A 36-year-old Mumbai-based corporate professional has shared a detailed account of his recent B1/B2 visa interview experience in Delhi, only to face an unexpected rejection despite what he believed was a strong profile.
The applicant, who works as a senior brand manager for a listed real estate developer and earns an annual income of Rs. 20 lakhs, had prepared extensively for the interview, even consulting AI tools like ChatGPT. “ChatGPT estimated my chances of approval at 80-90%, and I was confident. My profile is clean,” he wrote in a Reddit post.
His appointment at the US Embassy was scheduled for 10:40 AM, but he reached the venue by 10 AM and waited over an hour in the sun. He observed that while late arrivals were being accommodated, early entry was not permitted. He also noted the presence of locker facilities, contrary to common online claims that no such options exist nearby.
In an unusual observation, he recounted witnessing a minor being asked for their Snapchat and Instagram IDs. “His father responded saying it’s not allowed in school. This was rare; only one officer asked this out of 20 interviews I overheard,” he wrote, requesting future applicants to be prepared for social media scrutiny.
What happened during the interview?
During his interview, the man shared that he intended to travel to New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and visit a cousin in Texas between September 19 and 29. However, his DS-160 form only mentioned Texas as the destination, and the listed travel dates were outdated, errors he assumed were minor based on online advice.
When asked about his travel history, he mentioned previous visits to the UAE, Turkey, Oman, and Thailand. Despite this, the interviewing officer promptly informed him that his visa could not be approved and that he was free to reapply. “I don’t know what went wrong,” he concluded in his post, expressing disappointment and confusion over the rejection.
‘Why are you using ChatGPT?’
Netizens are pouring their opinion on the post. A user asked, “Why are people relying on ChatGPT to tell them their chances?. NOBODY nor no program can accurately predict an applicants chances. All applicants have a chance at denial.”
Another noted, “Why did you even add your cousin’s name as a sibling? Appearing to have any immediate relative living in the US will weigh down your chances of approval. You could have said that you are making plans on your own to go sightseeing and maybe stop and see a friend or two if you have the time.”
“Can see a lot of red flags in your profile. Other people have been rejected with stronger profiles than yours,” noted a user. “
” It’s your interview prep , clearly you didn’t present your case well , your answer is all over the place , and I can only imagine what it must be like. Keep it concise, to the point and provide all relevant info. You should have used chat gpt for preparing answers , not for tell you percentage,” wrote a netizen.
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