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Despite being someone from a country that end in -stan, I got my US travel visa approved immediately and processed in a week. While I don't know why you were r

Despite being someone from a country that end in -stan, I got my US travel visa approved immediately and processed in a week. While I don't know why you were rejected the first time around, I think the 102 day wait time is because your application is at the bottom of someone's work pile, where it will stay until they realize something is wrong. I'd personally ping them again and politely ask if it usually takes this long to process applications of this sort.

villedepommes 8y ago
I think this is a very common misconception. DHS and USCIS aren't idiots; they can tell there's a world of difference between a former Soviet republic(e.g. KZ,KG,UZ,etc) and other -stan countries. Also, the US maintains the fairly extensive diplomatic staff in those states. Lastly, if you were to apply for a Green Card, while holding an H1-B, you would get it years before an Indian or Chinese national due to the quota system. I would imagine it should be also easier for people like you to get the Green Card through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.
- Mediterraneo10 8y ago
  > DHS and USCIS aren't idiots; they can tell there's a world of difference between a former Soviet republic(e.g. KZ,KG,UZ,etc) and other -stan countries. I am a white and Christian European, the sort of person who generally does not get much scrutiny when traveling internationally. Yet quite often when I fly into the USA, the mood of the Customs and Border Patrol officer changes markedly when he notices that I have a Kazakhstan tourist visa in my passport. Since the officer is not allowed to ask you right out “Are you Muslim?”, I once got the indirect question “Did you travel to this country because you sympathize with the belief system of its inhabitants?” I would hope that DHS staff in offices vetting visas are more knowledgeable about the world, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they weren’t.
  - villedepommes 8y ago
    I was actually born in KZ and I can't remember even a single time a CBP officer would give me a hard time because of that. Unless you are from one of Eastern European countries meaning you probably have relatives living in KZ or friends, I can see why a tourist visa for KZ has piqued his interest: it's fairly unusual.
- amingilani 8y ago
  Thank you for your advice, unfortunately, I'm from the one -stan country ineligible for the Diversity programme: Pakistan.

villedepommes 8y ago

I think this is a very common misconception. DHS and USCIS aren't idiots; they can tell there's a world of difference between a former Soviet republic(e.g. KZ,KG,UZ,etc) and other -stan countries. Also, the US maintains the fairly extensive diplomatic staff in those states. Lastly, if you were to apply for a Green Card, while holding an H1-B, you would get it years before an Indian or Chinese national due to the quota system. I would imagine it should be also easier for people like you to get the Green Card through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

Mediterraneo10 8y ago
> DHS and USCIS aren't idiots; they can tell there's a world of difference between a former Soviet republic(e.g. KZ,KG,UZ,etc) and other -stan countries. I am a white and Christian European, the sort of person who generally does not get much scrutiny when traveling internationally. Yet quite often when I fly into the USA, the mood of the Customs and Border Patrol officer changes markedly when he notices that I have a Kazakhstan tourist visa in my passport. Since the officer is not allowed to ask you right out “Are you Muslim?”, I once got the indirect question “Did you travel to this country because you sympathize with the belief system of its inhabitants?” I would hope that DHS staff in offices vetting visas are more knowledgeable about the world, but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if they weren’t.
- villedepommes 8y ago
  I was actually born in KZ and I can't remember even a single time a CBP officer would give me a hard time because of that. Unless you are from one of Eastern European countries meaning you probably have relatives living in KZ or friends, I can see why a tourist visa for KZ has piqued his interest: it's fairly unusual.
amingilani 8y ago
Thank you for your advice, unfortunately, I'm from the one -stan country ineligible for the Diversity programme: Pakistan.