Indian man with ₹20 lakh savings denied US tourist visa: ‘You said your parents don’t know English…’

A 36-year-old Delhi professional has expressed bewilderment over the reason he was denied a US tourist visa. Speaking about his experience at the US Embassy in New Delhi on Reddit, he claimed that he and his elderly parents were denied US tourist visas “without being given a fair chance to explain their ties and travel plans.”

“No questions were asked about our jobs, about our ties back home, previous travel, nothing,” the person said, despite what he described as clear proof of financial stability.

“B2 Visa Delhi: Rejected, 214b,” the individual posted.

What is a US B2 Visa?

According to the US Bureau of Consular Affairs, the B2 visa is intended for tourism-related travel. It allows visitors to enter the United States for holidays, to meet family or friends, seek medical treatment, or take part in social events.

What does a visa denial under INA Section 214(b) mean?

A refusal under Section 214(b) means the applicant did not convince the consular officer that they qualified for the nonimmigrant visa category or failed to overcome the legal presumption of intending to immigrate.

Importantly, this refusal is not permanent. Applicants may file a fresh application if they believe their circumstances or supporting evidence have changed.

Can applicants reapply after a 214(b) refusal?

Yes. A new application can be submitted, but approval depends on whether the applicant can present stronger evidence of their ties to their home country and eligibility for the visa.

What happened during the visa interview?

The 36-year-old applicant, who works as the operations head of an IT company earning ₹15 lakh per annum, said he had over ₹20 lakh in savings and investments. His parents, both in their seventies, earn ₹8 lakh and ₹7.5 lakh per year respectively as client managers at a publishing company, and together the family maintains savings of over ₹50 lakh in addition to property ownership.

Here's the post

The family had planned a two-week Christmas vacation across New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, with hotel bookings and an itinerary prepared.

After greeting the officer and explaining that his parents were not fluent in English, a Hindi translator was called in. But midway, the officer remarked, “You said your parents don’t know English, and your mother is speaking fine.” Soon after, the interview was cut short, and the family was handed refusal slips under Section 214(b).

How did social media users react?

An individual wrote, “I don't know why you were rejected. I would just note that what we in the third world believe is sufficient savings might not be impressive or strong for a consular officer. 20 lakh+ in savings is not impressive.”

The OP responded, “Not true… people I know with 10 lakh savings have been approved too. Also, I was going for a vacation, not to settle there. And combined with my parents, that's 70-80 lakhs. How much more does one need?”

Another added, “It’s honestly arbitrary at the moment. All of us on this sub and elsewhere trying to make sense of what works and what doesn’t is, in my opinion, pointless and a completely futile exercise. The ‘system’, if we can call it that, isn’t really functioning with fairness or just treatment of the applicants as its priority. So I wouldn’t think much about what you could have done differently because frankly, there’s nothing wrong with your app or background, and no one should have to feel that they need to be a certain way, lead a certain life, or project themselves in a certain way to appease the whims of some random guy at an embassy. Of course, I understand that this ordeal has led to some unavoidable hassle and loss of money (visa cost). But there are lots of other nice places to go on holiday. As you already have a Schengen travel exp, you can always choose to visit Europe or other countries in the east.”