r/visainterviews

📍 Location: New Delhi, India
🧾 Visa Type: F-1
❌ Result: Denied under Section 214(b)

👤 Profile
Program: Carnegie Mellon University – MS in Computer Science
Intended intake: Fall 2026 (considering deferral to Fall 2027)

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Why do you want to pursue a master’s?
Me: For the last two years I’ve been actively involved in research, and this feels like the perfect next step for me.
VO: How is your program funded?
Me: By my family, primarily my father.
VO: What does he do?
Me: Explained our family business.
VO: Which college did you complete your undergrad from?
Me: Mentioned my undergraduate college.
VO: (Takes fingerprints) Sorry, I’m not able to approve your visa today.
Me: Received the 214(b) refusal slip.

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Professional and brief.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
The applicant is looking to connect with anyone who has experienced the same path: F-1 refusal → one-year deferral → successful approval after reapplying.
Also asked whether applying for a new visa interview in December/January for a Fall 2027 start would be too early.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/UAjs9Zwzog

Note: original post is from r/usvisascheduling and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

📍 Location: New Delhi, India
📅 Interview Date: 9 October 2025
🧾 Visa Type: B1/B2 (Tourist)
❌ Result: Denied under Section 214(b)

👤 Profile
Country of residence: India
Purpose of travel: Tourism
Planned trip: 12-day itinerary covering New York, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles
Travel history: No prior international travel
Sponsor: Self-sponsored (for both applicant and spouse)
Notes:
First international trip
Employer-approved leave
Sufficient funds, mutual fund investments, and PPF investments

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Why do you want to travel to the U.S.?
Me: Our purpose was purely tourism. This would be our first international trip, and I wanted to gift my wife a memorable vacation. We had a detailed itinerary, and my leave was already approved by my employer.
VO: How much do you make?
Me: I shared my income details and explained that I had sufficient funds and investments, so the trip would not be a financial burden.
VO: Who is sponsoring your trip?
Me: I am sponsoring the entire trip for both of us.
VO: Do you have any prior international travel history?
Me: No, this would be our first international trip.

📄 Documents Requested:
Passport
Biometric fingerprint verification

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Professional
Interview lasted approximately 1.5 minutes

💡 What Helped:
Smooth biometric and interview process
Clear and honest answers

⚠️** What Hurt**:
Refused under Section 214(b)
No questions were asked about ties to India or family, employment, and other circumstances before the decision.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
Although the refusal was disappointing, the applicant respects the visa process and understands the officer’s responsibility. They felt there was little opportunity to explain their strong ties to India but remain positive and plan to continue traveling and creating new experiences.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/b7OvznS538

Note: original post is from r/usvisascheduling and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

Visa Type: F1

❌ Result: Denied under Section 214(b) – Islamabad

👤 Profile
First-time applicant
MS Marketing, Georgia State University
Fully self-funded (father sponsoring, ~$72k liquid savings)
Undergrad: Management Sciences

Ran my own clothing brand during undergrad, plus a marketing internship

Travel History: Indonesia

Sponsor: Father (Head Civil Engineer, govt department)

🎯 Interview Questions

VO: Why GSU?
Me: Explained I ran a clothing brand in undergrad and closed it after realizing I lacked brand management and digital marketing skills. GSU’s program has consulting projects with brands, a consumer insights lab, and also offers digital marketing certification apart from degree. Said I want to return to Pakistan better equipped for the marketing industry there.

VO: What are your plans after graduation?
Me: Said I plan to start my own marketing agency in Pakistan since I see a gap in social media marketing for brands back home.

VO: Who is sponsoring you?
Me: My father

VO: What does he do?

Me: He’s a head civil engineer in a government department. Said he also has private property as backup if needed

No documents requested.

⚠️** What Confused Me**:
Has anyone else gotten BOTH slips at Islamabad? Everyone I know got only the yellow one. Does the white slip mean something specific, like funding or credibility, or do they just hand out both sometimes? Trying to understand what exactly went wrong before I reapply.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
Kicking myself because my father actually has $72k saved for me which covers the whole program, but I never said the number and she never asked. I think my marketing agency answer hurt me too. Planning to reapply with properly presented answers and letter of interest from a company I interned at.

