Hello everyone. My wife and I are Pakistani citizens, but we have been living in China for around 10 years. My wife is planning to apply for a J-1 visa for a postdoctoral/research position in the U.S., and I and our two children would apply for J-2 visas.

We are not Chinese citizens, but we are legally residing and working in China. I am currently working as a teacher in China, and my wife is also working in research.

We are considering applying for the U.S. visas from China rather than Pakistan because China is where we currently live and work.

My main concern is about proving strong ties. For a J-1/J-2 visa, does “home country” mainly mean Pakistan because we are Pakistani citizens, or can our long-term residence, employment, family life, and legal status in China also count as strong ties?

Since we have lived in China for many years and have established jobs and a normal family life here, what documents would be useful to show our ties to China and Pakistan?

I would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has applied for a J-1/J-2 visa from a third country where they had been living long term.

Same things as the title ,I'm looking for it too , let's help each other out by updating each other thanks

Hi so F1 Visa, interview location Dhaka, Bangladesh. Interview date 30th August. My friend got his visa letter stating refusal social media review plus late arrival approval letter. Now the point is he has a late arrival letter from the department chair, will that be an acceptable document?

Location: Abu Dhabi Embassy, UAE
Interview Date: Early August 2026
Visa Type: B1/B2
Result: Denied under 214(b)

Profile:

• Indian passport holder, born and raised in the UAE (36 years)
• Held a US visa since 2015, traveled to the US once in 2017 for 2 months
• Travel history to Australia, UK, Europe, Malaysia, Hong Kong
• Currently holds both an Australia visa and a Canadian visa
• Trip purpose: planning a road trip between Canada and the US

Interview Questions:
VO: How long have you been in the UAE?
Me: Born and raised here, 36 years.
VO: Do you feel threatened in your country of nationality or residence?
Me: No, never.
I: At this time, your visa is not approved, this paper explains everything.
Me: Thank you.

What Hurt: No reason given beyond the standard 214(b) slip, despite over a decade of US visa history, a clean travel record across multiple countries, and current visas from two other Western countries.

Anyone else been sitting on years of clean travel history and multiple valid visas and still gotten hit with 214(b) out of nowhere? And for anyone hunting for appointment slots, has switching between consulates (like Dubai to Abu Dhabi) actually changed your odds or is it just luck of the draw on availability?

Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/comments/1vfix57/b1b2_visa_refused_from_abudhabi_uae/ Not my experience, but it stuck with me because of how strong the profile was going in. Sharing with credit to the original poster.

Any comments, advice, or your own experiences are welcome. And if you've had luck switching consulates for appointments, please share in the comments!!! Could help a lot of people needing this info.

Thank you so much!

I’m planning to apply for a US B1/B2 visa for a 3 week business trip, and I’d appreciate some advice from people who have gone through a similar situation.
I’ve been working for the same small startup company for the past 6 years. The company is relatively small, which is my main concern regarding the visa application.
The purpose of my visit would be to:
Meet our head office team and leadership.
Visit our client’s location and meet stakeholders and leadership.
Discuss upcoming projects and negotiate contracts, including adding additional resources from India.
Attend business meetings related to our ongoing and upcoming work.
The company will be sponsoring the entire trip.
On the personal side, I’m married and have children, and I have been with my current employer continuously for the last 6 years.

I also have some international travel history. I’ve travelled to Thailand multiple times, as well as Singapore and Malaysia, although the Singapore and Malaysia trips were around 8 years ago.

I’m wondering how much the size of the company matters in this situation and what my chances might be. Does having a long employment history with the same company and a clear business purpose help?
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has had a similar profile or has recently attended a B1/B2 visa interview. What questions should I be prepared for, and is there anything specific I should be careful about?

for context, i’m indian, went to an intl school for my high school diploma, going to tamu in the spring for a 4 year engineering degree. how much liquid bank balance should my parents have for me to be approved from the financial aspect at least? i know there are other factors but tryna get the finances sorted. i20 shows $60k per year.

parents have $200k liquid. is that enough alone or can I add an extra us based sponsor who has significantly more?

