Background

•	Joint applicants — husband and wife, both 28  
•	Married for 2 years  
•	Purpose: Attending a cousin’s wedding + leisure travel (New York & Washington DC)  
•	Cousin (the bride/groom) is a US citizen  
•	Consulate: Mumbai  
•	Slot: 7:30 AM (earliest slot)  
•	Visa type: B1/B2 Visitor Visa  
•	Result: ✅ APPROVED

Timeline

According to me the best time for visa interview is Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday at 7.15am to 7. 50 am.

Mine was Tuesday 7.30 slot. Spoiler Alert: we were second in the line.

•	6:30 AM — Reached the consulate. Waited outside for \~30 minutes  
•	7:00 AM — Entered the consulate  
•	\~8:00 AM — Out with an approval. Total time inside: \~1 hour

The Process

Phone deposit: First thing — you hand over your phones. They charge ₹100 per phone. Keep cash handy.

Security: Full airport-style security. Frisking, bag scan, the works.

The waiting room: Queue up by language : English, Marathi, and Gujarati were the three main lines. If your language isn’t listed, just tell the staff and they’ll direct you. We picked English and were second in line.

At the window: One counter was open for English. The person ahead of us was on a B1/B2 business trip, she got approved too. Good omen. But the lady behind me who went to the next counter, who spoke confidently (yes I eves dropped 😁) still got rejected.

The Interview

We were nervous going in. But honestly? Incredibly smooth.

The VO opened with what felt like standard questions for everyone:

•	“***Do you perceive any threat to yourself in India?”***  
***•	“Are you worried about any threat once you return?”***

We said no to both.

Then: “What is the purpose of your visit?”

We said we’re attending a cousin’s wedding and plan to travel to New York and Washington DC afterward.

Brief two-minute pause, then he turned to my wife and asked about her employer (she works at a well-known American company) and what her role was. She answered clearly and confidently.

Then to me: “It’s your cousin’s marriage, right? What does your cousin do?”

Short, direct answer.

Final question: “Do you have anyone else in the US?”

Mentioned my brother and his wife are in California and will also be at the wedding. Clarified we have no other immediate family in the US.

He picked up our passports, set them aside, asked us to validate biometrics, and said:

“Congratulations. Your visa has been approved. You’ll receive it in 7 business days.”

No document check. No financial questions. Nothing dramatic.

Documents Carried

We carried a full set but weren’t asked for any of it — the interview alone did the work. Sharing for reference:

•	✅ DS-160 confirmation + appointment confirmation  
•	✅ Marriage certificate  
•	✅ 3 months payslips (both applicants)  
•	✅ 3 months bank account statements (both applicants)  
•	✅ Wedding invite letter + Wedding invitation card  
•	✅ Employment letter + NOC for 2 weeks of travel (both applicants)  
•	✅ Previous passports (carried for my application)  
•	✅ Passport copy of cousin + her parents (US citizens) — kept as a safety document, not asked for

Key Takeaways

1.	Strong ties matter — Specific event, clear return plan, lives rooted in India  
2.	Know your story cold — Questions about your host and your own job came up casually but needed crisp answers  
3.	Having a US citizen host helps (Not really sure but I feel it added confidence) — Cousin being a citizen likely added credibility to the visit purpose  
4.	Joint applications are fine — No extra scrutiny for being a couple  
5.	Mumbai consulate is efficient — In and out in an hour, staff were organized and professional

Happy to answer any questions in the comments. Best of luck to everyone waiting — it’s really not as scary as the internet makes it out to be! 🙏