Is it better to wait for Spring or just re-apply now? The only issue is that I don’t think there’s anything drastic that I have to change, except my answer presentation and a concrete job offer/letter of interest.

Any insight on the two-slip thing or reapplying at Islamabad after this would really help.

Hey everyone,

I previously got refused under 214(b) at the US Embassy. I've now booked a new interview slot and am applying again — but here's the thing: nothing has fundamentally changed. Same university, same Cost of Attendance (COA), same overall profile.

In my last interview, the officer's main concern was straightforward: my degree took 7 years instead of the usual duration, and I explained it was due to COVID-related delays. They clearly didn't buy that explanation, and I got refused.

This time around, I've tried to address that specific concern head-on. I now have:

• An official letter from my university explaining/confirming the extended degree duration
• A LOR (Letter of Recommendation)
• 2 RA (Research Assistant) offer/appointment letters from professors at the university I'm going to

My worry is that interviews are fast — I won't get much time to re-explain everything I already said last time. So my question is:

Is this documentation enough to demonstrate a legitimate change/clarification since my last refusal, or will the officer likely see this as "nothing new" and refuse again under 214(b)?

Has anyone been in a similar situation — same school, same funding, but with added proof for a specific red flag — and gotten approved on a second attempt? Would appreciate any real experiences or advice on how to present this concisely if I only get 60-90 seconds to make my case.

Thanks in advance 🙏

📍 Location: New Delhi, India
📅 Interview Date: 21 April 2026
🧾 Visa Type: F-1

✅ Result: Approved (after 221(g) administrative processing)

👤 Profile
University: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Program: Bachelor of Science in Data Science

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Please pass your passport and I-20.
Me: Handed over the documents.
VO: Why this university?
Me: The University of Wisconsin–Madison has a strong foundation in statistics and computer science, which are core to data science. I also value the structured progression where I can complete prerequisite coursework before formally declaring the major, allowing me to build a solid base before specializing.
VO: Did you apply elsewhere?
Me: Yes, I applied to Purdue University, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and University of Maryland, College Park.
VO: How many admits?
Me: I received admits from all of them.
VO: Purdue is a great university — why not Purdue?
Me: At Purdue, my offer was for Business Analytics, whereas at UW–Madison I received Data Science, which is a more technical and statistically grounded program. It aligns better with my academic background and my goal of working in data-driven consulting and insurance analytics.

📄 Documents Requested:
Passport
I-20

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Typed for approximately 30–45 seconds before giving instructions.

💡 What Helped:
Same-day compliance with the 221(g) instructions to set all social media accounts to public and unarchive all posts.

🙏 Final Thoughts:
The visa officer issued a 221(g) and instructed: “Once you get your phone, set all your social media to public and unarchive all posts.”
Same day: CEAC status changed to Approved.
Next day: Status updated to Issued.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/QFcYnjAGQj

Note: original post is from r/usvisascheduling and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

Hey guys, I need some help regarding my US visa interview.
I already submitted my DS-160 form, but after submitting it, I wasn’t able to print or download the completed application, so I couldn’t verify whether all my details were correct.
I went ahead and paid the visa fee using that DS-160 confirmation number and booked my appointments. My OFC appointment is on 10th July, and my visa interview is on 30th July.
Now I’m worried because I want to check whether my social media handles were entered correctly in the DS-160, but I have no way to verify them.
Should I fill out a new DS-160 form? If I do, the confirmation number will be different from the one I used to book my appointments.
Has anyone been in a similar situation? What should I do? My OFC appointment is only 6 days away, so I’m getting a bit stressed. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[supprimé]

Hi everyone,

​I’m looking to connect with anyone who interviewed for an F1 visa in June at the New Delhi Embassy and got hit with a 221(g) administrative processing delay—specifically those who had their passports returned and were asked for additional documents.

