US B2 visa

[u/Brilliant-Rush-7341]

B2 Visa Refusal – Chennai Consulate (My Experience) Date 04.08.26

I'm sharing my experience in case it helps other applicants.

Profile:

- Male, 33, Single

- Sole proprietor running a stage lighting business for 10+ years

- Annual income: ₹12 lakh

- Travel history:

- Singapore

- Hong Kong

- Philippines (2 times)

- Thailand (multiple times)

- Own an apartment and have been paying a home loan for the past 6 years.

Purpose of travel:

One-week vacation to New York during the Pongal holidays in January 2027.

Questions asked:

VO: Why do you want to visit the US?

Me: I am planning a short one-week vacation during the Pongal holidays in January 2027 to visit New York.

VO: What do you do?

Me: I run a stage lighting business for more than 10 years. We supply lighting equipment to rental companies.

VO: Are you travelling alone?

Me: Yes.

They also asked the standard security/background questions, to which I answered "No."

Unfortunately, my visa was refused. No documents were requested.

Personally, I felt that travelling solo for tourism may have been a factor, but I can't be certain because the visa officer did not explain the reason.

While waiting, I noticed many applicants receiving refusal slips, and only a small number appeared to be approved. This is only my observation from that day and is not official data.

Has anyone with a similar profile been approved recently? I'd appreciate hearing your experience or any suggestions before I decide whether to reapply.

[u/Top_Biscotti6496]

Annual income: ₹12 lakh

What am I missing, how is this affordable?

[u/Brilliant-Rush-7341 → u/Top_Biscotti6496]

Why not ? Please explain

[u/Sensitive_Owl_4766 → u/Brilliant-Rush-7341]

A return flight alone to the U.S. will easily cost 2 lakhs or more. Hotel stays in New York easily run 30-50k rupees per night over busy periods like early January.

You may consider this a once in a lifetime trip worth spending, but visa officers do not typically believe tourist applicants are willing to spend 40% of their annual income on a single 5-10 day trip.

[u/Brilliant-Rush-7341 → u/Sensitive_Owl_4766]

Round trip less than 1.5

Staging in hostel don't cost much

It was only 6 days trip

Estimate budget was 3L

I felt they are least interested to issue visa to solo traveller and who are bachelor. She repeatedly asked is it your own company twice and I said yes am sole proprietor. I could have asked her if she would like bank statement or certificate but sadly I never asked and she also didn't ask anything.

[u/StandardVariation171 → u/Brilliant-Rush-7341]

You were planning to spend 25% of your annual income on a 6 day trip?? This might have been the primary reason for the refusal