Everything is harder for an Indian immigrant. It was a battle to get picked in the H1-B visa “lottery”. I haven’t seen my family in 3 years because I can’t find a visa stamping appointment at the US consulate in India. Flight tickets to go to India in the month of December is $5000. Millions are waiting to get a visa and the government, that should serve its people, is creating more roadblocks for its citizens. How is this not being spoken about?

Few thoughts: A) totally empathize. Takes major stones (real or proverbial) to make that jump knowing the situation and still trying to better yourself B) while this is a major challenge for the firm (and all companies that utilize the program to the extent we do) gotta think of both where the challenge ranks against our other challenges + what we can do about it. In todays climate going to bat for one group over any other is gonna be a non-starter. I can spend treasure and political will on a small chance of influencing politicians for Indians on h1b or I could spend the same on staffing my projects/rewarding the whole group/etc.C) also remember leaders don’t just have firm leadership roles, they have clients and their own families to worry about. Sorry to be brash but while it’s unfair, it’s just not the top few priorities that are gonna get worked.

With you OP. Not based in the US but can empathize with not seeing family for years due to via processing /costs. To the folks who are unable to empathize, though we understand our choices and it's consequences, it still hurts to be so far from family for this long. Most folks weren't able to see family during Covid and it crushed them. Zoom became the trend while for immigrants- We haven't seen ours for years cause there's always some issue. Even if we do get to fly back to visit, in the case of my personal situation, my family and my partner's family live in completely different states so we have to split our time and that gives us little over a week with them.

A Little compassion goes a long long way.

So we’re going to ignore the whole wanting skilled immigrants in the US because we need the STEM skills because American citizens aren’t getting STEM degrees and building experience in those sectors in order to tell someone those are the breaks? OP is putting a human face behind the other side of our broken immigration system, one we rely on to maintain our economy and competitive advantage on a global scale.

Can’t believe the level of intelligence and critical thinking skills in consulting has given way to partisan talking points. There’s an undertone in many of these posts of racial animosity too.

Decisions have consequences. You chose money and career.

I agree that it is very hard for immigrants. However a lot of these issues aren't unique for Indian immigrants. I would challenge you to have some empathy for other groups if immigrants as well.

For example, do you think it's easier for Venezuelan immigrants? The ones I know can't even apply for citizenship because their country no longer issues passports and any savings they had have been devalued almost completely.

Immigrants from India are the second-largest immigrant group after Mexicans. This number has increased dramatically in recent years, growing 13-fold between 1980 and 2019.

The numbers show that the US treats Indian migrant workers better than most other migrant groups. In comparison, how are migrants in India treated?

Join your DEI taskforce and socialize it via their means of comms?

Governments exist to serve their citizens, yes, which is why immigration-related wait times are a fairly low priority. It's not like other US government stuff isn't paralyzed right now either.

I've been an expat my entire life and have never even set foot in my "home" country. You just have to accept that your situation is different from your native-born friends and neighbors. Plenty of us haven't seen family in ages because of intl travel shutting down, which also explains why flights are sold out.

Who laughed at this?

So sorry you’re going through this, OP. Abd I’m dirty that people are being jerks to you rather than showing compassion.

Yes it is. Right there with you. Big hugs

This is why the southern border crisis pisses people off. Do things the right way, you stress separated by your family. Do things the illegal get paid upwards of half a million when your family gets separated at border jail.

S&1 - who’s is getting paid half a million? What do you mean “do things the illegal”?

If employers wouldn’t turn a blind eye and hire undocumented then this wouldn’t be a problem. There is a high level of exploitation along with lower wages and even blackmail when employee tries to ask for decent treatment. If you have spent an afternoon speaking to an undocumented or even a DACA person you would learn a lot.

Life is hard. And choices are yours. You balance what you want versus what you give up. So …

Honest question, when you say “…and the government, that should serve its people, is creating more roadblocks for its citizens”, can you clarify what roadblocks India is erecting that are causing its citizens immigration issues?

Okay, what do you need? Lots of thoughts in the post but couldn’t get the gist.

What keeps you going through all of it? Is it mental fortitude, hope, or something else?

As an immigrant, I feel for you OP. I'm ROW so don't have your wait times but it's tough for all of us as the wait times have increased significantly to obtain permanent status.

Genuinely curious what the solution is here.. and apologize in advance if oversimplification because not as aware of the intricacies of the visa process.. I agree that the process needs to be streamlined.. seems like too many random steps, paperwork, illogical procedures.. but the lottery system is just based on the fact immigrating to the states is just super popular right? I mean from a govt standpoint you would need to limit people somehow? So while I can see there are things to approve wouldn't there always be a luck/lottery component and therefore stress involved?

As it should be… we have immigration laws just like any other country. Sorry but that’s how it works!

I hear your frustration OP, but nothing is going to change. Politicians are elected by citizens, and immigration isn’t a pressing issue to most citizens — and when it is, it’s often about keeping immigrants out. And it’s important to remember that you are making a choice to live in another country where you are a guest. I’m saying this as an American who was formerly an expat in the UK and got screwed getting British right to work because I graduated before the Brexit changes to Tier 4 student visas and the pandemic hit right before my graduation, and a soon to be expat in Australia who has been separated from my SO for almost 2 years because the borders are still closed and had to spend $8,000 on a partner visa which takes 1.5-2 years on average to process and over $10,000 on a first class ticket because flight caps and hotel quarantine meant that only 7 people were allowed in on each plane (and the airlines prioritize the most expensive tickets). If I were you, I would be grateful that the battle is to get a visa stamping appointment since Australian temporary visa holders cannot get back into Australia right now if they leave — students and skilled workers caught outside of Australia when the pandemic hit have not been able to get back in for almost 2 years with many watching their visas expire with no extensions likely. Most Australians have supported the border closures, and now most Australians who are fully vaccinated are allowed to leave for a holiday while temporary visa holders are still stuck in Australia because they are still not allowed back in if they leave. It’s a very expensive, drawn out, and frustrating choice to be an immigrant, but you are choosing to sign up for the process, however inefficient it is.