US denies B1/B2 visa to Indian techie with ₹1 crore salary, 8-month-old daughter ‘in less than a minute’
B1/B2 visa: An Indian tech worker claims in a Reddit post that US has rejected his travel visa for a conference despite a solid background and travel history.
An Indian tech worker's plan to travel to the US for a significant industry gathering was cut short when the US Embassy in New Delhi denied his B1/B2 visa in less than a minute. The senior technical lead, who focuses on Cloud Native platforms, opened up about his experience on Reddit, which immediately caught the eye of other IT community members. However, HT.com cannot independently verify the authenticity of his claims.

B1/B2 visa: Indian techie opens up about his experience
In the post, the tech professional wrote: “I had my B1/B2 visa interview at the US Embassy today in Delhi, and I was rejected in less than a minute after just three questions. I’m trying to understand what went wrong and how I can improve for next time.”
According to him, the officer inquired about his reason for traveling, his prior international travels, and whether he had any family or acquaintances in the US.
He further revealed that he was interested in traveling to the US to take part in Kubecon + CloudNative Con 2025 conference in Atlanta, Georgia. “I am a senior tech lead at a company and my day-to-day work is on Cloud Native technologies. It is important that I attend this conference to stay up to date on the latest events or movements in this field.”
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Indian techie's travel history and job profile
During the interview, he provided details about his travel history to Lithuania, the Maldives, and Indonesia. He, however, said, “No,” when asked if he had any family or friends in the United States. He received a 214(b) refusal slip shortly after.
With a solid professional and personal background, the candidate said he was taken aback by the prompt denial. “I’m employed in India with a stable job for the last 11 years. I make close to a crore annually and have an eight-month-old daughter, so I had very strong motivations to come back to India,” he wrote.
He went on to say that he had made reservations for the Atlanta conference and hotel rooms and had created an extensive schedule. “The conference wasn’t available for live streaming, so I had planned everything to attend it in person,” he stated.
Later on, he asked users on the forum about the cause of his rejection, seeking suggestions regarding what steps he should follow before reapplying.
A visa is a privilege, not a right, and can be refused or canceled if the officer has reason to believe that the applicant is dishonest or unreliable, according to the US Department of State. Under this clause, rejection may result from even minor discrepancies or alleged lapses in ties to the nation of origin.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShweta KukretiShweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

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