B1 rejected twice, implications and wait time for B2 (merged 3)

[lostcause 0]

I had applied for a b1/b2 visa because my company wanted to send me to attend some business meetings for a span of 3 months. But my visa got rejected and I got a 214(b) rejection.

Status: I have travelled to multiple countries in Asia and Europe(around 20-25). I am working in Singapore with a pretty decent salary for the past 6 years. I have an Indian passport.

Questions asked:

1. Have you ever been to the US before - No

2. What is the purpose of your trip? - Attending business meetings.

3. Do you have any supporting documents? - Yes and showed them through the slot(EP, Invitation letter, salary statement issued by company)

4. How long do you plan to be in the US? - 3 months max.

5. 3 months is a long time. What business meetings would you be attending? - Various business meetings with various clients, stakeholders, business partners.

6. Do you have any itinerary of your stay? - No, the company will decide my itinerary.

 

Since I didn't have any more evidence/itinerary then, she suspected that I could be involved in any illegal activity and rejected my visa.

What should I do? Should I apply for the visa again immediately or wait for sometime? 

My company is ready to issue the official itinerary and book my confirmed tickets to and fro Singapore.

Will there be any issue if I apply for tourist visa in future? 

 

P.S. I am a single male in late 20s.

 

Edited May 31, 2019 by lostcause

[arken 4,197]

Applying immediately or later will have the same effect but yeah no itinerary/plans of a 3 months long business stay was a mistake. The CO may not have been expecting the booked flights or hotels as they themselves say not to buy tickets or so as visa is never guaranteed. At least a well laid out plan/itinerary of planned travel dates including hotels stay, places, business meeting should have been presented.

 

I suggest you present the 3 months entire plan not just the ticket of when you leave and return back if you are applying for it again. Not a guarantee for the visa but it’s a positive start.

 

The denial may affect future tourist visa.

 

 

 

 

[Amadia 711]

13 minutes ago, lostcause said:

Since I didn't have any more evidence/itinerary then, she suspected that I could be involved in any illegal activity and rejected my visa.

^^ That seems like you're reaching a bit. I bet the IO did not say that was the reason so don't be hasty to speculate. 

 

13 minutes ago, lostcause said:

My company is ready to issue the official itinerary and book my confirmed tickets to and fro Singapore.

The company should have known that an itinerary was required at the interview to accompany the travel letter. They did not send you fully prepared for the consulate interview but if they are funding the visa, then it couldn't hurt to try again since you have new information to support your request for B1 visa.

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

What company sends someone to the US with no set time frame, no set agenda and very loose goals ?  How large is this company?   I suggest a much better plan before applying again.....good luck.

[ElDiablo 95]

3 months for business meetings with no plan at all for the 3 months?

 

Yea ok, very odd, sounds so suspicious and I'm not surprised you were denied. You will most likely be denied again.

[lostcause 0]

15 minutes ago, arken said:

The denial may affect future tourist visa.

 

 

 

 

 

@arken

 

In what sense will it affect a future tourist visa, after a year or so my circumstances will be changing and i would no longer be travelling for business purposes instead it would be just for leisure purposes?

 

Do you think i may never get it again?

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

7 minutes ago, lostcause said:

 

@arken

 

In what sense will it affect a future tourist visa, after a year or so my circumstances will be changing and i would no longer be travelling for business purposes instead it would be just for leisure purposes?

 

Do you think i may never get it again?

Every denial is on your "Permanent Record"......

[Crazy Cat 39,261]

1 hour ago, lostcause said:

I had applied for a b1/b2 visa because my company wanted to send me to attend some business meetings for a span of 3 months. But my visa got rejected and I got a 214(b) rejection.

Status: I have travelled to multiple countries in Asia and Europe(around 20-25). I am working in Singapore with a pretty decent salary for the past 6 years. I have an Indian passport.

Questions asked:

1. Have you ever been to the US before - No

2. What is the purpose of your trip? - Attending business meetings.

3. Do you have any supporting documents? - Yes and showed them through the slot(EP, Invitation letter, salary statement issued by company)

4. How long do you plan to be in the US? - 3 months max.

5. 3 months is a long time. What business meetings would you be attending? - Various business meetings with various clients, stakeholders, business partners.

6. Do you have any itinerary of your stay? - No, the company will decide my itinerary.

 

Since I didn't have any more evidence/itinerary then, she suspected that I could be involved in any illegal activity and rejected my visa.

What should I do? Should I apply for the visa again immediately or wait for sometime? 

My company is ready to issue the official itinerary and book my confirmed tickets to and fro Singapore.

Will there be any issue if I apply for tourist visa in future? 

 

P.S. I am a single male in late 20s.

 

How large is your company?  How many others have they sent to the US before?

[WeGuyGal 1,052]

3 months to attend "some" business meetings? 

 

According to posts in other forums, a retired CO understood that to be usually a thinly-guised attempt to enter the US and code or seek H1B etc.

 

Any company that sends employees on business demonstrates clearly why they need to send that individual(s) to the US, and not just for "..various business meetings with various clients, stakeholders, business partners.." 

[arken 4,197]

1 hour ago, lostcause said:

 

@arken

 

In what sense will it affect a future tourist visa, after a year or so my circumstances will be changing and i would no longer be travelling for business purposes instead it would be just for leisure purposes?

 

Do you think i may never get it again?

As said, it will be on your record and the officer will see why you were denied the first time. It doesn’t necessarily mean you will be denied a visitor visa though.

 

 

[lostcause 0]

1 hour ago, missileman said:

How large is your company?  How many others have they sent to the US before?

Well known US based financial institution.

 

They have sent around 35-40 in the last year from Singapore office to US office.

[lostcause 0]

1 hour ago, arken said:

As said, it will be on your record and the officer will see why you were denied the first time. It doesn’t necessarily mean you will be denied a visitor visa though.

 

 

How much should the cool down time be if i want to apply for visitor visa, half a year or one year?

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

3 hours ago, ElDiablo said:

3 months for business meetings with no plan at all for the 3 months?

 

 

^^^this

 

10 minutes ago, lostcause said:

Well known US based financial institution.

 

They have sent around 35-40 in the last year from Singapore office to US office.

Have all these people gone for 3 months with undefined plans? Or were you adding personal time onto a business trip?

[lostcause 0]

1 minute ago, SusieQQQ said:

Have all these people gone for 3 months with undefined plans? Or were you adding personal time onto a business trip?

Absolutely no personal time added. I had a letter from the company mentioning the 3 months time from date X to date Y which I submitted to the IO.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

13 minutes ago, lostcause said:

Absolutely no personal time added. I had a letter from the company mentioning the 3 months time from date X to date Y which I submitted to the IO.

I worked in big financial companies for over two decades. 3 months out the office for meetings is excessive, and someone meeting “stakeholders” is usually senior enough that that amount of time out the office is untenable anyway.

 

i also never attended a visa interview without an itinerary of where I’d be.  As others have said, as the company is paying , take the itinerary and apply again. You don’t really have another option?