‘Why have you traveled to China’: Indian family with an infant denied US visa for a vacation
Amid several accounts of B1/B2 visa denials for Indian travelers this year, one account stood out as the woman pointed out a particular question that she and her husband were asked during their visa interview. The woman narrated her interview experience on Reddit and clarified that her husband and she applied for a tourist visa as they were planning for a US vacation trip with their infant.The husband and the wife were asked the general question about whether they had any fear to return to India, a question that every visa applicant gets asked to ensure that they won’t be claiming asylum once they enter the US. When asked, they told the visa officer that their budget for the US trip was Rs 15 lakh and they were planning the trip with a travel agent. They informed the visa officer about their job, positions and experience. They also disclosed their travel history to Australia, Thailand, Maldives and Bali.“Why have you traveled to China?” the visa officer asked the husband. The man replied that it was a work visit and his office is headquartered in China.This was more or less the end of the interview. The visa officer asked two more questions: whether they have only one child and whether they have anyone living in the US. They said they had only one child and no one in the US and they were planning to stay in hotels.Their visa was denied. The Redditor sought help in understanding why their visas were denied.
Redditors point out vague answers, clear immigrant intent
Redditors pointed out that while it is more common to get a US B1/B2 visa denied on the first attempt, there were probably many red flags in this particular case. They said it is unlikely for an Indian family with an infant to plan a US trip unless they know someone there. The answers should have more specific itineraries like the names of the hotels they were planning to stay at and the places they were planning to visit, one said. Also, the involvement of a travel agent seemed a red flag to many. “You should mention where you want to stay (specific name of the hotel), for how long (specific date), the details of your itinerary (example: you want to go to NYC to see the Empire State Building, Brooklyn Bridge etc). otherwise, the officer would think you’re a potential illegal immigrant,” one suggested.“While it’s already difficult to get a visa, working for a “Chinese” company doesn’t help too in these times,” another wrote.
