An Indian entrepreneur says his application for a U.S. visa was denied after immigration officials determined that he did not have sufficient ties to his home country, despite running a multimillion-dollar business and employing more than 100 people.
Swapnil Srivastav, founder of a sustainable bamboo kidswear company Kidbea generating approximately $12 million in annual recurring revenue, shared his experience on LinkedIn. He said the denial came even though his company operates in India and is backed by leading venture capital firms.
According to Srivastav, officials concluded that he lacked enough connections to India, a finding he found difficult to reconcile with his personal and professional circumstances. Born and raised in India, he said he has deep family, cultural, and business roots in the country.
Srivastav said he remains unsure what additional evidence U.S. officials expected to see to demonstrate his ties to India.
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As he wrote on LinkedIn, “Got denied a US visa today. Reason: ‘Not enough ties to home country.’ I built a Series A company from scratch, employ 100+ people, have backing from top VCs and investors, and serve millions of Indian families through our brand. Apparently, that’s not enough ties. Anyway, founders are used to hearing ‘no.’ Will reapply after some time. If you’ve been through this and eventually got approved, would love to hear your suggestions.”
His post opened the discussion among users who shared their own experiences and theories about the visa process.
One user commented, “Have seen this trick working in most of the cases. Book any Event ticket happening in USA, that should be your purpose of visit. This eliminates number of questions and make smooth process. As it makes sure once event is done, you’ll fly back to your home country. Eg. Want to experience FIFA WC match.”
Another user suggested that visa officers may be looking beyond financial and professional commitments. “i suspect they are looking for more than financial ties, as racist this administration is, i suspect they are looking for cultural and emotional ties and have you spent your childhood there and so on,” the user wrote.
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Responding to the comment, Srivastav said, “True! But I am born and grown up in India, have strong family and cultural ties! But I think that’s not the parameter! It must be something else which no one is aware of!”
Others shared similar experiences with visa denials. One user wrote that they were rejected multiple times before eventually receiving approval.
As the user wrote, “Wish you luck for your next application. I was rejected 5 times before I got US stamp on my passport. They don’t care what you have worked on. They only want fixed and cash assets reasonable enough for you to return. Rest all is useless according to them.”
While applicants are often advised to demonstrate strong ties to their home country, Srivastav’s experience has renewed debate over how those ties are evaluated and what factors ultimately influence visa decisions. For entrepreneurs with established businesses, employees, and local investments, the case reflects that even significant economic commitments may not guarantee approval.