A young Indian researcher’s account of being denied B1/B2 visa at the Embassy in New Delhi has gone viral. The researcher was rejected for a visa over Section 214(b). The applicant, a research associate at a reputed Indian university, was scheduled to present their work at a prestigious international conference in the United States later this year. The conference, backed by a government-affiliated agency in India, was to serve as a platform for expert feedback ahead of the research’s national deployment.But the experience at the visa interview, as described in a detailed firsthand account, left the applicant shocked.
Applicant’s visa interview experience
“I had my interview at the US Embassy in New Delhi this morning, and what happened purely disappointed me,” the researcher wrote. “This system is supposed to determine who gets and doesn’t get a visa. But I wasn’t even allowed to fully explain my case.”
According to the post, the visa officer asked just four questions: why the applicant was traveling, their annual income, job title, and a brief description of the research. When the applicant attempted to clarify that their trip was fully funded by their institute and that they were obligated to return for ongoing national-level work, the officer allegedly cut them off mid-sentence and handed them a visa denial under Section 214(b).
Section 214(b) is often used to deny visas on the grounds that applicants have not demonstrated sufficient ties to their home country to guarantee their return. But in this case, the researcher said they had provided proof of institutional affiliation, a government-backed deployment project scheduled post-trip, and were not even paying for the travel themselves.
“I was never even asked about how I’m funding my trip, or how long I plan to stay, questions that other candidates were being asked,” the post said. “It felt like the officer didn’t care enough to listen. I had all the credentials, a compelling reason to return, and was representing India on a global stage. What more was I supposed to prove?”
“This is usual now”
Netizens poured in their comments on the post. A user noted, “Seems like, they purely decided this on annual CTC. Anything below 15 lpa is a grey zone for them.” “The officer likely felt you didn’t demonstrate strong enough personal or professional ties to guarantee your return to India, especially since corporate backing carries more weight than lesser-known government affiliations, and being unmarried can be a red flag,” added another.
A netizen claimed, “If you think there were no sufficient reasons for denying you can reapply in any other consulate. I also had to go for confernce last year. My visa was rejected in Hyderabad but next week it got accepted in Mumbai. Sometimes it’s arbitrary.” “Go through your DS-160 & check whether all the information in the form was in line with your answers? Any incorrect information is considered mis-representation of facts and leads to Denial under 214b,” another suggested.