Covid crisis is shaking many families mentally and physically. While the daily wagers in India are facing severe physical agony, the people those are expiring their visas in the US are under severe mental pressure.
"We are in tension as our visas are getting expired in the month of June. My husband is on H1B. We are in a dilemma and not finding any light at the end of the tunnel. India has closed its borders and not sure when they will open.
We cannot go to our homeland and nor even stay here in USA either. Above all, my husband has a big student loan availed for advanced degree in US university which cannot be cleared in life time with his job in India. We have no assets here in the USA at least to sell them and go back", lamented Anuradha, a resident in Houston, TX.
On the other hand Jeremy Neufeld, an immigration policy analyst says that 200,000 of H1B visa holders could lose their legal status by the end of June. So, 200,000 families from different nations (majority are Indians) are in the same plight like that of Anuradha above.
Tens of Millions of Americans have lost their jobs in the last 60 days. H1B workers will have 60 days time to find another job if they lose the present one. That means they can stay in the USA without being paid for not more than two months.
Finding a new job is a wild goose chase at this juncture. So, if the workers those have valid H1B visa but lost their jobs are also subject to leave the country after two months.
For those who have jobs, their visas are not getting renewed due to the pandemic pandemonium. So, either way H1Bs are prone to exit the USA by June.
"The visa crisis is a calamity at human and economic level; it's a total mess", says an immigration policy expert in Washington DC.
While this is the case with regard to the forced exit, some Indians and forcibly living in the USA.
"We have recently sold out our house to move back to India to look after my ageing parents. I have resigned my job as well. We made all our preparations and also booked tickets to fly in the last week of March. But the Indians borders are close by then and our flights are cancelled. Where should we stay now?
We handed over the house to the new owners on April 1st. No I have no job in hand as well. We have shifted to a rented place and waiting for borders to open. It's like punishment for us", says Raghu Ram from Chicago.
