₦airaland Forum

On October 10 2022, I went for a B1/B2 visa interview. The purpose of my visit was to purchase a loom machine and also attend a three-day workshop held by the same manufacturer from whom I had been planned to buy the machine. I am the procurement manager for a firm owned by my wife, and I was to travel to purchase a new machine for my company as well as attend a three-day class organized by the company. When I arrived at the interview, I just had 4 minutes before the consular officer denied my visa and advised me to try again later. Non of my documents was checked.

I was only asked this 2 questions.

1. Ques: what’s the Purpose of my trip?
Answer: I’m traveling to purchase a loom and attend a short course?

Ques 2: Tell me about your company.

Ans: told him the name of the company and what we do.

To my surprise, the next thing I heard was....you are not eligible for this kinda bla bla. He asked me nothing bout my wife and none of my documents was checked

Then I asked him why, so he asked me if have been out of the country before, I said no

I will need to reapply. And I need your candid guidance on how to navigate my next interview and I also need to know what went wrong? Thanks

Governor17:
On October 10 2022, I went for a B1/B2 visa interview. The purpose of my visit was to purchase a loom machine and also attend a three-day workshop held by the same manufacturer from whom I had been planned to buy the machine. I am the procurement manager for a firm owned by my wife, and I was to travel to purchase a new machine for my company as well as attend a three-day class organized by the company. When I arrived at the interview, I just had 4 minutes before the consular officer denied my visa and advised me to try again later. Non of my documents was checked.

I was only asked this 2 questions.

1. Ques: what’s the Purpose of my trip?
Answer: I’m traveling to purchase a loom and attend a short course?

Ques 2: Tell me about your company.

Ans: told him the name of the company and what we do.

To my surprise, the next thing I heard was....you are not eligible for this kinda bla bla. He asked me nothing bout my wife and none of my documents was checked

Then I asked him why, so he asked me if have been out of the country before, I said no

I will need to reapply. And I need your candid guidance on how to navigate my next interview and I also need to know what went wrong? Thanks

do you have previous travel history

Oga, come first.

How much be the loom machine wey you be wan buy that time?

Governor17:
On October 10 2022, I went for a B1/B2 visa interview.

I will need to reapply. And I need your candid guidance on how to navigate my next interview and I also need to know what went wrong? Thanks

Nothing went wrong. You did not sufficiently demonstrate that you qualified for the nonimmigrant visa or the officer could not determine your eligibility based on the information you provided. The only option is to reapply, in doing so you need to demonstrate your home ties.
Do you have previous transactions with the US company. You can ask them to write to the Consulate.

wife owns a business. Husband is procurement manager in the same business, obviously this is a family owned business.

Wife traveled to purchase a machine and attend a seminar.

Husband ( procurement officer) is also traveling for the same purpose.

Wife was given visa long before husband applied and wife is still in the US.

Imagine you are a visa officer, what will come to you mind?

Who will be left behind to run the company?

If i was the visa officer i will also deny you because my thought will be, it seems this guy want to japa or reunite with his wife.

ednut1:
do you have previous travel history

No as at the time of the interview but I visited Ghana last year

Golan007:
Oga, come first.

How much be the loom machine wey you be wan buy that time?

$15,000

studyless123:
Nothing went wrong. You did not sufficiently demonstrate that you qualified for the nonimmigrant visa or the officer could not determine your eligibility based on the information you provided. The only option is to reapply, in doing so you need to demonstrate your home ties.
Do you have previous transactions with the US company. You can ask them to write to the Consulate.

Thanks for the polite response. I had no previous transaction with the company. But now you I’m doing it in a formal way. I should receive the machine pro invoice and the company invitation letter very soon.

Please, What kind of questions should I be expecting this time around? Thanks.

Governor17:
$15,000

That's a good value to be spending.

I think you didn't show enough conviction by way of evidence of what your main purpose for travel was.

If you had a strong, verifiable history of travel, assets, strong ties to your home country, you should have been granted.

motymop:
wife owns a business. Husband is procurement manager in the same business, obviously this is a family owned business.

Wife traveled to purchase a machine and attend a seminar.

Husband ( procurement officer) is also traveling for the same purpose.

Wife was given visa long before husband applied and wife is still in the US.

