[Steer]

He is going to a conference obviously, but how does he prove that his intent is "purely non-immigrant" besides that? I mean, it seems to me this could be used to deny anyone entry since you can't very well prove it (I think) if it is not enough that you say that you are not trying to work or immigrate.

Or am I misunderstanding something?

[gkya]

Usually the best proof is a return ticket and an occupation back home (school, job, etc.). IDK if the guy has bought a return ticket. Also I don't (and won't, I can't take what is described in tens of news articles to be the way the US Border acts) have any experience w/ American visas, just European.

[AdamJacobMuller]

Check out the show Border Security on Netflix. There's 3 versions, USA+Canada+Australia and they go quite in-depth on how the border security officers make these kinds of determinations.

The Australian one is extra awesome because they have very tight import restrictions on food/plant products for biosecurity reasons and their proximity to Asia means there are tons of people trying to bring in very interesting (but illegal) items from those countries. Plus they have a whole series of really cute dogs that sniff out the food.

[FabHK]

They might evaluate your ties to home (family, job, real estate, etc.), and statistics from your country of origin (i.e. an applicant from a poor country might have a higher hurdle to clear than an applicant from a developed country).

[chrisper]

When I applied for a Visa, I had to explain them what my parents do etc. Basically you have to convince them that you have enough reasons to return back home. You can do that in many ways, like saying all your family is home, or you own a house at home etc. It is pretty much about convincing the person working at the consulate.

I am guessing in certain countries they are stricter than others. I think there is an issue with Indians overstaying their Visa in the US, so maybe that's why they are so strict over there.

[Veratyr]

As someone with a spouse from a "high risk" country, they want you to show a pile of evidence that tells them you're going to go back home before your visa expires.

Some examples: Close family back home, a job or school back home, money/property/investments/bank accounts back home, lack of strife/conflict back home, lack of family in the US, solid plans in the US that indicate a temporary stay, ticket for a return flight (this actual ranks pretty low I think).

[DrJokepu]

Ties to your home country, such as mortgage, lease, a job, things like that.