​My classes start soon, and I am getting incredibly anxious tracking the CEAC portal. Here is my exact timeline so far:

​June 17: Interview at New Delhi Embassy (8 AM slot). VO retained my passport and handed me a 221(g) slip. Portal changed to "Refused" (Case Last Updated: June 17).

​June 23: Passport was unexpectedly couriered back to my house with a new 221(g) slip (dated June 18) requesting a printed document containing all my social media URLs.

​June 24: Submitted the social media document along with passport at the Kolkata VAC.

​June 26 (Friday): Document delivered to the New Delhi Embassy around 10 AM. Portal status shifted from "Refused" to Administrative Processing (Case Last Updated: June 26).

​June 30: Case Last Updated date changed again, but status is still Administrative Processing.

​July 2 (Today): No updates since June 30.

​My file was clearly "touched" on June 30, but it hasn't flipped to Approved yet.

​For those in a similar boat or who have cleared this recently:

1. ​How long did it take for your status to switch to "Approved" / "Issued" after your last date update?

2. Any recent New Delhi F1 success stories to help calm my nerves?

​Appreciate any insights or timelines you can share. Good luck to everyone waiting!

My classes for undergrad start on AUG 20. Also I read through a few threads and a lot of people mentioned that they made a social media list for their interview( if so what all social media should I put on there? On the DS160 I put my instagram up) Also please do mention any other possible docs I would need for the interview as I need to prepare those before I go back to India. Advice would be appreciated:)

Guys i got an interview slot (im indian) finally. But it’s sometime mid September and my program starts mid August.

Idk what to do, should I use the emergency reschedule. Is education even a valid reason for that?
Or if i get rejected from the emergency thing, does it jeopardise my current slot.

I don’t want to miss week of welcome at my uni and the classes 😭 I definitely don’t want to miss a semester. I’m going for undergrad for context.

Lowkey freaking out
Any advice is appreciated

I had my F-1 visa interview for a master's program and was denied the first time. I reapplied 6 months later and was approved. I wanted to share what I changed because I know many people are in the same situation.

My first attempt:
I was 23 years old, had just graduated from college, and was not working at the time. My parents were funding my education. I had no property and no international travel history.
The first interview was very short. The officer asked me why I chose the university and what my plans were after graduation. I said I wanted to come back to India and work for a multinational company. The officer denied me under 214(b) and said I did not show strong ties to India.

Here is what I changed for my second attempt:

1. I got a full time job. I worked as a junior engineer at a local firm for 6 months before reapplying. I brought an employment letter and pay stubs.
2. I researched my program more deeply. Instead of saying it was a good program, I mentioned two specific courses and one professor whose work I was interested in.
3. I changed my post graduation answer. Instead of a vague multinational company, I said I wanted to return to my current employer in a senior role. I had a letter from my manager supporting this.
4. I added my name to my parents' property documents. It took about 3 months to process.
5. I traveled to Thailand for a week to build some international travel history.

The second interview:
The officer asked me similar questions but seemed more interested when I talked about my job. When I explained how the degree would help me advance at my current company, the officer nodded. I showed the property documents and the officer looked at them. The visa was approved in about 6 minutes.

The biggest lesson I learned is that the officer wants to see actual evidence, not just promises. A job and property made my ties real instead of hypothetical.

📍 Location: India

🧾 Visa Type: F-1

❌ Result: Denied under 214(b)

👤 Profile
University: University of Maryland, College Park
Program: MS in Computer Science
Program Start: August 31
Funding:
Father is the sponsor
₹50 lakh education loan sanctioned
Occupation:
Software engineer working remotely from India for a San Francisco-based company
Employment ends July 17 before starting the master’s program
Employer provided a letter stating there is no intent to employ the applicant during or after studies
Family in the US: Not mentioned
Notes:
Only child
Parents live in India

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Standard question about whether I was afraid or unwilling to return to India.
Me: “No.”
VO: Why UMD?
Me: “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.”

