Indian techie earning ₹16L at US fintech denied B2 visa for NYC travel

Software engineer's Reddit post draws comments on the likely reasons her B2 Visa application was rejected

An Indian software engineer working for an American fintech says she was denied a tourist visa for travelling to New York, drawing online comments on what applicants can do to avoid disappointment.

 

The 24-year-old Indian woman wrote on a Reddit forum that her B2 Visa application was rejected “within minutes” during an interview at the US embassy in New Delhi. The nonimmigrant visa is also granted for visiting family and friends, or medical treatment.

 

The engineer, who goes by the Reddit username TieNo6388, told the visa officer her visa application was “for tourism” — she planned visiting New York City in the holiday season.

 

She said she had been employed with her company for two years and earned an annual salary of Rs 16 lakh. The officer declined to see her salary slips.

 

She told the officer it would be her first international trip. The officer then typed briefly on the screen before informing her: “Thank you for your time, your visa was not approved.”

 

“I think it’s cause [sic] of my no travel history and maybe cause I’m too young, anyhow will try again, will create a good international travel footprint,” said the engineer on r/usvisascheduling. 

Visa denial

 

Redditors wrote about the likely reasons the visa application was denied:

 

No prior international travel: Many said officers hesitate to approve first-time travellers headed directly to the US.

 

Young age and limited work experience: At 24, applicants may be seen as higher-risk for overstaying.

 

Generic travel reason: Simply stating “tourism” may not be convincing enough.

 

Cost concerns: Users noted that visiting New York during the holiday season is expensive, with hotels costing $300–400 a night and flights running into thousands of dollars.

 

The Reddit community expressed sympathy but also offered advice:

 

“Unfortunate! But NYC is very expensive… You can see the VO’s hesitation,” wrote user Euphoric_Sandwich_74, referring the visa officer.

 

Another Redditor suggested, “Get a Schengen visa or Japan visa first. Develop a travel history and next time will be yours smoothly.”

 

A third pointed out, “Your age + lack of ties + lack of travel history is all in the risk category for them.” 

What applicants can learn

 

For Indians planning leisure travel to the US, the episode highlights key takeaways:

 

• Build an international travel history by visiting closer destinations first. 
• Present a clear and specific purpose of travel, supported by itineraries.

• Avoid offering extra documents unless asked.

• Understand that financial stability alone does not guarantee approval.

 

While the rejection was disappointing for the young engineer, many advised her to apply again after strengthening her travel record.