

Ask HN: Denied US Visa As I am too young to be a CTO, Now What? - dkd903

I am a 24 year old guy who is the co-founder and CTO of a 1.5 Million dollar web / mobile software services company based out of Mumbai. Most of our clients are from the US. This was my first US visa interview and I got rejected.<p>The consul officer asked me how could I become a CTO a such an young age and it does not make any sense to her.<p>I was asked only four questions by the Consul Officer:<p>Officer: What do you do<p>Answer: I am a software developer and currently working as a CTO at XYZ<p>Officer: What is your age<p>Answer: 24<p>Officer: You are too young to be CTO. Whatever you just said does not make any sense. How long is your visit?<p>Answer: 1 month<p>Officer: Who will sponsor<p>Answer: My client is sponsoring my visit (I had relevant documents but she did not want to see them when I handed over to her)<p>Now I am confused that even if I re-apply, I will be asked the same question again right? Any suggestions from someone who might have faced a similar situtation earlier?
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TheMegalomaniac
Having been through this process once and hoping to never have to do it again
- my sympathies.

I have one piece of advice for next time. The visa interviewers are usually
rushed and trying to move on quickly. Slow them down and address their
concerns.

You response to Officer: You are too young to be CTO. Whatever you just said
does not make any sense. How long is your visit? Answer: 1 month

is not enough. The officer mentioned a concern but didn't phrase it as a
question. Nevertheless you need to address it head on and put their doubts to
rest. Give them the full story on it.

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cgshaw
I'm an attorney. I don't know a whole lot about immigration policy, but I know
some fantastic immigration attorneys in the Boston area that I can put you in
contact with. I'm sure there is a solution to this that won't have you hung up
too long.

My email is Chris at LexSpot dot com.

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ohashi
As an American, I am truly sorry. Depending on the size of embassy/consulate
you may have lost the which person sees your case lottery. If you could find
someone else there to talk to about the situation it might help. Also perhaps
try going to the American Chamber of Commerce. I believe they help business
people get visas (although you may need to become a member).

~~~
dkd903
Thanks for the suggestion ohashi. I will give a 2nd shot at the visa
interview. If they reject me again, I will probably approach the American
Chamber of Commerce then!

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Tzunamitom
This is just one of many examples of how the global immigration system is
completely failing to stay relevant to today's globalised society. I'm a
global citizen...If I want to go on holiday, or a business trip, I don't want
to have to apply for a Visa weeks before. I don't want to have to carry a
physical passport about with me that expires when I have too many stamps. As a
country, all you really care about is that I'm not a security risk, I'm not an
illegal immigration risk, I'm not a criminal, and I'll pay whatever taxes are
due. I'm ok with that, but surely there's a better way for both of us?

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michaelochurch
The problem is not the "global immigration system". The EU has extremely
liberal policies with other EU countries, for example. It's the U.S.
immigration system. It sucks balls.

~~~
Tzunamitom
The EU (or at least the Schengen countries) are getting there, but there are
plenty of other countries that are problematic as well as the US. I'm British,
so the EU is easy (still need a physical passport though), the US isn't too
bad for tourism, but was painful to get a work visa for. I live in the Middle
East, and love travelling to India which means a mountain of paperwork and a
3-month freeze-out each time I go. I could visit east Africa for a weekend on
a whim, but I never do because of the visa lead-times. It strikes me that the
best thing some countries could do for development is streamline their visa
processes.

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michaelpinto
Answer: talk to a lawyer who knows the ropes

~~~
dkd903
Thanks for your reply michael. But can you please elaborate how will
consulting a lawyer help my case?

~~~
ra
You were treated wrongly.

A good lawyer who specialises in immigration will know what to do next.

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paulsutter
Use an attorney for important requests such as visas. Immigration employees
are overworked and underpaid, and sometimes rush through their decisions.

An attorney will help ensure that you have all the right papers in order, and
give you important advice for the visa process. Now that you have one
rejection on your file, it is especially important to get it right next time.

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true_religion
The ridiculous thing is that he's only 7 years younger than the CTO of
Facebook, and a mere 3 years younger than the CEO.

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mmountford
#SiliconValleyProblems

