First a little background -
The highly skilled youth mostly in developing nations, with ambitions of their own or of their parents or simply following a popular trend; and with dreams of higher education, income, status, lifestyle, come to the developed nations, mostly to the United States.
Undeniably, the United States, provides them the opportunity and the environment to live, learn and earn well. While the highly skilled Indian immigrants have contributed heavily to the American economy, India is facing acute shortage of talents in the fields of science, engineering and technology.
In course of driving their ambitions of higher knowledge, skills, ideal work environment and lifestyle, they end up chasing a lofty ambition of the ‘American Dream’ of success, fame and wealth.
This in turn makes them hot commodity in the 'Indian Marriage Market'. Since every parent want to see their daughters well settled and comfortable in life, an NRI candidate, with the promise of a better living, is in great demand. Though there are also cases of love marriages, where love is the driving cause, and not the NRI factor, even here, there is no respite from the social consequences of living away from family and familier ways.
And this is how the dreamy-eyed, highly-aspiring, sometimes ignorant, Desi H4 wives end up in Visa Distress.
Not long before the rosy months have passed, and the Mehendi color has faded from their hands, does it dawn upon them that their dollar dreams are stranded for, no one knows how long. Having partially overcome the spells of the initial obsessions with their husband and homesickness, they find themselves isolated within the walls of their new home.
First, a little lesson in U.S. immigration. While the H4 visa allows spouses legal residence in the country, it does not permit them to work. So that’s pretty much a sure-fire route to turning the blushing bride into the bored and restless. Sure, you could study further but if you have already slogged through a Masters degree of your parent’s choosing, or worked in India, chances are that you are thinking, What! Not Again!
While their husbands on H-1B visas, that are granted to highly skilled professionals to fill jobs at the software companies and technology labs of Silicon Valley, are busy with their own jobs; under the conditions of their H-4 dependent visas, spouses are not allowed to work or pursue a career. Often highly educated and skilled, they find themselves in the uncomfortable position of social and financial dependency on their husbands, while struggling to adjust to life in a new country. As if this were not enough, some states do not even allow them to procure a driving permit!
Quoting an article by Anastasia Ustinova, Chronicle Staff Writer on this subject, ‘Indian women isolated in Silicon Valley’ on Sunday, March 9, 2008
“In Silicon Valley, many of the Indian women’s stories are similar. Most were born into higher castes in India, graduated with college degrees in computer science or business, worked in fast-paced companies, had a support network of friends and family. Moving to the United States seemed like a great opportunity, but all too often there was little discussion about the terms of their immigration status. Now, while their husbands are climbing the career ladder, they stay at home alone, isolated.”
“While her husband has a thriving career in a giant high-tech company, Shahani spends her days browsing the Internet and watching the Food Network. When she arrived in 2006, she did not have a driver’s license and her world was reduced to the size of a two-bedroom apartment.”
And what is more shocking, is that of the readers’ reactions to the circumstances of the H4 Indian visa holders in Silicone Valley which are mostly unsympathetic and at times downright hostile. The following is an example, posted by “Mrs. Nesbitt”:
“Oh please, they’re lucky to be here in the first place. These wives should be required to volunteer to re-train the American technical workers who were displaced by their husbands to begin with, as well as the rest of us who are enduring a lifetime of wage deflation from the rotten H1-B visa program. NO SYMPATHY. And if they don’t like it here, feel free to move home immediately.”
I must admit I chanced upon this wonderful site trappedinh4mess.wordpress.com, with all the information I needed during my research, where I also found the response to this comment.
Here it goes –
“As for Mrs. N:
I am amazed at the ignorance of these people. If I leave today with my family and friends and all the Asian community, this country would crumble (so would ours but we aren’t the ones getting caustic). Let’s just withdraw all the people on H1 and other temporary visas for a month and let’s see how things function…maybe we can withdraw all the goods from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan ( after all, these imports too take up jobs here - right ?)…and then, let’s see some more….
I wonder if they have heard of the word - ‘GLOBALISATION‘…it is not just our need but also their’s, that is why we are here. People who come here on H1 are not beggars or slum dwellers in their country…they are very well educated, rich and the cream of the society. They make very good living in their country but the ambition to further their professional careers brings them here. So, there is no FAVOR involved here…It is an exchange …from which both parties benefit. And if people here or in any part of the world refuse to understand this …I just ask them to Educate themselves before commenting. And hey, we dont want your sympathy. We want our rights and do whatever you want, we are going to get it ! eat your heart out !"