📄 Documents Requested:
Fingerprints only

🔥 Officer Demeanor:
Interview lasted about 1–2 minutes
Officer typed for a few seconds after the final answer, handed over the 214(b) refusal sheet, and ended the interview

🙏 Final Thoughts:
Applicant is seeking to understand what may have led to the refusal since there were no questions about finances, family, employment, or post-graduation plans, and is looking for advice before reapplying.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/s/jrv6spvQ45

Note: original post is from r/usvisascheduling and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.

My parents and my brother applied for the visa and my parents got accepted but unfortunately my brother’s visa got rejected.
What went wrong? And Guide me for what should we be doing before reapplying.

Profile : Both parents doing business since last 25 years.
Brother working in semi government job since last 6 years and married. He applied without his wife.

Question asked :
Why you want to go to us? To meet my brother and visit ny nj places.
What does your brother do?
What do you do?
Salary?
They asked for my visa documents.

I think salary part was weak for his case as his annual salary is 6 LPA. But any other thoughts? And how to improve profile before reapplying? And when should we try again?

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

Preparing for my upcoming US F1 visa interview in Nepal and researching worst-case scenarios. If I get hit with a 221(g) "pink slip" for social media vetting (DS-5535) and financials, I know there is a 365-day rule before the application is terminated.

What is the absolute latest time you can safely submit this info to the embassy? Can you actually wait until Day 350 to send it in, or will they reject the financial documents for being too old?

Thanks!

I had my B-1/B-2 visa interview at the Hyderabad consulate last week and it was approved. I wanted to share my full experience because I know how nervous people get before these interviews.

Here is some practical information about the Hyderabad consulate that I wish I knew beforehand:
I arrived about 30 minutes before my appointment time. They don't let you join the queue earlier than that. The security check was thorough but efficient. You cannot bring any electronics inside. There is a locker facility near the consulate where you can store your phone and other belongings.
The biometrics appointment was on a different day. That process was very straightforward. They took my photo and fingerprints. The whole thing took about 20 minutes.

For the interview, the officer asked me four questions:

1. What is the purpose of your visit to the US? I said I am planning a vacation to visit my sister who lives in the US and do some sightseeing.
2. Do your parents have visas? I said yes.
3. Where do you work and how long have you been there? I answered directly.
4. What visa does your sister hold? I told them.

Then the officer said my visa was approved. The whole interview was about 4 minutes. The officer did not ask to see any of my supporting documents even though I brought everything - employment letter, bank statements, and my sister's documents.

A few things I think helped:

• I kept my answers short and direct
• I was honest and didn't add unnecessary details
• I had all my documents organized even though they weren't asked for
• I made eye contact and spoke clearly

🇺🇸 F1 Visa Denied – New Delhi, India (Questions + Experience)

📍 **Location:** New Delhi, India

🧾 **Visa Type:** F1 (Student Visa)

❌ **Result:** Denied under 214(b)

👤 **Profile**

Graduation: 2026 Winter intake

University: DePaul University

Program: MS in Information Systems

Current Status: doing job

Interview Date- 10 March 2026

Scholarship- 6000 usd

🎯 **Interview Questions**

**VO:** Why do you want to study in DePaul university?

**Me:** answer accordingly

**VO:** interrupted, what is your future goals?

**Me:** answered accordingly

📄 **Documents Requested:**

None

🔥 **Officer Demeanor:**

Female aged between 35 to 40

Interview lasted approximately 1 minutes

🙏 **Final Thoughts:**

Denied under 214(b).

Considering whether I should change the university or apply from the same university as I have offer from Illinois Institute of Technology and Rutgers University for fall 2026.

Hi everyone, I am a second year mechanical engineering student at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
I am an international student who has had the F1 visa for 4 years because I did two years of high school at a boarding school as well as two years of college.
I decided to leave the US to renew my visa for my last two years, I am Brazilian and applying through Sao Paulo.

I got two applications denied because of an MIP citation I got freshman year of college, I was 18, and I don’t know what to do to change their mind about me.
I have a decent GPA, I have a legal on campus job, I am member of a fellowship, and have been trouble free since the incident happened out of fear. No I am not in Greek Life.

