An Indian student recently shared the experience of F-1 visa rejection in a two-minute interview, while the case has no apparent loopholes. The student applied for the visa to study an MS in Computer Science at the University of Maryland and the program starts on August 31. The student, sponsored by the father, secured Rs 50 lakh education loan — showing no problem at all.During the interview, the applicant was asked regular questions about whether they had any threats in India that might prevent them from returning to India and also about the choice of the university. “I chose UMD because it aligns closely with my research interests in computer vision. The program offers specialized electives in AI and computer vision, and its research labs match the areas I want to explore during my master’s,” the student replied.Another crucial detail was that the applicant was working as a software engineer remotely from India for a company headquartered in San Francisco. “My employment ends on July 17 before I begin my master’s. I have an employer letter stating there is no intent to employ me during or after my studies,” the applicant wrote on Reddit, trying to understand the reason for the denial.
‘Remote work is a major red flag’
Redditors were quick to find out the red flag, though the applicant’s company issued a letter stating that they don’t intend to hire the student in the future. “Your remote work arrangement with a US employer is a red flag for the consulate. It shows two things: one, that you have contacts in the US who can offer you employment with the right skills; and two, that you’re still working for them and only started recently. As others have said here, what if you continued working for them while receiving your salary in an Indian account? It also comes across as a way to bypass $100k fee by your US company. The consular officer just needs reasonable belief one way or another. Honestly, I don’t see your profile getting approved. If I were you, I would simply get a master’s degree in India and keep the job I have,” one Redditor suggested.“I think it’s a question of trust. do they trust that your current employer will not become your future employer – and that too when you are in the USA. They would want to err on the side of caution and probably not take a chance. hence the denial,” another said.“Your remote employment for a San Francisco tech company was a massive red flag that likely triggered an immediate assumption of immigrant intent on your DS-160 before you even spoke. To a visa officer, a software engineer with active, direct ties to a US employer has an incredibly high capability and incentive to transition seamlessly into the domestic job market. Even with your employer letter, the system presumes you could easily continue working remotely or use that network to bypass standard employment visa channels. Furthermore, your highly portable specialisation in Computer Vision and AI combined with a generic, textbook answer about UMD did nothing to establish a mandatory return to India. For your next attempt, you must rewrite your DS-160 to emphasise local career anchors and shift your interview narrative to articulate precise, high-value corporate opportunities waiting for you back home,” a third Redditor suggested.
