Despite ₹1 Crore Salary, Indian IT Engineer’s US B1/B2 Visa Denied in Seconds
Debates sparked all over the internet on the reddit post of an Indian IT engineer earning around ₹1 crore annually, whose B1/B2 was rejected at the US Embassy in New Delhi within 40 seconds! He was just asked three questions, and issued a 214(b) refusal slip, despite having strong credentials, stable job, and strong ties with home country (India). This incident made the applicant and thousands of Indian professionals wonder the parameters that the US visa process gauges. This is way more than just visa rejection–it is the mirror to a tighter US visa scrutiny under the Trump administration, resulting in limiting both H-1B and B1/B2 visas under the name of “protecting American jobs”.
This Story also Contains
- What were the Three Questions Asked in the Interview?
- What is 214(b) and why was his Visa Got Rejected?
- Why even having a high salary could not help?
- How is the B1/B2 visa refusal related to stricter H-1B policy changes?
- Conclusion
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Read More: New Visa Rules for international Students
What were the Three Questions Asked in the Interview?
The senior tech lead, who works on Cloud Native Technologies, shared his visa experience on Reddit:
“I had my B1/B2 visa interview at the U.S. Embassy today in Delhi, and I was rejected in less than a minute after just three questions.”
The questions were:
What is the purpose of your travel?
Your previous international travel history?
Any family or friends in the US?
He even threw some light on his plan to attend the major industry conference, known as the ‘KubeCon + CloudNativeCon 2025’ in Atlanta, stating his previous travel history to Lithuania, Maldives, and Indonesia. He answered the third question by saying that he had no friends or family in the US. He was surprised to have received a 214(b) refusal immediately after answering the three questions, despite having a solid background and high income.
Also Read:
What is 214(b) and why was his Visa Got Rejected?
The section 214(b) of the US Immigration and Nationality act states that unless a visa applicant is able to prove strong ties to their home country, he/she is considered to be an intending immigrant.
In simple words, it means that often, even a professional who is well-paid is denied the visa if the officer suspects their intention to misuse the visa for staying for long in the US–something that is looked upon with tighter scrutiny under the Trump administration.
Following are the major reasons for visa rejection:
Weak evidence of return intent
Unclear travel purpose
Overqualification or potential for future H-1B transition
Poor interview communication
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Why even having a high salary could not help?
Despite earning around 1 crore a year, the officer found his success in the tech industry double-edged. Stability is fine, but it also signals towards them becoming future H-1B aspirants–applicants who might attempt to transition from a visitor (B1/B2 visa) to a work visa in the US (H-1B).
The applicant highlighted his strong ties to India:
“I’ve been employed in India for 11 years, earn close to ₹1 crore annually, and have an 8-month-old daughter. I had every reason to come back.”
Despite this, his visa was rejected.
How is the B1/B2 visa refusal related to stricter H-1B policy changes?
In the recent few months, the Trump administration decided to raise the H-1B visa fee for new filings and conduct tighter scrutiny. While the immigration policy changes affect employers and foreign professionals, the impact is also felt by the business visitors applying for the B1/B2 visas. So, the immigration officers are viewing even short-term industry events like the engineers attending this conference through the spectacle of immigration risk.
Factor | H-1B Impact | B1/B2 Impact |
|---|---|---|
Stricter scrutiny on tech workers | High rejection rates for new applications | Officers assume tech visitors may seek work illegally |
Trump’s “Buy American, Hire American” policy | Preference for older, higher-paid U.S. workers | Increased suspicion of young, globally mobile Indian professionals |
$100,000 H-1B filing fee | Reduces hiring of foreign specialists | Signals tougher stance on all non-immigrant visas |
214(b) presumptions | Not applicable to H-1B (dual intent allowed) | Used heavily to reject visitor visas |
OPT and F-1 restrictions | Limits on foreign graduates staying post-study | Shrinks legitimate travel pipeline for conferences and business meetings |
Related Reads: How Life Changes After Switching From H1B To B1 Visa
Conclusion
The reddit post went viral because it was not just about one visa rejection– it demonstrated how almost every USvisa pathway is closing doors for Indian applicants. Once seen as the easiest entry route for professionals (B1/B2 visa), it has become a reason to worry under the H-1B crisis.
As a result, other nations like Canada and the UK are welcoming tech talents by offering them flexible pathways. If this trend continues to go on, the US will lose its stature in terms of global collaboration and innovation leadership that happened through conferences, and academic changes.
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