The case has also been dismissed and sealed because I payed the fine and completed an alcohol education course.
I was never arrested or sent to trial, it was a mere citation.

Can somebody enlighten me about what they want so I can finish my studies?

The first interview went well and got sent to administrative processing but got denied after that. The second interview was going great, very lighthearted and relaxed, until the MIP came up on my ds-160 that I disclosed, and then he changed his demeanor and denied my visa under 214b.
I have also got recommendation letters from my supervisor and my academic advisor to advocate for my good character.

I am devastated because I love my university and humiliated because a mistake due to hanging out with the wrong crowd got my whole life messed up.

hello,

I have my f1 via interview on 7th july, new delhi. What all docs should I keep and what questions should I expect?

23M from India – What are my chances of getting a US B1/B2 tourist visa?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for an honest assessment of my chances of getting a US tourist visa approved.

Profile:

- 23-year-old single male from India

- Working as a Product Executive

- Annual CTC: ~₹10 LPA (likely to be promoted soon)

- Been with my current employer for about a year

- Personal savings: ~₹7 lakhs

- Own a house in my name (inherited)

Travel history:

- Malaysia

- Thailand

- Czech Republic

- Austria

- Italy

- Monaco

- France

- Spain

- Previously issued a UK visitor visa (couldn't travel because of work commitments)

Purpose of visit:

Planning a short trip to New York to celebrate my birthday and explore the city.

I've often heard that being young, single, and relatively early in your career can be viewed as a risk factor for US visitor visas. On the other hand, I do have a decent travel history and stable employment, so I'm not sure how my profile would realistically be viewed.

I'd really appreciate:

- An honest assessment of my chances.

- Any potential red flags in my profile.

- Tips on how I can present a stronger application or prepare for the visa interview.

I'd especially love to hear from anyone with a similar profile who has recently gone through the B1/B2 visa process.

Thanks in advance!

Body:
📍 Location: Hyderabad, India
🧾 Visa Type: B1/B2
✅ Result: Approved

👤 Profile
Country of residence: India
Applying with: Father (primary applicant) and mother (dependent)
Purpose: Tourism

🎯 Interview Questions
VO: Purpose of your visit?
Me: Explained tourism plans.
VO: What is your occupation?
Me: Detailed discussion about my work.
VO: Your income and your parents’ income?
Me: Answered using information that matched our ITRs.
VO: When will your parents retire?
Me: Answered.
VO: Which cities will you visit?
Me: Explained planned destinations.
VO: What is your duration of stay, budget, and itinerary?
Me: Answered using the printed itinerary.
VO: Do you have any relatives in the U.S.? Will you meet them? If not, why?
Me: Answered honestly.
VO: Why are you only visiting the U.S.?
Me: Explained.
VO: Have you traveled internationally before?
Me: Answered.
VO: Any previous visa refusals?
Me: Answered.

📄 Documents Requested
Current passport
2×2 U.S. visa photo
Applicant’s ITR
Parents’ ITRs
Printed travel itinerary with estimated budget

🔥 Officer Demeanor
Professional and detail-oriented.
Frequently paused to type during the interview.
Due to a technical issue, the OFC photos were unavailable, so fresh visa photos were requested before continuing the interview.
Final words: “Your visa is approved. Bubye!”

💡 What Helped
Knowing the DS-160 thoroughly.
Preparing honest, consistent answers.
Carrying supporting financial documents and a realistic itinerary.
Practicing with ChatGPT mock interviews.
Having a printed itinerary with an estimated budget.

⚠️** What Hur**t
Technical glitch caused OFC photos to be missing from the system, requiring new passport photos before the interview could continue.

🙏 Final Thoughts
Prepare more thoroughly than you expect.
Ensure every answer matches your DS-160.
Carry supporting documents even if they may not be requested.
Have a realistic itinerary and budget ready, as they may be cross-checked.

🔗 Source:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USVisas/s/93fDyngbj7

Note: original post is from r/USVisas and is not mine. This is being shared + structured for clarity.