KOLKATA: Twenty-something Namrata Banerjee (name changed) had moved to New York in 2011 to pursue her undergraduate studies in product design. Today, her fate hangs in steadiness because of the visa uncertainty.
In 2015, Banerjee was once granted a one-year paintings visa known as OPT.
“During my OPT, I got to work for an organization that applied for my H-1B in 2016. Unfortunately, I didn't make the lottery,” she mentioned. She then took up a certificate path at University of California, Los Angeles, for a yr. The identical corporate once more applied for her H-1B visa in 2017. The wait was once excruciating and Banerjee had to take a difficult non-public name all over that point. “If you travel outdoor the rustic while your visa is pending, the applying is robotically thought to be abandoned. So, when my grandfather passed away in Kolkata, I wasn’t in a position to attend his funeral,” she mentioned.
In 2017, she gained a request for evidence (RFE) letter that is ceaselessly had to come to a decision on an H-1B case. But her software was once sooner or later rejected. “At present, I am enrolled in categories and looking into other options, like an investor visa, to continue residing here,” Banerjee mentioned.
According to Jamie Dragon, director, American Center, Kolkata, “The H-1B programme was once created more than 25 years in the past to lend a hand the USA financial system meet a temporary need for knowledgeable staff. It is recently below evaluation. Although at this time Indians receive the overwhelming majority of H-1Bs, the programme isn't designed for any unmarried nation. The H-1B visa is a global programme that was once created to meet the wishes of the USA financial system. The US govt is hearing from all stakeholders, including employers and staff. At this time, there have been no major adjustments to the H-1B visa programme.”
But the Bengali diaspora remains irritating. According to US-based attorney Amy Ghosh, who is the CEO of Law Offices of Amy Ghosh and specializes in immigration,
“Getting H-1B visas have been very tough for a couple of years because the applicants want to go through lottery. Since final yr, the process has turn into more difficult as many visas were rejected on grounds of the applicants’ jobs not qualifying as distinctiveness occupation.” Ghosh is conscious about Banerjee’s dilemma, in addition to of others who've finished their studies but couldn’t get their H-1B visas. “They can either go back house or stay enrolled just to maintain the student visas and keep on taking categories,” Ghosh explains.
Last yr, the USA department of native land security had mentioned a regulation was once at the playing cards to finish paintings authorization of dependent spouses holding H4 visas. The new regulation, if carried out, would impact spouses of H-1B visa holders.
When Dragon was once asked if the USA was once retreating permission for spouses of H-1B visa holders to paintings, he mentioned, “We are conscious about reports, but there has been no formal announcement of a change. We cannot speculate on what would possibly occur.”
Under such cases, Ghosh believes that increasingly more Bengalis would possibly now opt for Canada.
“Or they may be able to attempt to get investor visas, which might be still available and can be a more sensible choice when migrating to the USA,” Ghosh says.
In 2015, Banerjee was once granted a one-year paintings visa known as OPT.
“During my OPT, I got to work for an organization that applied for my H-1B in 2016. Unfortunately, I didn't make the lottery,” she mentioned. She then took up a certificate path at University of California, Los Angeles, for a yr. The identical corporate once more applied for her H-1B visa in 2017. The wait was once excruciating and Banerjee had to take a difficult non-public name all over that point. “If you travel outdoor the rustic while your visa is pending, the applying is robotically thought to be abandoned. So, when my grandfather passed away in Kolkata, I wasn’t in a position to attend his funeral,” she mentioned.
In 2017, she gained a request for evidence (RFE) letter that is ceaselessly had to come to a decision on an H-1B case. But her software was once sooner or later rejected. “At present, I am enrolled in categories and looking into other options, like an investor visa, to continue residing here,” Banerjee mentioned.
According to Jamie Dragon, director, American Center, Kolkata, “The H-1B programme was once created more than 25 years in the past to lend a hand the USA financial system meet a temporary need for knowledgeable staff. It is recently below evaluation. Although at this time Indians receive the overwhelming majority of H-1Bs, the programme isn't designed for any unmarried nation. The H-1B visa is a global programme that was once created to meet the wishes of the USA financial system. The US govt is hearing from all stakeholders, including employers and staff. At this time, there have been no major adjustments to the H-1B visa programme.”
But the Bengali diaspora remains irritating. According to US-based attorney Amy Ghosh, who is the CEO of Law Offices of Amy Ghosh and specializes in immigration,
“Getting H-1B visas have been very tough for a couple of years because the applicants want to go through lottery. Since final yr, the process has turn into more difficult as many visas were rejected on grounds of the applicants’ jobs not qualifying as distinctiveness occupation.” Ghosh is conscious about Banerjee’s dilemma, in addition to of others who've finished their studies but couldn’t get their H-1B visas. “They can either go back house or stay enrolled just to maintain the student visas and keep on taking categories,” Ghosh explains.
Last yr, the USA department of native land security had mentioned a regulation was once at the playing cards to finish paintings authorization of dependent spouses holding H4 visas. The new regulation, if carried out, would impact spouses of H-1B visa holders.
When Dragon was once asked if the USA was once retreating permission for spouses of H-1B visa holders to paintings, he mentioned, “We are conscious about reports, but there has been no formal announcement of a change. We cannot speculate on what would possibly occur.”
Under such cases, Ghosh believes that increasingly more Bengalis would possibly now opt for Canada.
“Or they may be able to attempt to get investor visas, which might be still available and can be a more sensible choice when migrating to the USA,” Ghosh says.
H-1B uncertainty keeps Bengali diaspora worried
![H-1B uncertainty keeps Bengali diaspora worried]()
Reviewed by Kailash
on
April 30, 2018
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