Imagine you are a visa officer, what will come to you mind?

Who will be left behind to run the company?

If i was the visa officer i will also deny you because my thought will be, it seems this guy want to japa or reunite with his wife.

They had no info bout my wife previous trip cos they didn’t asked me bout my wife

Golan007:
That's a good value to be spending.

I think you didn't show enough conviction by way of evidence of what your main purpose for travel was.

If you had a strong, verifiable history of travel, assets, strong ties to your home country, you should have been granted.

Hmm...I thought as much. I visited Ghana last year to have a travel history. Please, what do you think I can do to increase my chances of getting a visa in my next interview? Thanks

Governor17:
Hmm...I thought as much. I visited Ghana last year to have a travel history. Please, what do you think I can do to increase my chances of getting a visa in my next interview? Thanks

Ghana is not travel history. You are the procurement manager and not the user of the machine. So why are you the one attending the workshop Do you have to be on ground to buy a 15k machine. They will still deny you again

Governor17:
Hmm...I thought as much. I visited Ghana last year to have a travel history. Please, what do you think I can do to increase my chances of getting a visa in my next interview? Thanks

Try visiting Schengen nations, UK.

They simply weren't convinced about your purpose.

Travelling to Ghana means nothing bro.

Even the Schengen travel is no guarantee but it helps.

Governor17:
They had no info bout my wife previous trip cos they didn’t asked me bout my wife

It's what u assume
They have yr wife's info which shows shes married to u n she was issued a visa.
Na God go help u.... For this ur second application

Governor17:
They had no info bout my wife previous trip cos they didn’t asked me bout my wife

They have all your wife info.

To be realistic, a procurement officer do not need to travel to get a loom machine. It is not a high tech machine and it can be ordered online

Governor17:
On October 10 2022, I went for a B1/B2 visa interview. The purpose of my visit was to purchase a loom machine and also attend a three-day workshop held by the same manufacturer from whom I had been planned to buy the machine. I am the procurement manager for a firm owned by my wife, and I was to travel to purchase a new machine for my company as well as attend a three-day class organized by the company. When I arrived at the interview, I just had 4 minutes before the consular officer denied my visa and advised me to try again later. Non of my documents was checked.

I was only asked this 2 questions.

1. Ques: what’s the Purpose of my trip?
Answer: I’m traveling to purchase a loom and attend a short course?

Ques 2: Tell me about your company.

Ans: told him the name of the company and what we do.

To my surprise, the next thing I heard was....you are not eligible for this kinda bla bla. He asked me nothing bout my wife and none of my documents was checked

Then I asked him why, so he asked me if have been out of the country before, I said no

I will need to reapply. And I need your candid guidance on how to navigate my next interview and I also need to know what went wrong? Thanks

Potential red flags:
1. your wife owns the company you work for (assuming you mentioned these when describing your company.) Huge red flag. "My wife owns the company" is the stupidest thing to hear as a visa officer. You are married to each other; saying you both own the company sounds better, although I wouldn't recommend it, leads me to next point.
2. your company was perceived as an SME (small business) and shows weak home ties.
3. your wife went on a B1/B2 and hasn't returned.

Advice:
1. Let your wife return first to prove non-immigrant intent. Wait for 3 months after she returns.
2. Learn to describe your company as this huge conglomerate and you hold a managerial position (salary should show this.) If possible try not to link your wife to your company, she's only married to you, and having your work tied together can be an issue if her recent nonimmigrant visa intent is questionable. Having the company name as your name will make this harder as well.
3. make sure you're not listing close relatives in the US that could potentially hurt your visa intent.
4. Make your reason for travel compelling. "To purchase a loom" is not compelling. You can also purchase it from Nigeria and have it shipped down. The "short course" is too often used. Make something else.
Or don't apply at all. You should never be desperate for a B1/B2 visa anyway, being desperate already shows immigrant intent as opposed to non-immigrant intent. Now that you've been denied, why isn't your company sending someone else to procure the equipment?

Just let it go, man, and find a better reason or time to travel.

Governor17:
They had no info bout my wife previous trip cos they didn’t asked me bout my wife

They know your wife is in the US.

If the owner of the company did not return, why would the procurement manager husband return.