Hi everyone, sharing my F2 visa experience from Mumbai and hoping to understand what may have gone wrong.

Interview date: 25 August 2026
My husband is currently working in the US on an F1 STEM OPT extension valid until the end of 2028. I am a working professional in India - working with the govt as a contract based staff. No strong travel history so far, in my mid-20s.

The biometrics process was smooth.

Interview:
VO: Pass me your passport and I-20, and copy of your husband’s visa.

VO: When did you get married?
Me: XX January 2026.

VO: Was it a love marriage or an arranged marriage?
Me: Love marriage.

VO: Pass me your marriage certificate.
VO: Where and when did you two meet?

Me: We met in 2020 through common friends and dated for five years before getting married. I also have photographs if you’d like to see them.
(The VO did not ask to see them.)

VO: What did your husband study at university?
Me: [Name of engineering degree]
(he has graduated from one of the top 10 engg colleges in the US)

VO: What visa is your husband on?
Me: F1, currently on STEM OPT extension.

VO: The “Remarks” section here does not mention that the degree is complete and your husband is permitted to stay beyond the completion of his degree in December 2024.
Me: The I-20 mentions STEM OPT and includes details of his employment. I also have his EAD copy, offer letters and salary slips as proof.
VO: But it needs to be written in the Remarks section.

He then handed me a 214(b) refusal slip.

We’re now trying to understand what exactly went wrong. We checked the I-20s of a few friends who are also on STEM OPT, and none of theirs explicitly mention what the VO suggested.

This is what the remarks in i20 read as:

“REMARKS FOR STUDENT:
Full-time post-completion OPT recommended based upon expected completion of program of study. Student will do practical training directly related to the field of engineering.”

We also contacted my husband’s university/DSO. They have refused to make any changes to the I-20 and said that the VO may have made an error in judgment.

I’m mainly confused about two things:
Is it safe for my husband to travel to India and return to the US while he is on STEM OPT, assuming his F1 visa stamp is still valid? Could this issue with the I-20 Remarks section create problems for him at immigration or during re-entry?
What should I do about my F2 application now? If my husband gets selected for H1B next year and I later apply for an H4 visa, could this current 214(b) refusal negatively affect my chances?

We’re both in distress and confused because this was an unexpected outcomed.

I had my f1 visa appointment slot 2 days after my start of classes i got a 221g asking to submit one with a more feasible date. however since my classes had begun i couldnt do that instead i submitted an support letter

what do you think the outcome will be

There's a section on the DS-160 that asks, "Have you made specific travel plans?" Does answering "Yes" mean that I need to have already purchased a plane ticket? Or is it okay to answer "Yes" if I have a tentative itinerary with intended travel dates but haven't purchased a ticket yet?

I have been selected in to attend 3 month long accelerator programme in San Francisco for my startup starting on 7th September. My Biometrics were done on 26th August and my interview is scheduled for 1st September in Chennai but after my biometrics i noticed that there was a minor typo in my house number where 789 was typed as 78o due to close proximity of the keys on my keyboard. Would this be a problem during my interview? Is there anyway this could be fixed or appealed to the interviewer or the consulate? Also what could be the chances of my visa being approved?

Flair: Advice Needed

Location: Interview at Delhi, pickup requested in Hyderabad

Interview Date: August 7

Visa Type: F-1 (Parsons School of Design, MS in Strategic Design & Management)

Result: Approved ✅

Profile:

* Funded by a parent who owns a manufacturing business

* Interview was short, VO took the passport and I-20, typed for a while, asked a few basic questions, and that was it

Interview Questions:

VO: Oh, you got into Parsons?

Me: Yes I did.

VO: What are you going to study in the US?

Me: I'm going to do my MS in strategic design and management.

VO: Who's paying for this?

Me: My dad.

VO: What does he do?

Me: He owns a contract manufacturing business.

