INDIANS UNABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR LIVES IN US : THOSE EMPLOYED IN US MIGHT LOSE THEIR JOBS - DETAILS

Hema (name changed upon request) took a flight to Chennai from New Jersey, after her mother, a senior-citizen had a medical emergency in early March. Later that month, international flights were restricted from operating due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Little did she know, that her nightmare was yet to begin.

Hema has a H4 dependent Visa as her husband works in an IT firm and possesses a H1B Visa. She was confident about flying back to the U.S. as soon as the international flights resume operations. However, after president Trump announced the temporary suspension of work permits and dependent visas, Hema is worried about not getting to get back to her family for the rest of the year.

An immigration consultant in Silicon Valley who also runs an online community page for H1B and H4 visa holders, Netra Chavan told Economic Times, “Several families in the US will feel enormous stress as there will be a long delay in getting spouses, children and relatives from joining them.”

“Many of these have been waiting for their green cards for several years. Indian-born children in such families already face the worry of ageing out while their parents wait for their green cards. There is fear of deportation. This executive order will create more uncertainty in their lives.”

1000s of members from Netra’s online community have shared their concerns about the same.

Several Indians were selected on lottery basis in April 2020 and were awarded H1B visas. However, many of them are now unable to travel to the U.S. until the end of this year. Almost 70% of the total 65,000 H1Bs are given to Indians. Multiple lawsuits are likely to be filed as several US employers depend on high-skilled H1B workers, especially in healthcare and technology," says Anil Gupta, a software engineer in California who runs a website related to visa. He expressed that his own Green Card is yet to arrive, and that he has been in a queue for over eight years. Further he added that employees who are stuck in India with a U.S. based job can only hope that their employers hold their jobs.

However, a change can only be expected depending upon the Presidential election which is to be held in November 2020.