Visitor Visa - B2

Hi All,

This a post to thank immihelp for creating a portal for users to share experiences. I hope our experience will serve as an encouragement to others who have gone through or are going through similar situation.

My background:
I am married and am living with my spouse in bay area. I am on a non-resident alien on a work visa. I have a younger unmarried brother who works in India and stays with my mom.

First attempt:
My mother intvd at Chennai in July 05. I had sent the I134, but since she had sufficient assets in India, we thought the intw process would be a cake walk. My mom was very confident when she answered questions (she had chosen Hindi translator - as we were concerned about accent). The CO asked her several questions, often repeating the same, and finally rejected the VISA.
Questions were general - how long, who is in US, what do you do, how many children, what are they doing etc. No questions were asked on finances - and the visa was rejected without even looking at papers.
That is when I started checking out immihelp - and learnt that there were several others with similar experiences.
The rejection shatterred us and we began to believe that she would never get the VISA. In any case we decided to try again.

Second Attempt:
We tried again in Dec 05. This time the questions were not many... how long do you want to go? what does your son do? how many children? Has your son sent papers?
The CO took papers and went through them and rejected the visa again with one sentence "This time you are not eligible!"
The CO was also very rude, and my mom was hell bent that she would never go for the intvw again. It was too much for a self-respecting individual.

Third Attempt:
I visited India earlier this year and booked yet another appt date without my mom's knowledge because she wouldn't have allowed me otherwise. When the intvw date (late Nov) was near, we told her and sent papers again - and requested her to attend intvw again for my sake. She agreed reluctantly saying this was the last time that she went; and was finally 3rd time lucky. Although we were trying for the 3rd time, neither my mom nor I had any hope that she would get the visa.

She found a very friendly American CO (lady) who spoke Hindi. Questions were more focussed on my mom's assets/income in India. The CO refused to see any documents and finally granted her the visa.


It is very difficult to understand on what grounds the COs refuse/grant visa. I would suggest that when people go for the intvw, it is better to prepare very well but psychologically assume that one would not get the visa. That reduces the mental anguish. Also, if people are truthful and have nothing to hide, they should not give up and keep trying.


all the best!