MUMBAI – A young doctor from Mumbai is trying to figure out why her application for a U.S. B1/B2 tourist visa was turned down without warning. The 26-year-old, who is a first-year postgraduate resident, went on Reddit to talk about her interview, which she thinks was simple but concluded with a refusal. The instance shows how hard it is for many people from India to get a visa, especially when the process doesn’t always seem to have clear reasons for why people are turned down.
The applicant, who has traveled to about ten countries, including well-known tourist spots in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa, was astonished by the outcome. She said that her parents already have valid U.S. B1/B2 visas and that she was going on vacation with her family.
The visa officer asked her normal questions about why she was traveling and what she did for a living. She said that she was traveling for fun and that her family goes on overseas trips every two years. She also said that her sister is a second-year college student in the U.S.
She said she was a “practicing physician” and that she made ₹8 lakh a year when asked about her job. But afterward, she said that there might be a problem with her application. The doctor filled out two DS-160 forms: one during a year off when she was prepping for examinations and another after she got her residency. In the second form, she changed her job and income information, but she also brought papers that revealed she had ₹20 lakh in investments and savings, which may have been at odds with her claimed yearly income of ₹8 lakh.
She asked a lot of questions on Reddit, like if she should have said her income was ₹20 lakh instead of ₹8 lakh, or if it was a mistake to say she was going to travel with her family. She also wondered why she had chosen to call herself a “doctor” instead of a “PG student” on the form.
The U.S. Embassy usually denies B1/B2 visas using Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which assumes that every applicant is a “intending immigrant” until they can prove otherwise. Applicants must show that they have strong ties to their home country, including a steady career, family, or property, that would make them want to go back after their trip. The doctor’s travel history and familial ties may seem good at first, but any discrepancies or lack of clarity in an interview or application can make a consular officer suspicious. They have a lot of power to make the final decision. The applicant’s two DS-160 forms and the fact that her reported salary and financial records don’t line up could be a grounds for the denial.