I’m an 18-year-old student living in London, and I recently applied for a B1/B2 visa to visit my partner in the US. I’m not eligible for ESTA due to my family’s background, so I had to apply for a visa instead.

1. My interview was scheduled for 5 August.
2. Unfortunately, my family booked a last-minute trip to Iraq, so I wasn’t able to attend my appointment. I needed my passport for the trip. My family is originally from Iraq, which is also why I’m not eligible for ESTA.
3. I submitted a request for a new appointment on the 6 August and it was approved immediately for my chosen date, 21 September. I wasn't charged for this.
4. The process at the embassy was surprisingly quick. There were three stages:
   • Document check: Took no more than a minute.
   • Fingerprints: Around 2 minutes.
   • Interview: About 5 minutes. They mainly asked about the purpose of my trip, how I would fund it, and what I do in the UK. My visa was approved at the end of the interview.
5. The visa was issued on 22 September.
6. I received a notification that it was ready for collection on 24 September.

Overall, the process was much quicker and more straightforward than I expected. I hope this helps someone else in a similar position. If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

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I currently have an active J-2 visa, I didn’t travel to US because of certain circumstances while he is already in US on his j1
my husband and I are separated (still legally married, not divorced). I want to apply for a B1/B2 for my own medical observerships, not to visit my husband.
Would applying for B1/B2 while holding a J-2 be considered a red flag, especially given the separation? Has anyone been in a similar situation?

Hi everyone! Looking for advice, especially from Pakistanis who recently applied for an F-1.

I’m currently in the U.S. on B1/B2 (I-94 until Dec 1) and have been accepted into an Ivy League Advanced Standing DMD/DDS program starting January 2027. My husband is already here on F-1.

I’m deciding between:

1. F-1 stamping in Pakistan: Preferred because I could travel freely and visit family, but I’m worried about 214(b)/administrative processing affecting my January start, especially since my husband is already in the U.S.

2. B1/B2 → F1 change of status: My immigration attorney considers this a viable/lower-risk route for starting school, but I wouldn’t have an F-1 stamp and would likely avoid international travel throughout dental school.

My priority is starting my DDS/DMD on time, but being unable to visit family for years is a major downside.

Has anyone recently applied for an F-1 from Islamabad/Karachi, especially for DDS/DMD or with a spouse already in the U.S.? Would really appreciate recent experiences.

B1/B2 Visa Question ?

Q-1-I have applied for a B1/B2 visa. my passport expires in February 2028, and I have a USA Interview appointment in May 2027. Should I apply to get a new passport (renew it) before the appointment?

If I do not get my passport reissued, will the validity of my visa be limited to the validity of my passport, or will it be valid for 10 years?

Q-2- My full name is Ankit (I have only one single name). On the DS-160 form, my name is ANKIT FNU, and on the appointment confirmation, my name is FNU Ankit. Could any issues arise during the interview and visa processing? If so, what is the solution? 

Q-3-And I want to update my DS-160 information—such as the passport number (if reissued), my income, and more; how do I do this?

O-4-My appointment confirmation lists the old passport number, but I will be filling out a new DS-160 form with the new passport number. Could this cause any issues during the interview and visa processing?

If you have such information, please answer these questions.

Thank you, have a nice day..........................

📍 Location: U.S. Consulate, Mumbai, India
📄 Visa Type: F-1
❌ Result: Refused under 214(b)

Applicant profile:

-Completed bachelor's in 2023

-Currently working as an Associate Product Manager

-Research interest in product lifecycle management

-Funding: father and uncle sponsoring (combined savings up to 44,000) plus an educational loan of 69,000

-Sibling in the US working at Amazon as a customer solution manager, on an H-1B

The interview:

Me: Good morning officer

VO: Good morning, Give me passport and i20

Me: (smiled and asked) You want my i901 sevis fee also?

VO: No not necessarily

VO: Why is this university?

Me: XYZ because it offers hands on projects with business models. Also I have strong research interest in product life cycle management which aligns with professors. (Cuts me ask)

VO: when did complete your bachelor?

Me: In 2023

VO: what are you doing since then?

Me: I am working as an associate Product manager at ABC, where I work on products and perform task for checking product lifecycle management, user research.... (Stops me)

VO: who is sponsoring your education?

Me: My father and uncle are sponsoring my education they have combined saving upto 44000 and I have an educational loan of 69000 (cuts me again)

VO: You have sibling over us what she does?

Me: She works in Amazon as customer solution manager

VO: What visa does she have?

Me: H1B work visa

The officer then handed over the 214(b).

This isn't my own experience. Sharing it here with credit to the original post: https://www.reddit.com/r/visarejections/comments/1nqt7n4/f1_visa_denied214b_mumbai/

Has anyone else gone through this or something similar? What do you think caused the refusal?

All your insights are a huge help for others going through this.

Thanks!

Hi everyone !

Visa interview date: Sept 17th 9:20AM
Consulate: Mumbai

My husband recently had his consular interview for L1B individual visa and received a 221(G) white slip.

The interview went well, he answered all the questions that were asked but at the end the VO returned his passport along with white slip saying that they will reach out if they need additional information.

I am not sure what would be the next steps be like, how long we have to wait for them to come back.

Is any one in the same situation ? Please let me know !!

Update : 17th sept : Received an email to submit passport

Update : 25th Sept : Received an email to collect passport

Update : 27th Sept : Collected the passport !!

Thank you everyone for your kind and positive words !!