Editor’s note: Payal Raj is one of the thousands of Indian nationals on H-1B, L-1, H-4 and L-2 visas who are unable to return to the United States because of travel restrictions imposed on May 4 and also due to the closure of US Embassy and consulates in India. The Nashville, TN, resident describes her plight in an exclusive piece for the American Bazaar.
By Payal Raj
My husband and I came to India with our daughter on April 6, after the US consulates in the country opened following a prolonged closure in due to the Covid-19 pandemic. We needed to stamp US visas on our passports. We also wanted to spend time with our parents because it had been three years since we last saw them. Our plan was to return to Nashville, Tennessee, where we have been living for the past five years, on May 1.
Our immigration attorney advised that since it was my husband’s second H-1B visa stamping, he didn’t need to get an interview and biometrics. Instead he, as well as my daughter and I, as dependents, could make use of Dropbox visa stamping.
Dropbox application is when you submit your passports at a collection office with all supporting documents.
RELATED: Indians on work visas upset about selective Covid travel ban (May 4, 2021)
When we went to the visa office to submit our passports, the visa office rejected mine saying that, since I was stamping my H-4 visa for the first time, I would need another appointment, separate from my husband. (I was on L-2 visa previously.) My husband pleaded with him to accept my passport, but he did not. So we ended up submitting only his and my daughter’s passports. As soon as he came out of the visa office after submission, he broke down before me as he knew my visa stamping process would be a big hassle. By then the consulates had started shutting down and canceling all appointments.
We took heart in the fact that at least they could go and that I could apply for an appointment at a future date and then expedite it. In a week’s time, their visas were processed. Till that week, the consulate portal did not allow me to separate my visa appointment from the group application. So I sat for a week not being able to do anything toward my stamping process.
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Just when they got their stamped visa, the travel ban was announced and the US embassy and the consulates completely shut down, with no notice and no communication on what will happen to those who are waiting to get an appointment and stamping.
My husband and daughter had to go back. We own a house in the United States; we have a pet there; my husband had to report back to his job; daughter had to be enrolled in a new school; and above all, we had built a life there for so many years. We had to at least get my daughter back to some normalcy.
READ: Travel ban keeps Indian American away from husband’s funeral in US (May 11, 2021)
As it stands now, I have no idea when and how I will get back to my 9-year-old, who completely depends on me for all her needs. The bans are specifically targeted toward non-immigrants and their families, and, looking at the history of other country bans, this could go on for months, or even a year.
So my family just has to endure this separation and live our lives in anxiety, mental stress and agony? My daughter has sensed all the tension and has gone quiet, my husband tells me. How did the Biden administration decide which families should be together and which not? Did they even know that thousands of us were here to follow the rule on stamping and that they literally stranded us with their ill-thought policy.
India is different from other countries, so the same proclamation doesn’t really work. Here there are thousands of skilled workers who have a home and life in the US and parents and extended families here. The Biden administration obviously doesn’t care about it.
READ: More than 1,000 unstamped H-1B, other nonimmigrant visa holders stranded in India (May 19, 2020)
Everyone has the human right to be with their family, with their kids, regardless of their citizenship and immigration status. How can the administration blatantly deny that and that too indefinitely!
That is the visa situation. The Covid situation I am in is another story. My side of the family has Covid so I cannot go live with them. My in laws are old and live by themselves in Bangalore which is a hot spot for Covid. I am living with them but if I or they needed any help with any medical emergency I don’t know what we would do. I don’t know anyone here and have no community support as I would have had in the US because that’s where my HOME is, not here.
Non-immigrants have been living in the US for years together. Our belongings, homes, cars, mortgages, school, work, friends, community,H-1 everything is there. How is it fair that on a technicality of citizenship, the Biden administration has pushed us into a corner to endure months of separation and agony and fear of losing everything we have worked so hard to build there?
I am amazed that this administration boasts of being humane and reuniting families at the border but is treating us with such apathy!
READ MORE:
US restricts travel from India; H-1B, L1 holders most affected (April 30, 2021)
US asks Americans to leave India amid Covid surge (April 29, 2021)
Indian Americans concerned about travel to Covid hit India (April 26, 2021)
7 Comments
US administration has to do right for it’s citizens before immigrants. What you said is only your side of the problems – remember that you decided to leave your home country and come to US on a non immigrant visa accepting all the risks of it.
Your situation is the same as is India applies travel ban and suspends visas for all countries to protect it’s interests and citizens.
Your husband and daughter has the choice to come to India and be with you. The US administration is not responsible for you separating from your daughter.
I am truly sorry for your situation and hope there will be a quick resolution. People who have no idea of what it means to stay away from family and what it takes to establish a dream life away in a different country says stupid things. I am sure you are wise enough to ignore the unwise comments. Only jobless and mindless idiots advise you what to love and what not to love. All the people asking to stay and serve motherland are lazy and jealous leaches that can’t build a life for themselves and wants to pull anyone that has achieved what they couldn’t. I heard that the visa slots for H4 will be opening up soon once the F1 applications for the fall are done. Stay strong and good luck!
What a coward always running away from responsibilities and never doing the right thing. Good thing your visa got cancelled. No one wants cheap coolies like you trashing up US, and worse, you’ll spread your covid to others. Stay in India, serve your motherland. Indians not welcome here anymore, worthless worms. Always thinking of ONLY themselves, most selfish people in the world. And stop the pity party for chrissake.
payal pull back your family from US.
Nobody asked you to come here
Why did you deleted my comment because of truth I said ,don’t post these sober stories, fake Indians And disloyalty to own county talk about other countries
Please do not portrait as if it is big problem ,if really what to be with your daughter ,you would have .when it comes you ,you showing same colors like you cannot go to parents house because of covid situation so you want to stay in-laws and in-laws are old but you don’t want to take care of them but why community have to take responsibilities.you too running away from responsibilities.
You coward people are in India for more than 25years only 5 years in America,now you acting.as if you are
American citizen.still America is flexible than Australia..if really America in crisis like you people come to India first vice versa..so don’t blame America government or India for all the things you guys are responsible.
Stay in India since you are not allowed by USA as you are in H4 and will bring the B.1.1.17 Covid starin here and create another pandemic