SYCU

Hi,

I want to share my experience.


I applied for a B1/B2 visa & my wife for a B2 visa at the US embassy
in Paris twice. Both of our applications got refused twice. We applied together each time. Purpose of the visas were to invest money for a future e-2 visa application and vacations.

Our first application was under administrative processing (221g) for 11
weeks then denied under 214B.
The 2nd time our request was refused straight away at the French counsular
office under 214B. Our second interview was held 2 weeks after the first
denial.


We were asked 5 or 6 questions each times, no documents were asked.

Now I feel frustrated and I wonder if I'll be ever able to return to the US.

My ESTA application was denied of course.

tom169

Were you/wife eligible for the VWP at the time of your first interview?

If so, why did you even bother? :S

SYCU

Yes we were eligible , but we wanted to stay for 6 months. I was not aware of the consequence of a denial. Biggest mistake of my life, We've been working and saving hard since 2013 for this project.

Now, I don't know what's wrong in our application, could be anything!

mikelincs

It's because you were eligible for the VWP, the second denial was, almost certainly because it was so close to the first. I would strongly suggest leaving things for a year and then trying for ESTA again

AdobePinon

Too much of a simplification. OP should google 214b. At which point OP will scratch his head about how to fix this.

mikelincs

read this to understand why your visa petition was denied, all about the 214b.


214(b)

md95065

Sorry, but my inner pedant compels me to point out that, Paris being in France, there is no "French embassy" in Paris and that, even if there were, French embassies do not process U.S. visa applications ...

SYCU

I did read alot about 214b and 221g.
I know I was refused because i don't have strong ties in my home country, but what does that means ? Since consular officers asked only few questions at the interview and I don't know what are the information they have access to.

Should I buy a property instead of renting, should I be employed in company instead of being a self employed in a service business ? CO could still think my income is not enough to be a strong ties though.

I own a rental property in the US maybe they saw that, I filled our ITIN numbers...

mikelincs

That certainly would cause a red flag, it would look like you were intending to arrive and then stay. You certainly would need much stronger ties to your own country, everything you have written would be a grave cause for concern to the visa people, no ties, both wanting to go, having a property already in the US, no wonder you were denied.

Pulaski

I agree, SYCU has few ties to France and more substantial ties to the US, and to top it off the reason for applying for the B-1/B-2 was to buy a business so that SYCU could live in the US. For the purposes of applying for a non-immigrant visa, it could hardly be worse.

In any case you should have been satisfied with the VWP which was almost certainly freely available to you, and which is a privilege that most people in the world don't have the luxury of using. Wait 6-12 months and try for an ESTA next time.

SYCU

Yes I'm gonna wait and try an ESTA application, I'll keep you informed on that

Guindalf

Remember that on ANY future application, you must answer the question of 'Have you ever been denied a US visa?', and you have, twice! Any other attempt to avoid this question could have even worse connotations and could seriously risk your chances of ever getting into the USA, even if it's just to visit the house of mouse.

SYCU

I'm considering an application for an immigration program in NB, Canada.

I still want to re-apply for a B1 and then an E2, but does applying for Canada would hurt my case for future US visas application ?

Noorah101

No.

Rene

Pulaski

No, applying for a Canadian visa has no bearing on applying for a US visa.