A software engineer from India has ignited a conversation on Reddit by recounting their experience during a short U.S. student visa interview, which concluded with an F-1 visa denial under Section 214(b). This left the applicant perplexed about the reasons for the refusal.
In a post, the person mentioned that the interview lasted only “a minute or two” and noted that the consular officer did not inquire about financial status, family connections, employment, or plans after graduation before issuing the denial.
Candidate’s interview lasted barely a minute or two
“Hi everyone, I was refused an F-1 visa under 214(b) today, and I’m genuinely struggling to understand why. The interview lasted barely a minute or two, and I wasn’t asked about my finances, family, employment, or post-graduation plans,” the Redditor stated. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of user’s claim on Reddit.
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The applicant stated that they had received admission to the University of Maryland, College Park, for a Master of Science in Computer Science program commencing on August 31. As per the post, the student’s father was financing the education, supported by an approved education loan of around $58,800 (equivalent to ₹50 lakhs).
“Here’s my profile: University: University of Maryland, College Park, Program: MS in Computer Science, Program start: August 31, Funding: Father is my sponsor. ₹50 lakh education loan sanctioned.”
The person mentioned that they are currently employed remotely from India as a software engineer for a company based in San Francisco. They also noted that their employment is set to conclude on July 17, prior to the commencement of the master’s program, and that they possess a letter from their employer, stating there is “no intent to employ me during or after my studies.”
Here’s what visa officer asked and how the candidate responded
Reflecting on the interview, the applicant recalled that the visa officer initially posed a standard inquiry regarding their willingness or fear of returning to India.
The applicant answered, “No.”
The officer subsequently inquired, “Why UMD?”
“I chose UMD because it aligns closely with my research interests in computer vision. The program offers specialized electives in AI and computer vision, and its research labs match the areas I want to explore during my master’s,” the student responded.
According to the post, that was the sole academic inquiry made before the conclusion of the interview.
The officer subsequently urged the candidate to place one hand for fingerprinting. The VO then typed for a brief period, provided the applicant with the 214(b) refusal document, and informed that visa has been denied.
The applicant, who mentioned being the only child with both parents residing in India, expressed their desire to comprehend the factors that might have contributed to the decision.
“I’m not looking for sympathy. I genuinely want to understand what may have raised concerns. Since the interview was so short, I’m finding it difficult to identify what I should improve before reapplying,” the post read.
The user ended by inquiring if others had faced comparable refusals. “Has anyone experienced a similar 214(b) refusal after such a brief interview? If you were able to get approved on a subsequent attempt, what did you change?” they asked.
Redditors react
The post received a significant number of responses, with various Reddit users proposing that the applicant’s remote work for a U.S.-based company might have impacted the visa officer’s evaluation.
“Look, your remote work arrangement with a US employer is a red flag for the consulate. It shows two things: one, that you have contacts in the US who can offer you employment with the right skills; and two, that you’re still working for them and only started recently. As others have said here, what if you continued working for them while receiving your salary in an Indian account? It also comes across as a way to bypass $100k fee by your US company. The consular officer just needs reasonable belief one way or another. Honestly, I don’t see your profile getting approved. If I were you, I would simply get a master’s degree in India and keep the job I have,” one person said.
Meanwhile, other suggested the Redditor to not quit their job.
“Don’t leave your job. Hang on to it. You also saved yourself a lot of worries of taking loan, spending money on your masters, not being able to find job, H1 worries etc. Pivot to something different and be good at the field you are in. The older path of going to US for Masters is increasingly painful,” another stated.
“Why dont you just very hard for next 6 months in your job so that they will to sponser your h1b?” a third user wrote.
