Indian entrepreneur Swapnil Srivastava, co-founder of a bamboo-based children’s apparel brand, shared his experience of getting his US visa for tourism purposes, which was rejected due to inadequate ties with India. Srivastava said, “I built a Series A company from scratch, employed over 100 people, got the backing of top VCs and investors and served millions of Indian families through my brand. Obviously, that’s not enough relationship.”Although he said he would apply for the visa again because founders are used to hearing ‘no’, this is not a rare thing. And recently, many Indian entrepreneurs faced US visa rejection over the same issue.“I have a company here in India that I have been working for almost 24 hours a day for the last 5 years. Apart from this, I have my parents and family, with whom I love spending time. Trust me, I have many reasons to come back home!” Elaborating on his relationship, Swapnil said that he takes salary from his company and has proof of having enough money.
Why are Indian founders being denied US visas?
These Indian founders run companies in the country, pay salaries to their employees but visa officials believe that this work can also be done from the US. And therefore, there is no guarantee that an entrepreneur traveling to the US on a B1/B2 visa will not change his mind and then try to settle in the US. It is believed that married founders with children in India have a stronger connection to India than single founders with parents living in India.As Swapnil asked for suggestions, one advised that he could book a ticket to an event in the US and tell the visa officer that he was going to attend that event. The user suggested, “This eliminates many questions and makes the process easier. It ensures that once the program is completed, you will return back to your country.”