H-1B holders feel the heat

People coming to Hyderabad from the US have put their plans on hold for now, all thanks to the news about  Donald Trump’s policy on H-1B visas. With every passing day, the panic has only been increasing and people are a worried lot.

Take the case of Prudhvi Raj Sampara, the man behind the popular YouTube channel Chicago Subbarao, who cancelled his trip to the city this week.

“I haven’t been home in more than a year-and-a-half. My family was waiting for my arrival, but I just couldn’t risk it. Most of us do have the right documents but officials are still causing problems at the airport and we don’t want to go through that hassle. It’s just the fear of being stuck in India that is worrisome,” he says.

Chicago-based businessman Shalabh Kumar, one of Trump’s major supporters said that all these fears were “overblown”, but the story at the ground level is completely different.

Rohit* from Hyderabad, who just left to the US last week had quite a harrowing experience. “I was in Hyderabad to attend my brother’s wedding and just before I was scheduled to leave, news of the H-1B visas and Trump’s policies broke out. I really wasn’t prepared for what happened to me when I reached there.”

Rohit was apparently grilled for several hours before an officer let him go. “I was probably one of the lucky few. One of my friends got deported. A lady I know was also sent back. Apparently, the officials told her that she was “just a systems analyst” and that they have “deported people who were at higher posts,” he rues.

For many who just got placed in the US, the problems are plenty. If they do come to India, there is no guarantee of going back, and that means being stuck with huge educational loans. Even if one has all the right documents, officials are apparently creating issues during the stamping process and suddenly wanting to do an extensive background check.

Another Hyderabadi Nikhil Yellakara, whose wedding is scheduled to take place next week is travelling to India currently. “More than us, it’s our family that is worried and we are getting a lot of calls from them, but we’re trying to calm them down. As of now, I am not worried about the visa issue. In fact, by the time I return things could be fine,” he says.

Sabina Xavier, the Chief Operating Officer, Y-Axis, India’s top Immigration and Visa Consultancy services says, “H-1B visa holders are in a state of acute uncertainty due to the new administration’s focus on US workers. A potential new executive order targeting these highly skilled visas will uproot the lives of immigrant families who have made the United States their home.”

She adds, “Most individuals are now looking at Canada and Australia, which offer permanent resident visas in less than a year. Others are interested in Germany and South Africa and even work permits in Europe. They do not want to come back to India after getting used to a higher pay package and a taste of living overseas.”

Sashi Reddi, Managing Partner, SRI Capital, who is in India for a vacation says, “I am a US citizen so I will probably not face much harassment. However, there are reports of green card holders and H-1B workers having trouble when they enter the US. I will postpone travel for a couple of weeks till things settle down. The other option is to travel by Etihad and other airlines where the immigration is done at the boarding airport (say Abu Dhabi) instead of the destination airport. This may make the process less stressful.”

*Name changed on request