traveling with, and he replied, “I’m travelling alone,” adding, “I’ve been backpacking for the last 7 years.” Regarding previous US visa applications, he explained, “No,” clarifying that although a DS-160 form was filled in 2016 for a school-planned trip, he had not attended biometrics or an interview. The VO asked him to place the four fingers of his right hand on the machine and then said, “Your visa has been approved. Have a good day.”
The applicant noted that most of the conversation revolved around his travel history, and traveling alone did not affect the outcome. His visa status online showed as issued shortly after the interview. Sharing advice for future applicants, he said, “There’s no guarantee whether the Visa will be approved or not. There was a gentleman who got approved for B1/B2 without any travel history. A lot of rejections irrespective of whether it was a family or individuals. Sometimes it may depend on who you get as the VO. There was a lady that barely rejected any. Key is to put correct information in the DS 160, be confident and answer truthfully. Most don’t even look at documents. Only the form replies. All the best to everyone applying.”
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