FINALLY GREENED!!!!!

Last week while battling COVID as a family , hearing the heartbroken news of Roe vs Wade, we also received the much awaited news of our Green card. While some folks might not be aware of what this news means, millions from Indian origin truly know what this means.

This post is intended for

1. Non-Indians to be aware of the constant challenges your Indian peers face
2. Indians currently in US on a visa or on a pursuit of visa to be aware of what they are signing up for

Saga of 17 years

• 17 years ago I first stepped in this country with 4 bags?
• 16 years ago I entered with a dependent visa and made a home
• 15 years ago I started working after a 10 month hiatus due to visa
• 14 years ago I had my first child
• 12 years ago we bought our first home
• 11 years ago I applied for my green card second time
• 10 years ago I had my second child
• 9 years ago my green card application first round got declined due to an attorney error
• 6 years ago I completed my master's
• 5 years ago I had offers from 3 best companies in the world
• 4 years ago we bought our second home and moved

Every person we got in touch with in this beautiful country has had an impact on us. Every person has influenced our life to get better, motivated and fulfilling.

There never goes a day we are not grateful for all this country has offered us. Be it colleagues, neighbors, baby sitters, friends, managers ( other than 1) were incredibly supportive in our lives

Was it all rosy though?

14 years ago went back to work in 4 weeks after a C Section due to visa being tied to the employer and market recession.

13 years ago when my father had a heart attack my first thought was visa.

12 years ago when my grandmother who supported me passed away I couldn't go due to visa restrictions

10 years ago when my parents celebrated their 60th birthday I couldn't go due to visa restrictions

1 year ago when my father in law passed away none of us in the family could go due to lack of visa appointments

In my 17+ years we as a family have never been to India together fearing on visa delay and potential complications to our life (mortgage, car loan, kids)

80% of my adult life is spent in this country. My kids call this their nation and feel pride in the fact that they are U S citizens. I have been outside the country for a total of 8 weeks in the past 17 years.

I realize when I talk about the challenges this message comes from an incredibly privileged experience working in the top company in the world, but not many do and I also realize I have been lucky with COVID situation and have my dates achieved much earlier than was ever anticipated (wait time of 150 years).

My story is not unique, there are worse stories than mine which would make your heart hurt. There are kids who are documented dreamers struggling to maintain their status, there are spouses waiting in a never ending haul of approval dates, there are folks who couldn’t get visa dates to potentially visit their home country , companies bartering lower pay for visa individuals, folks who work in a body shop consultancy and get panic attack every time they have to pay a Vendor-Customer relationship between more than three parties, folks who cannot change jobs, apply for a promotion and many many more.

Even things which should be easy are harder for visa holders such as getting a Driver's License , Whole Life Insurance, Vehicle Insurance, Mortgage Rates.

Is it a Republican or Democrat issue? Please don't make this a political partisan issue. I have been here since the Bush Administration. All sides of the party aisle have brought this mess and there is no one to blame but us as Indians for the choice we make.?

Is it worth it you may ask? Everyone needs to make a personal choice due to their background, upbringing and situation. However, my personal recommendation would be for any of the non immigrants coming from India, please DON'T sign up for this life. Mental peace you would have to forego for not years but decades of your future will forever create a mark in life.?

For folks who come here to study Master’s and then convert to a work visa or folks like me this life is not worth it. I wish someone shared this with me much earlier in my life. I would have made an informed and different decision. When I signed up and got accepted in the lane, the wait time was 4 years today it is 150+ years. The only reason we were able to even get this good news is due to COVID and embassies being closed?

I am an Indian born US citizen or green card holder. How can I help??

• Very few of my friends have actually asked this question.
• If there is a change.org or any kind of petition , help by signing
• Be empathetic with your questions regarding a potential trip, job change etc.,
• Create awareness when discussing with friends and family who are thinking of moving to US

In conclusion,?

America might be the best country in the world with awesome people and incredible opportunities but the policies are not brown friendly for immigration. The only word after 17 years when I think about myself is COWARD.

With all being said, if you are hell bent on joining the GC battle, below would be the recommendation to get a faster green card??

1. Sign up for a PhD course, finish in 5 years . Get some publications and try EB1A
2. Get into a WITCH company offshore (some say this has to be a managerial role but I have seen approvals for ICs too and there is no educational requirement) , move to the USA after 1 year and then file through EB1C (most success).

PS: WITCH - In immigration terms stands for Wipro, Infosys, TCS, Cognizant and HCL