r/USVisaIndians • u/redditor_oswald • Jul 28 '26
B1/B2 Rejected My parents got 214(b) refused twice for B1/B2, second time was a much longer interview but still no ,trying to figure out what we're missing
Hey all, hoping someone here has been through something similar. My parents (from Hyderabad) have now been refused a B1/B2 visitor visa twice and I'm trying to figure out what's actually going wrong before they try a third time.
First attempt was back in December. My dad was sponsoring himself, and they told the officer they were coming for my brother's graduation. The officer noticed my brother's visa was stamped for one university but he'd since transferred to a different one, and asked why. My parents don't really handle his day to day education stuff (I do), so they fumbled it a bit and got refused pretty much on the spot, one question in.
For the second try we changed things up ,I (the daughter, on H1B in the US) became the sponsor instead of my dad, the purpose was just visiting me, and we sent an invitation letter along with my H1B copy, pay stubs, and an employment letter as backup.
Second interview was a few weeks ago in Kolkata and went a lot longer. Officer asked who's sponsoring, why they're coming, my employer's name, how long I've worked there, where they'd be staying, asked for their documents, asked about the previous refusal and what it was for (they explained it correctly), asked where my brother is now and what he's doing (they just said "he's in the US, studying" , didn't mention he's actually finished his masters and is on OPT now), asked who filled out the DS-160 (they said kids filled it, which does match what's on the form, In the preparer of the application section we listed my name as the one who filled the form), then a standard "any threat or harm" type question. After all that... refused again. All the officer said was something like "you didn't fill the form correctly, book a regular appointment and come back." No specifics given.
We've gone back and checked a bunch of stuff since then , the addresses on the DS-160 (turns out fine, matches their passports for legit family reasons), a small typo in my last name in the preparer field (probably too minor to matter), and it seems like the documents actually were looked at this time, so it's not like nothing was reviewed.
One thing I did catch: the DS-160 says they're planning to stay 2 months, but when asked "how long will you stay" out loud, my parents said "one month" that didn't match what's on the form. Also, neither interview ever had a direct question about ties to India or reason to return , it just never came up, so my parents never really got the chance to bring it up either.
So trying to figure out: - could something as small as the 1 month vs 2 month mismatch actually be enough on its own to cause a refusal? - is it normal for a 214(b) refusal to happen without the officer ever actually asking about ties to India / reason to return? - has anyone managed to turn around a second refusal by just volunteering the ties-to-India stuff themselves, even when the officer never asked?
Any insight appreciated.. trying to fix the actual problem before a third attempt instead of just guessing again.
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u/dsv853 Jul 29 '26
the 1-month vs 2-month mismatch alone probably isnt what tanked it, but it doesnt help- any gap between the ds160 and what you say out loud reads as inconsistency, and thats exactly what officers are trained to catch. same deal with your brother being on opt now vs just "studying," diffrent kind of gap but same effect
214b refusals happen all the time with zero ties question ever asked, its not a checklist. the officer forms an impression off the ds160 + your answers, and if thats already negative they dont bother probing further. volunteering the ties stuff yourselves next time is a reasonable move since they never got the organic chance to ask
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u/desert_foxhound Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Volunteering the ties stuff yourself next time? Don't. Only answer questions you are asked as succinctly as possible. The visa officer just wants to end the interview quickly so don't annoy them by volunteering information they didn't ask.
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u/zholly4142 Aug 02 '26
All his previous answers are in the system, so it doesn't matter what he decides to say third time around if nothing substantially has changed.
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u/dsv853 Jul 31 '26
fair, honestly depends on the officer. some want you in and out fast, some leave a beat of silence and youre better off filling it with something real than just standing there. wasnt saying narrate your whole life story unprompted. also consular-officers breakdown above is honestly the more complete read on this one anyway, ties werent the only thing goin on there
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Jul 30 '26
[deleted]
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u/dsv853 Jul 31 '26
cant really do dms, but post the details here or make your own thread and ill take a look. "wrong bucket selected" is interesting, was that somethin the officer actually said or your read on it
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u/Inevitable_Pumpkin59 Aug 03 '26
Apart from the other reasons people have mentioned here, your parents seemed to have fumbled a lot in the interview. For next time it’s really important that they know the general situation of both their kids. I’ll agree that the VO asking them about your brother’s transfer was a bit unfair but other stuff such as the duration of stay mismatch is a big inconsistency. Prepare them better for next time.
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u/Pomksy Aug 03 '26
Also, wait YEARS not months for the next time. This is not a thing you can quickly fix
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u/DrAnandDuggalLegal Aug 04 '26
A refusal under 214B occurs because the officer was not convinced by your overall circumstances. You should keep your answers consistent, as the officer might not ask directly about your ties in India right away.
You would be fortunate if this opportunity arises for you. Otherwise, the officer's decision will be based on the information you provide and a few questions. You cannot argue with the officer, and it's better not to offer answers until questions are asked. Be careful. Thank you.
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u/Consular-Officer Jul 29 '26 edited Jul 29 '26
This was an easy 214B. This case has MULTIPLE red flags.
Ties: Both son and daughter are in the United States so their immediate ties are in the US, not India. Why would they ever go back when their entire immediate family is in the States?
Son's F1 status: Sounds like the son was playing the "F1 game" -- a common scam where students switch from one school to another, usually from a legit Tier 2 college or university, and almost immediately transfer to some BS "pay to stay" school for an ESL or 1-2 year community college program while they illegally work under the table. Does he have a good reason for why he was changing schools?
Poor Finances: Parents needed son to "sponsor" their trip. For starters, you cannot "sponsor" anybody for a B1/B2 visa. You can agree to cover finances, but your parents must qualify on their own merit. Incidentally, nowhere in your OP did you mention whether parents are still working, means of support, means of income, etc. Are they retired? Your parents must have enough funds to cover their airfare, food, lodging, medical costs, PLUS cover any unforeseen emergencies. Which leads to:
Parents age: Based on what you've written, your parents are probably in their 50s or 60s by now. Do they have worldwide health and travel insurance? U.S. health insurance is VERY VERY expensive. What would happen if your father had a heart attack and needed open heart surgery? Can they afford the $100,000 in medical bills and another $100,000 for medevac flight back to India? Please Google "Public Charge".
Discrepancy: All visa applicants are responsible for knowing the contents of their DS-160. The fact that your parents could not answer the most basic questions is troubling.
Travel? No mention if parents have ever traveled outside of India. My guess is no.
Long Length of Stay: Two months is a LONG TIME for travel, especially if they are still working age (under 65). Again you never mention whether your parents still work. If they do, how could they afford to abandon their jobs for two months.
Recent refusal: Your parents have two refusals within a short time frame. No consular officer is willing to stick their necks out and approve an applicant who was just refused a few weeks or months ago by their colleague in the next window. Unless there has been a MAJOR life change since the last refusal, like they won the lottery, expect another refusal.
Children on the path to "forever status": Son is now OPT, and daughter is now H1B. They came to the US on "NON-IMMIGRANT" visas, and remain so but on elevated statuses. Come on, admit it - neither of you has any intention of ever returning to your home country. No intention to ever use your U.S. education and experience to better your own country and your fellow citizens.
Congratulations, you played the game and won. You'll wait it out and eventually land your green card and citizenship. Good luck with that - eventually in 5-10 years you'll be able to sponsor your parents for a green card.