COVID-19 impact | Anxious H-1B visa holders don't know what is next in store

Varun K*, an H-1B visa holder working for an American tech firm, came to India on February 22 for a medical emergency. He was due to return in March but could not due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown.

All, he wants now is to get back home before May 21.

"We don't know what the outcome will be after 30-day review on guest worker visa ends. So, before that, I just want to go back to the US," he said.

Review of guest worker visa like H-1B

Varun is among over 1,000 non-resident Indians who are in a rush to go back home before Donald Trump makes any further changes to the guest worker visa rules.

On April 22, the US President Donald Trump signed an executive order that banned immigration into the country for 60 days to protect American jobs. There are close to 30 million Americans unemployed currently and set to raise further at the back of COVID-19. The order also said that the department of homeland security and labour department will look into non-immigration visa such as H-1B in 30 days.

There are close to nine lakh H-1B visa holders in the US, majority of them employed by the tech firms there. There are at least 5,00,000 Indians waiting in the green card queue to become permanent residents.

This is what is worrying the Indians who are stuck here.

"Sentiment towards H-1B holders are very hostile. It is unclear what the government would do. It is better not to take chances now. So we want to go back just to be safe," pointed out S Shankar*, who is currently in Jaipur.

Fear of losing jobs

But that is not the only challenge. Take Vaishali K* for instance. She is an H-1B visa holder and recently joined a new company, her joining date being March 14.

"I came here in February to visit my father who was sick. He later passed away. So I had pushed the joining date to March 28. But then the lockdown came," she explained. Vaishali’s fear right now is that how long the company will push her joining date. As of now, it is June 1.

That is why, at least for some of them, the recent evacuation attempt by the Indian government is a welcome move. Currently there are seven flights leaving from Mumbai and Delhi in May to different locations in the US to bring Indians back. Instead of running empty, Indians who want to travel back to US can take these flights.

However there are restrictions. Indians travelling should have a valid visa at least for a year. Santhosh K*, a techie who lives in Atlanta but currently in Bengaluru, argues that it does not make sense to have that criteria.

"When entering the US, there is no such restriction. As long as you have the valid visa at that particular point, you will be allowed," said Santhosh.

At a time when it is still not clear if they would have jobs and living in the constant fear of immigration changes due to COVID-19, the NRIs expressed that this condition does not help the cause.

What if they visa extensions does not happen?

That is only part of the problem. There are at least 500 Indians stranded here waiting for their stamping, passport renewals and collect their stamped passports from the embassy.

With consulates closed, there was nothing much they could do except wait.

For Pranav K*, who works for an Indian tech firm in the US, the issue is more pressing. He came to the US due complete his father’s final rites in March first week.

"I came at a time when my H-1B visa was about expire. So I had to file for my extension. But appointment was cancelled because the offices are closed," Pranav said.

But he is desperate as he left his dependent spouse, who is pregnant, and 4-year-old son alone in the US. His spouse is expecting in September.

"I am just hoping I will get my visa and be with them soon," he said. With the impending immigration ban, he is anxious.

For people like Pravav, there is a possibility of visa being rejected or the process being prolonged for months. "I am not thinking about it right now," he confessed.

But if it does, he will have many new problems to deal with.

(*Names changed on request)

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