A Reddit user has shared a long and frustrating experience of trying to secure a U.S. tourist visa for their parents, after facing repeated rejections over nearly a decade.
“Parents denied US tourist visa 4 times over 9 years from India — what are we doing wrong? Is there any hope left?” the user wrote, opening up about their situation and asking for honest advice.
They explained that their parents were refused a U.S. B1/B2 visa four times under Section 214(b), despite waiting years between applications and making efforts to strengthen their case. “I’m honestly at a loss at this point and looking for real, unfiltered advice,” they added.
The user then laid out a clear timeline of attempts. The first two applications in 2017 were for visiting them and attending a wedding, both of which were rejected. A third attempt in 2018 for their graduation also failed. After that, the family waited nearly eight years before applying again in 2026, this time for tourism and a family visit, but the result remained unchanged.
They stressed that the long gap was intentional. During those years, their parents built an international travel history by visiting Canada, Singapore, and Malaysia, hoping this would demonstrate strong compliance with visa rules. “They took time, improved their profile, and tried to address potential concerns, yet the outcome is still the same,” the user wrote.
READ: ‘Not able to approve your visa today’: Indian applicant rejected in 3-minute interview (March 4, 2026)
Describing the most recent visa interview, the user said it was surprisingly brief. The officer asked only two questions about how long their daughter had been in the U.S. and which countries the parents had visited. “That’s it. The officer typed for a few seconds, looked at the screen, and handed over the 214(b) refusal,” they noted, adding that there were no questions about finances, work, or ties to India.
The user also detailed their parents’ situation in India. Their father runs a construction business with ongoing government projects, while their mother is a homemaker. The family has strong ties, including a 94-year-old grandfather who depends on them and a younger son who lives and works in India. The parents are financially stable and intend to self-fund the trip. “They genuinely only want to visit me and travel for a short period,” the user said.
However, they expressed concern that their U.S. connections may be working against them. The user has been living in the United States since 2016 and is now married and settled there. Additionally, the father’s elder sister is a green card holder.
“What’s frustrating,” the user wrote, “is that we waited 8 years before reapplying, their profile is objectively much stronger now, yet the decision seems to be made in seconds without even discussing their ties.”
They went on to question whether previous refusals and close family ties in the U.S. are outweighing all other factors. “Are they basically being judged based on old refusals plus U.S. family ties, no matter what improves?” they asked. They also wondered whether applying again would make any difference or simply lead to another rejection, and whether anyone had seen approvals after multiple refusals in similar situations.
The post drew several responses from other users, many offering blunt advice based on their own experiences.
READ: Despite strong credentials, more Indians report sudden US visa refusals (
One commenter suggested that a long-term solution might be immigration sponsorship: “At this point if you are close to citizenship then you sponsoring parents is the only way.”
Another user was more pessimistic, writing, “Yeah unfortunately, at this point, I think your parents will have to give up trying to visit you in the US. Whatever the reason, they have 4 rejections now. The chances of them getting a visa is close to zero, if not completely zero. I would strongly recommend not wasting your money on application fees anymore.”
A third commenter shared a similar personal experience, noting how family ties in the U.S. can complicate approvals. “My parents were rejected 3 times too. I think it was because one of my parents had a sibling with a green card. Having multiple connections to US does make it that much more difficult to prove home ties,” they wrote.
They also suggested an alternative approach based on what they had seen work for others: “I know someone who was in same situation and he applied for one parent first. The parent got visa, went on trip came back. Then other parent applied and got visa. Try applying one parent at a time – start with the other one that does not have a green card sibling.”
However, they added that in their own case, it was too late to try that strategy.
The discussion reflects the uncertainty many families face with U.S. visitor visa approvals, especially after multiple refusals, where even stronger applications do not always lead to a different outcome.