Hyderabad: Andhra doctor ends life after her US visa application was rejected

Hyderabad: A 38-year-old doctor from Andhra Pradesh ended her life after her US visa application was rejected. She took the extreme step at her apartment in Padma Rao Nagar, Hyderabad.

Identified as Rohini from Guntur district, she was living alone in her apartment. The incident came to light on November 22 after her family forced open the door when she failed to respond to repeated phone calls. Her domestic help raised the alarm after Rohini did not open the door on Saturday morning.

Police have recovered a suicide note from her apartment in which Rohini mentioned battling depression and referred to the recent denial of her US visa.

Rohini’s mother, Lakshmi, told police that her daughter had long aspired to work in the United States and had been anxiously waiting for her visa approval. The rejection reportedly left her deeply disturbed.

Rohini completed her MBBS in Kyrgyzstan from 2005 to 2010. She had an excellent academic record. She was preparing to specialise in internal medicine and had chosen to reside in Padma Rao Nagar due to its proximity to libraries. She believed the US offered better work opportunities, including higher income and a manageable patient load.

Her body has been handed over to her family.

Pertinently, US visas can be denied for various reasons, with one of the most common being Section 214(b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This clause is applied when an applicant fails to convince the consular officer that they intend to return to their home country after a temporary stay. Factors such as unstable employment, weak financial standing, or limited family ties can contribute to this outcome.

According to 2023 data, US student visa rejections have remained notably high. Reports indicate that Indian students faced a rejection rate of around 41% between fiscal years 2023 and 2024, while the overall denial rate in 2023 stood at approximately 36%. Frequent reasons for refusal include insufficient financial documentation, inadequate English proficiency, and doubts regarding the applicant’s intention to return after completing their studies.

In a recent case, an Indian tech professional attempting to travel to the US for a major industry event had his B1/B2 visa rejected in under a minute at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi. Sharing his experience on Reddit, he said the interview lasted less than a minute and involved only a few questions. He expressed surprise at the decision, stating that he had strong ties to India: “I’ve been employed in India for 11 years with a stable job, earn close to a crore annually, and have an eight-month-old daughter. I had every reason to return,” he wrote.