For many Indian immigrants, US visa appointment backlogs mean missing out on pivotal family milestones such as weddings, leading to tough decisions ahead. Immigration experts caution against traveling during this time, as it could jeopardize job security and result in hefty penalties upon return, leaving professionals caught in a heartbreaking dilemma between familial duties and their American careers.

A prolonged wait for US visa appointments has forced many Indian immigrants to make painful personal choices, including missing major family events.An H-4 visa holder living in Seattle recalled how visa delays stopped her from travelling to India for her brother’s wedding last month. Instead, she watched the ceremony online from her home in US and congratulated the couple on call.“Last month, I missed my only brother’s wedding ceremony that was held in India. We congratulated the couple over the phone,” she told The American Bazaar.She added: “I watched a live stream of the wedding with tears rolling down my eyes as I carried out my mundane chores, like packing kids’ school lunches, on a cold Seattle morning, while my brother said his vows. It hurt bad, but going to India currently, with no definite clarity on the visa appointment, would have meant inviting more uncertainties in our lives.”Her experience is relatable to thousands of Indian professionals and their families who moved to US on work visas to build stable careers and lives. Instead, many are now facing delays, backlogs and unclear timelines, leaving them torn between family responsibilities and the risk of being unable to return to US.

‘Would not want them to travel abroad,’ says immigration lawyer

Immigration attorney Gnanamookan Senthurjothi suggested immigrants on H-4, H1-B visas take a practical approach and think more about their careers.“This situation presents a profound conflict between deep emotions surrounding the loss of their father and practical solutions to protect his US status and career. Still, as an immigration lawyer, I would not want them to travel abroad, as the chances of returning to the US immediately look very bleak,” Senthurjothi said.Senthurjothi said travelling abroad could have serious financial and professional consequences. “If he/she travels abroad, we are hearing about people stuck in India for various reasons for several weeks or months, and during that time they end up losing their job,” he said. He warned that changing employers later could be costly and that “any new petition that will be filed by a different employer will attract a $100K fee”.Some visa holders currently stranded in India are trying to continue working remotely with employer approval. On this, Senthurjothi said, “H-1B holders permitted short-term remote work until a visa is issued from India should remain on US payrolls as long as feasible.”