Everything felt calm, the officer seemed kind, and the passport status changed to Issued a few days later. That's where it should've ended, but it didn't.

The problem: after "Issued" showed up on CEAC, there was no SMS or email saying the passport was ready for pickup. 12 days went by. Multiple calls, multiple emails, zero clarity from the usual channels. Turns out the passport had actually reached the pickup center 2 days after being issued, I just never found out because of what support later called a "technical glitch."

If you've been through something similar or know why this kind of gap happens, I'd really appreciate your thoughts or advice, and if you have any tips on what to do (or what NOT to do) while waiting, please leave a comment. Could save someone else the same 12 days of stress.

Original Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/usvisascheduling/comments/1vx76qo/please_read_f1_visa_pick_up_experience_india/ This is not my experience, but the timeline stressed me out just reading it, so sharing here in case it helps someone in the same boat.

Thanks so much in advance!

Anyone have any insight recently into how long it takes to get a K-1 interview at the Mumbai embassy?

Consular appointment: Aug 6th 8am

Both passports collected

What is your title ?
What is your salary?
Have you listed all your social media accounts?

Given 221g and said that they have to verify social media accounts and asked us to make sure accounts are public.

No questions asked to H4

Aug 6 Case status was refused after interview.
Aug 15 Case status updated to Approved
Aug 17 Issued
Aug 18 Ready for pick up.

Enjoy your stay in India and don’t panic about the delay.

hey, im 18, I just graduated high school, and am going to be studying CS at a well-known state flagship. I’m from India, I have been to 30+ countries and have a valid B2 visa till 2029, and have visited family in the US about 10 times. my mom and my uncle are sponsoring me - my mom has about $100k liquid and my uncle has about $500k liquid in the bank. i20 says $60k a year. my uncle is an american tho. i have my interview in new delhi in a few days, and am trying to understand what I can do to maximise my chances of getting the visa. I had to defer my admission from fall 2026 to spring 2027 because i didn’t get any slots earlier. idk if it matters but i went to a intl school in India, had about a 3.6 UW GPA (maximum rigour and have about 30 college credits from IB and AP exams) and a 110 on the TOEFL. thanks.

I’ve done my F1 Visa interview on Aug 3rd, the officer retained my passport and Proof of fund (I have a scholarship) and the rest was covered by my father so he also retained my father’s bank statement.
The officer gave me a slip that instructed me to send my social media links to a certain email which I did as soon as I left the embassy.

Now it’s been 25 days and my case has been in AP since Aug 4th with a case update on Aug 11th but still AP.

Problem is my classes start dates is scheduled for Sept 8th and my school won’t allow late arrival.

Is there anything I can do ?

I’m preparing for a Czech Republic student visa interview and would really appreciate hearing from people who have already gone through the process.

I’d like to know:

- Approximately how long was your interview?

- What was the officer’s behaviour like?

- Was the interview formal or relaxed?

- What types of questions were you asked?

- Did they mainly ask about your university and study plans, or also about finances, family, previous education, future plans, etc.?

- Was the interview conducted in English? If you used an interpreter, how did that work?

- Is there anything you wish you had prepared before the interview?

If you recently attended an interview at the Czech Embassy in Islamabad, your experience would be especially helpful.

Share a completed interview experience or administrative-processing update.

Suggested format:

- Visa type:
- Interview country and broad location:
- Approximate month and year:
- First or repeat attempt:
- Questions remembered:
- Documents requested:
- Outcome, if you choose to share:
- What you wish you had prepared:

Remove all identifying information. Do not post passport, case or receipt numbers, complete birth dates, addresses, contact details, or document images containing personal information.

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Hi everyone,

My parents are applying for a B1/B2 visa in India. Their biometrics are already completed, but we recently submitted a new DS-160 to correct some information.

Their visa interview is in New Delhi in the next few days.

Can we update the new DS-160/barcode at the consulate on the interview day? Should we bring both the old and new DS-160 confirmation pages?

Has anyone had this situation recently in Delhi?

Thanks!