• Source:JND
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A top Indian tech professional's plan to attend a high-profile technology conference in the United States came to a grinding halt after his B1/B2 visa was rejected at the US Embassy in New Delhi-in a matter of seconds. The applicant, earning more than Rs 1 crore per year and working as a senior technical lead on Cloud Native platforms, shared his experience on Reddit. The post has since sparked debate across the tech community.

Visa Interview That Lasted Less Than A Minute

As he describes it, the interview itself was remarkably short. The visa officer had only three routine questions to ask him:

• What is the purpose of your travel?

• Which countries have you visited so far?

• Do you have family or acquaintances in the United States?

He explained that his intention was to attend KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2025, Atlanta, Georgia, which is one of the most important gatherings on cloud engineers and platform specialists in the world. He emphasised the importance of attending the event as a way of keeping updated on fast-changing tech trends. He further mentioned that he had made trips to Lithuania, Indonesia, and the Maldives. However, to the question if he had any relatives in the US, he said “no.” Within minutes, he received a 214(b) refusal, the most common reason for US visa denials.

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What Is Section 214(b)?

Section 214(b) is applied when a consular officer believes an applicant has not proven strong enough ties to their home country. Without convincing evidence of return, the visa is denied, even if the trip is legitimate.

Tech Community Reacts

The Reddit post drew hundreds of comments from IT workers and immigration observers. Many expressed shock that a highly paid senior employee with international travel history was rejected so quickly. Others advised strengthening future applications with:

 - Proof of ongoing employment

 - Property or financial assets

 - Family responsibilities in India

 - Conference invitation documentation

The story soon spread to platforms like X, where users tied the situation to broader frustrations around US visa policies and their perceived inconsistency. 

The incident comes at a time when US visa programs, including B1/B2 visitor visas, are under greater scrutiny. Indian applicants make up a large share of non-immigrant visa seekers in tech sectors, and debates continue over preferential hiring practices.

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