@Jackie **********

The hypoethesis I speak of was that he saw in your document folder that you were a former FSO. And as you now confirm, your wife actually did mention it, which may have warranted him checking for your file in the backroom (I'm hypothetizing that now). The point is really, if you were given professional courtesy, doesn't matter what documents you may or not have brought with you, as you stated, it is possible you were thrown in a bone as a former colleague.

99.99% of applicants do not share this past history, so on that token alone, your experience is different than that of us common folks.

As for documents, I am not relying on my solo personal experience - that is exactly what I say people tend to do, and who tend to apply it incorrectly as de facto 'reality'. As I mention, I run several groups for US Tourist visa, with over 250,000 aggregate members, across different countries. NOT being asked to show documents that applicants spent hours preparing, is a _recurring_ (and frustrating) experience shared by HUNDREDS upon hundreds of applicants, _both_ approved and denied, including on this same thread in this current group.

I promise you, many many, MANY people try to offer xyz documents, only for the visa officer to say they don't need to see them. That your wife had the VO take the a whole package and go review in the back for a full 10 minutes just doesn't happen (unless of course, former FSO.)

I have it also in good reference from (ex) visa officers that they are trained not to rely on documents, because they can be easily falsified. I constantly have to ban and block persons who come to my groups offering (fake) bank statements and any document requested for a visa application.

While I would like to defer to your past experience as an FSO, I simply know from personal and countless shared experiences that what I am saying is very accurate. Here, from an ex-visa officer's own mouth, on documents:



While I repeat that 99% of times documents are NOT requested or seen, I never suggest people not to bring documents, because you never know that 1% chance.

@Jackie **********

As I said, if you have data to back it up, then it backs up. Not very often I run into ex/FSOs on this topic, so it usually tends to be pointed experiences made into 'facts'.

@Jackie **********

Well I mean, if as you hypothesize he actually did take the docs (which in itself is a rarety, how'd you manage that without dropping names/FSO title??) and he was reviewing it in the back then very possible could've been professional courtesy, so all bets are off then as far as what actually helped.

@Jackie **********

Which documents did they ask to see from the ones you brought?

@Jackie **********

Just search for 'usa b1/b2 visa application' you will find a few.

@Jackie **********

I've only been tracking it since 2 years ago, and 2020 had similar approval/denial rates. Unless you have more information, may I suggest your 'fact' is more based on general impressions than actual reality. I see this often in my groups, people saying "don't bother applying, they are rejecting everyone right now" 'facts' when really is based on them going to the interview, seeing the people in front of them being denied 2-3-4 people, and building this idea it happens to 'everyone'.

The US tourist visa process is a black box and visa officers never disclose why they rejected you (unlike Schengen) and so that leaves people to hypothesize and pass often repeated theories as facts, some of them being repeated on this same thread.

@Kool ******

Completely FALSE. They do NOT check your application until the visa officer is looking at you.

@Werner ***********

@Terry *******

75% approved

@Michael *********

What changed the 4th time? in the space of how many months/years?

@Randy *********

Having a contact in the US makes it easier for a tourist to overstay, because they might have a place to stay, people who may connect them to under the table jobs. So, while there are no statistics about this, I've seen some tv show like 'Border Control' (or something) where suspected tourists are stopped at Immigration control when they fly in, and the Immigration Officers are allowed to check the tourist's personal phone and see if there's any conversations/emails/chats with people about jobs (which I assume would be people in the US already).