B1/B2 visa news: A 22-year-old woman from Mumbai recently shared her experience of obtaining a B1/B2 visa for herself and her maternal grandmother, in a post on Reddit. The duo had a strong travel history, with the grandmother holding multiple Schengen and UK visas. Despite reaching the Visa Application Centre (VAC) 45 minutes late for biometrics on 22 July 2025, the process took only 15 minutes, which she described as “literally only 15 mins job, easy.”
For the interview on 7 August 2025 at the Mumbai consulate, the applicant arrived 1.5 hours early. “Everyone told me to go early, you’ll get done early,” she said. At the embassy, she joined the Marathi translator line for her grandmother, noting that other language lines, such as Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and English, were extremely long.
Smooth Interview With Friendly Officer
During the interview, the applicant shared a detailed interaction with the consular officer (VO):
VO: Hello, good morning.
Me: Good morning, officer.
Translator: I’ll be asking a few questions. Who is X and who is X? (asking identities for the student and grandmother)
Me: I’ll be speaking in English, she will speak in Marathi.
VO: What is your purpose of visit?
Translator: (repeats same)
Me: Tourism.
VO: How many days?
Me: 14.
VO: Have you travelled anywhere else before?
Me: Yes, last was Italy, UAE, Thailand, and my granny has visited all European countries.
VO: What do you do?
Me: I’m a medical student in my final year.
VO: Who is going to sponsor?
Me: My mother.
VO: What does she do?
Me: She is a corporator, in America they call it ‘alderman’ or ‘council woman’.
Translator: Your visa has been approved.
Me and granny: Thank you!!
Positive Experience Stands Out Amid Busy Embassy
The Reddit poster noted that the VO was “really sweet lady, smiling face and good attitude compared to the other cubicles where officers were literally rejecting so many!!” She added that it was surprising that the officer allowed her to answer on behalf of her grandmother.
The post has resonated with many Reddit users, who appreciated the detailed guidance and encouragement for first-time applicants navigating the US visa process in India.
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