An Indian tech worker’s plan to attend an industry conference in the United States was thwarted in less than a minute when the US embassy in Delhi rejected his B1/B2 visa after asking the applicant just three questions.
A senior technical leader who focuses on Cloud Native platforms took to Reddit to share his experience and ask for advice on how to avoid a similar situation in the future. The post immediately caught the attention of other members of the IT community who wanted to understand the cause of the immediate rejection, reported HT.
In a post on Reddit, the tech professional wrote, “Today I had a B1/B2 visa interview at the US Embassy in Delhi and was rejected in less than a minute after only three questions. Trying to understand what went wrong and how I can improve for next time.”
What happened at the consulate?
The applicant described the interview process and the quick rejection. He said the officer asked him just three questions, including the reason for his trip, his previous international travels and whether he had any family or acquaintances in the US.
He further revealed that he is interested in traveling to the US to attend Kubecon + CloudNative Con 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. “I’m a technical lead at the company and my day-to-day work is on cloud-native technologies. It’s important for me to attend this conference to stay up-to-date on the latest events or movements in the field,” he told the officer, according to his post.
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He also confirmed his travel history to Lithuania, the Maldives, and Indonesia, but said “No” when asked if he had any family or friends in America. He received a 214(b) denial shortly after the interview.
Applicant’s background
The technical lead expressed his surprise at the quick rejection, citing his solid professional and personal background that gave him a compelling reason to return to India. “I have been employed in India with a stable job for the past 11 years. I earn close to a million a year and have an eight-month-old daughter, so I had a very strong motivation to return to India,” he told HT.
He also mentioned that he prepared for the event well in advance as it was not available for live broadcast. The conference was not available for live streaming, so I planned everything to attend in person,” he said, noting that Atlanta conference reservations, hotel rooms and an extensive schedule were in place.
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In the end, he asked other Reddit users on the forum about the possible reason for his rejection and sought suggestions on what steps he should take before applying for the visa again, HT reported.
What is a B1/B2 visa?
The B1 visa is intended for short business trips such as conferences, meetings and contract negotiations. B1 visa holders cannot work in the US in the traditional sense, however holders can apply for work in the US and participate in interviews.
While the B2 or tourist visa is for purposes such as tourism, vacation or visiting friends and family. It also covers some medical treatments and participation in social events. In most cases, the B1/B2 visa is issued together, allowing the holder to travel for both business and tourism.
The US State Department firmly states that a visa is a privilege, not a right, and can be denied or revoked if the official has reason to believe that the applicant is dishonest or unreliable. Under this clause, an application may be rejected even for minor irregularities or alleged lapses in ties to the country of origin.
