An Indian entrepreneur has claimed that his US visa application was rejected after officials said he did not have enough ties to his home country.
Swapnil Srivastav, founder of a sustainable bamboo kidswear brand with $12 million in Annual Recurring Revenue, shared his experience on social media.
Despite building a company that employs over 100 people and has backing from top venture capital investors, he said US officials still felt he lacked sufficient connection to India.
Srivastav said he was born and raised in India and continues to have strong family, cultural and business ties in the country.
He said he found it difficult to understand what more officials expected from him.
“Got denied a US visa today. Reason: ‘Not enough ties to home country.’ I built a Series A company from scratch, employ 100+ people, have backing from top VCs and investors, and serve millions of Indian families through our brand,” Srivastav wrote on X.
He added that rejection is not new to entrepreneurs and said he would reapply after some time.
“Apparently, that’s not enough ties. Anyway, founders are used to hearing ‘no.’ Will reapply after some time. If you’ve been through this and eventually got approved, would love to hear your suggestions,” he wrote.
Social Media Reactions
As the post went viral, several social media users expressed sympathy and shared their own experiences with US visa rejections.
One user wrote that a friend who had spent four years in the US and obtained an O-1 visa was later denied a visa on similar grounds after returning to India.
Another user wished Srivastav luck and said he had been rejected five times before finally getting a US visa stamp on his passport.
Some users also suggested possible ways to strengthen a future application.
One person advised booking a ticket for a major event in the US and clearly mentioning it as the purpose of travel, saying it could help convince officials that the applicant intends to return home after the event.
Another user said they had faced a similar situation and added that they were now planning to travel elsewhere instead of the US.
The incident has once again sparked discussion over how US visa officers assess “home ties,” even in cases where applicants have strong businesses, employees and family connections in India.
