VISA denied under 214(b)

[Suma gundaiah]

HI All,
I had applied for B2 (Tourism) VISA and was denied under 214(b). I was asked below questions....


1. what is the purpose for visiting US >>> ans. Tourism
2. which company i work for >>> ans ZZZ
3. what is my salary >>> ans XX lakhs
4. how long have you been with this company >> ans. close to 4 years.
5. is this your first visit to U.S >> ans. Yes
6. have you traveled outside country before >> ans. NO
7. is this a package tour >>> ans NO
8. is this a self planned trip >>> ans. YES
9. So you have never before been outside country >>> ans. YES
10. were you not sent from company before on official trips >>>> ans. NO


Thats it. no single docs asked. I was waiting to show the invite letter of my friend when asked on stay details, but I was not questioned on it. had all supporting family, financial docs.
It is a self sponsored trip, had planned to stay der for 23 days and return back. I wud be staying with my friend during the trip.


can anyone point wat cud have possibly went wrong ?
can I re-apply immediately, as i have got leaves approved from my company and nothing changes even I apply after 6 months.

[inadmissible]

You are young, single, and earn a modest salary? Those factors, in conjunction with your travel history make you a poor candidate for a tourist visa. It is nothing personal.

[Suma gundaiah]

Yes, i meet the initial question of yours.
which means things wud be same if I re-apply now or even 6 months later ? r u saying I don't stand chance anytime soon ?

[inadmissible]

To establish eligibility for a non-immigrant B-1/B-2 visa, section 101(a)(15)(B) of the Immigration and Nationality Act states:

an alien ... having a residence in a foreign country which she has no intention of abandoning and who is visiting the United States temporarily for business or temporarily for pleasure.

The burden is on the applicant to prove that she is not a wannabe illegal alien, that is, that s/he has no intention of abandoning her foreign residence.

Department of State's Foreign Affairs Manual, Volume 9, Section 41.31, states in Note 3.4:

Ties abroad: The applicant must demonstrate permanent employment, meaningful business or financial connections, close family ties, or social or cultural associations, which will indicate a strong inducement to return to the country of origin.

The kind of employment that indicates a strong inducement to return to the country of origin is employment that is lucrative and carries high social status. The kind of family ties that indicate a strong inducement to return to the country of origin are dependent ties; a spouse and school-aged children.

In the same section, Note 3.2 states:

Specific and Realistic Plans: The applicant must have specific and realistic plans for the entire period of the contemplated visit.

You applied for a B-2 visa. So the consular officer already knew you wanted a tourist visa. When they asked you why you are coming to the United States, you answered "tourism". This vague and meaningless response already set you off on bad footing with the consular officer. You need to provide a rich and detailed response. Contrast your response to that of someone who tells the consular officer:

I'm flying into Los Angeles, my childhood friend who lives in San Francisco is going to meet me at the airport, and then we are going to spend 3 days in Disneyland. We are then going to drive across the desert to Las Vegas where we will watch a David Copperfield show and a Britney Spears show. We plan on taking a package tour from there going to the Grand Canyon for 2 days. blah blah

The consular officer might even cut you off because she doesn't have time to hear all the details; but she will be satisfied that you do in fact have a specific and realistic plan for your visit.

My advice? Use your savings and leave for a vacation, but not an American vacation this time. Rack up some stamps on your passport. Flights to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia are quite affordable. Try to visit Europe, you can cover many countries with one trip and a rail pass. Gain expertise in your field of work, so that you get invited to make a presentation at a conference in the United States. Then some day take your kids to Disneyland, so they get a leg-up on the "us visit ladder".

Some day they will be grown up, and when they seek a tourist visa, they'll be asked "is this your first visit to the US?". They can answer, "no, when I was younger I visited Disneyland and the Grand Canyon!".

[Suma gundaiah]

Thanks for the valuable feedback/comments. I will think over all the points mentioned.