‘Sorry, I can’t provide you with a US visa today’: Indian student recounts F1 visa rejection experience. A Reddit user pointed out a bug
Obtaining a US visa at the consulate counter after a 10-minute interview can be tricky. Officials may not clearly give reasons for rejection, leaving applicants even more confused about what they said was wrong. One student took to Reddit to recount the experience of being interviewed at the Mumbai consulate and ultimately rejected, but the same happened to many people who reported to a specific counter.Do you feel any hurt or racism in this country?This is the first question asked by the visa officer. The country is India. Often, people come to the United States on an F1 visa but then apply for asylum on the grounds of racism and persecution in their home country. The Reddit user’s answer to this question is “no,” which in this case is correct because the Reddit user has not expressed any intention to settle in the United States.Reddit users were then asked about Michigan Tech and why they chose the university to pursue a master’s degree in biomedical engineering. “Michigan Tech is an elite R1 research university that provides hands-on training in medical devices,” the Reddit user said. The visa officer asked what other universities the student had applied to.“Johns Hopkins, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, University of Maryland, Michigan Tech, Yale,” that’s the answer.“I’m sorry, I can’t provide you with a US visa today…” the visa officer said.Social media users quickly discovered that something was wrong on Reddit. It’s the university’s choice. They noted that the five university options range from Tier 1 to Tier 3 universities in the United States, which may give visa officers the impression that Reddit users want to enter the United States at all costs.Another noted that applicants to Yale and Johns Hopkins were not a good fit for Michigan Tech.
