An Indian software engineer’s B1/B2 visa rejection at the U.S. Consulate in Hyderabad has sparked discussion on Reddit, with users questioning whether listing his U.S.-based client as a contact for a tourism trip may have created confusion about his travel plans and raised questions about his ties to India.
The 25-year-old applicant, who works as a Lead Engineer in Hyderabad, said his visa interview ended in a refusal despite his international travel history and professional profile.
Sharing his experience on Reddit, he wrote, “I had a very strong travel history. I’ve visited 7 countries (UAE, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Singapore), so I thought that would establish a clear pattern of returning home.”
According to the applicant, he applied for a B1/B2 visa for tourism. During the interview, however, the consular officer specifically asked about the contact person he had listed in the U.S.
The applicant explained that he had entered his client’s name because he did not know anyone else in the U.S.
“I mentioned my client’s name under the US Contact section because I don’t know anyone else in the US. However, I am not actually going to visit my client on this trip,” he said, according to the interview transcript he shared.
READ: Indian software engineer’s first US trip attempt ends in 214(b) visa refusal (September 16, 2026)
The officer then asked whether the trip was for work or leisure. The applicant said it was a leisure trip.
The focus on the U.S.-based client became a key point of discussion among Reddit users after the rejection.
One commenter said, “Listing client as a contact for a personal trip sounds weird.”
The user added that people generally provide hotel details in such circumstances if they are not staying with relatives or friends in the U.S.
The commenter also said that while the contact information may not have been the sole reason for the refusal, it could have appeared inconsistent with the applicant’s stated purpose of travel.
“It certainly comes across as a discrepancy in stated purpose of travel vs details provided,” the commenter wrote.
The applicant’s professional and personal circumstances also came under discussion.
During the interview, the consular officer asked about his job and responsibilities. The applicant said he works as a Lead Engineer in Hyderabad, earns around ₹30 lakh a year ($31,300 per year) and has been working as a software engineer for four years and three months.
He was also asked who he lives with in India. The applicant said he lives with flatmates because his office is in Hyderabad.
The officer also asked whether he was married or had children. He answered no to both questions.
When asked whether he had any fear of returning to India, the applicant said no.
The visa was nevertheless refused.
Another Reddit user attributed the decision to what they described as insufficient ties to India, pointing specifically to the applicant’s age, marital status, living arrangement and the U.S. client listed as his contact.
READ: ‘Visa is rejected’: First-time US tourist visa applicant gets 214(b) refusal (September 1, 2026)
“You put a potential employer, actual client as your reference for a leisure trip. You can see why that’s weird,” the commenter wrote.
The same user added, “Also single, male, young, works in IT. Stays with flatmates. No ties at all.”
The applicant, however, said he owns two plots in his hometown that he purchased for around ₹60 lakh to ₹70 lakh. He questioned whether such assets would be relevant to a future application or whether he should wait for a significant change in his circumstances before applying again.
He also asked Reddit users whether he should reapply with a corrected DS-160, potentially listing his intended hotel rather than his U.S.-based client as the contact.
The Reddit discussion does not establish the actual reason for the visa refusal. The applicant said he was “assuming 214b,” but only the consular officer and the U.S. government would have the complete information considered during the adjudication.
The case does, however, show how inconsistencies between the stated purpose of a trip and information provided in a visa application can become a point of concern during an interview.
In this case, the applicant presented his trip as tourism but had listed a U.S.-based client as his contact, even though he said he had no plans to meet that client during the visit. Reddit users subsequently connected that detail with broader questions about his ties to India.
For the applicant, the unanswered question now is whether correcting the contact information would be enough for a future application or whether he would need to demonstrate a more substantial change in circumstances.