Section 214(b) of the United States Immigration and Nationality Act presumes that every visa

applicant intends to leave his or her home country and immigrate to the United States.  Every
applicant has to convey during the interview that this presumption of immigrant intent is not true.

visa applicants must convince the Consular

This means that most
Officer of the following:

1. Has a home outside the United States that they will not
abandon
2. Is visiting the United States temporarily and will leave when
their stated purpose of travel is complete
3. Is able to pay for the trip.

Supporting Documents

Nonimmigrant visas are interview-based. Interviewing officers most often do not consult supporting
documents such as affidavits of support, travel arrangements, employment letters or financial
statements.

Why you were refused

Your social, family, economic or other ties to India are not strong enough to overcome the
presumption of immigrant intent and qualify for a visa.

"Ties" are the various aspects of life that bind you to India, such as your family
relationships, employment, and possessions. In the case of younger applicants who may not have
had an opportunity to establish such ties, we consider educational status, school grades and long-
range plans in India. As each person's situation is different, there is no single reason that shows
compelling ties to India.

Can I reapply?

Section 214(b) denials are not permanent. If you have new information or if your overall
circumstances have changed significantly, you may reapply.  Applicants providing identical information
in a second interview are highly unlikely to get a different result.

Students
The I-20 does not entitle you to a visa, it only states that you are accepted to a school in
the U.S.  Students must show that they are credible, qualified students and that they intend
to leave the U.S. after they finish their studies.

Students may be ineligible if it appears that their primary purpose is an indefinite stay in
the U.S. for themselves or their family.

Visa Consultants
Some applicants hire "visa consultants" that promise your visa will be issued. While some consultants
provide helpful information, many do not.

As part of their “services,” Consultants sometime sell fake financial packages or encourage parents
wishing to visit U.S.-based children to lie about the number or location of their other children. In both
of these scenarios, applicants have been found permanently ineligible for visas because they provided
false information during interviews.

Remember: You alone are responsible for the accuracy of the information in your application.
Intentionally submitting false information either on the application itself or during the visa interview
can lead to a permanent visa ineligibility. Never submit your application without reviewing it first for
accuracy if you have had help filling it out.

Applicants who receive interview coaching by consultants should also be wary of such services. The
end result is that every client from a particular consultant sounds exactly like one another. This
diminishes credibility among those who memorize the “correct” answers and cannot hold free-flowing
conversations with visa officers.

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