-Joli
I must say Joli, you have a point!
And here is yet another case. I am quoting this from the blog "Trapped".
"It is very difficult to explain why is hard not to be working. But it’s true, the hard part is not to have the choice of or even worst, having someone else deciding for you . I am a mechanical engineer and I used to work a lot, A LOT. I thought it was going to be actually a blessing not to have to work. And I do feel grateful, don’t get me wrong, I am pretty sure this was the right decision. But it’s true I FEEL TRAPPED!
I have been on an H4 visa for almost three years. I have studied english, photography. I have volunteered . Once, I decided to apply to get into a public college hoping I would be considered a “chicagoan” since we have lived here for almost two years and I have an ITIN, but I was considered an international student so instead of paying the $79 per credit chicagoans pay, I had to pay $250 per credit. And for sure this is the kind of situation makes you feel “trapped”. When you run out of choices. Because let’s face it, studying here its very expensive. "
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, there are now between 600,000 and 800,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States. Exactly how many are married to spouses ineligible to work in this country is unclear.
The highly skilled youth mostly in developing nations, with ambitions of their own or of their parents or simply following a popular trend; and with dreams of higher education, income, status, lifestyle, come to the developed nations, mostly to the United States.
Undeniably, the United States, provides them the opportunity and the environment to live, learn and earn well. While the highly skilled Indian immigrants have contributed heavily to the American economy, India is facing acute shortage of talents in the fields of science, engineering and technology.
In course of driving their ambitions of higher knowledge, skills, ideal work environment and lifestyle, they end up chasing a lofty ambition of the ‘American Dream’ of success, fame and wealth.
This in turn makes them hot commodity in the 'Indian Marriage Market'. Since every parent want to see their daughters well settled and comfortable in life, an NRI candidate, with the promise of a better living, is in great demand. Though there are also cases of love marriages, where love is the driving cause, and not the NRI factor, even here, there is no respite from the social consequences of living away from family and familier ways.
And this is how the dreamy-eyed, highly-aspiring, sometimes ignorant, Desi H4 wives end up in Visa Distress.
Not long before the rosy months have passed, and the Mehendi color has faded from their hands, does it dawn upon them that their dollar dreams are stranded for, no one knows how long. Having partially overcome the spells of the initial obsessions with their husband and homesickness, they find themselves isolated within the walls of their new home.
First, a little lesson in U.S. immigration. While the H4 visa allows spouses legal residence in the country, it does not permit them to work. So that’s pretty much a sure-fire route to turning the blushing bride into the bored and restless. Sure, you could study further but if you have already slogged through a Masters degree of your parent’s choosing, or worked in India, chances are that you are thinking, What! Not Again!
While their husbands on H-1B visas, that are granted to highly skilled professionals to fill jobs at the software companies and technology labs of Silicon Valley, are busy with their own jobs; under the conditions of their H-4 dependent visas, spouses are not allowed to work or pursue a career. Often highly educated and skilled, they find themselves in the uncomfortable position of social and financial dependency on their husbands, while struggling to adjust to life in a new country. As if this were not enough, some states do not even allow them to procure a driving permit!
Quoting an article by Anastasia Ustinova, Chronicle Staff Writer on this subject, ‘Indian women isolated in Silicon Valley’ on Sunday, March 9, 2008
“In Silicon Valley, many of the Indian women’s stories are similar. Most were born into higher castes in India, graduated with college degrees in computer science or business, worked in fast-paced companies, had a support network of friends and family. Moving to the United States seemed like a great opportunity, but all too often there was little discussion about the terms of their immigration status. Now, while their husbands are climbing the career ladder, they stay at home alone, isolated.”
“While her husband has a thriving career in a giant high-tech company, Shahani spends her days browsing the Internet and watching the Food Network. When she arrived in 2006, she did not have a driver’s license and her world was reduced to the size of a two-bedroom apartment.”
And what is more shocking, is that of the readers’ reactions to the circumstances of the H4 Indian visa holders in Silicone Valley which are mostly unsympathetic and at times downright hostile. The following is an example, posted by “Mrs. Nesbitt”:
“Oh please, they’re lucky to be here in the first place. These wives should be required to volunteer to re-train the American technical workers who were displaced by their husbands to begin with, as well as the rest of us who are enduring a lifetime of wage deflation from the rotten H1-B visa program. NO SYMPATHY. And if they don’t like it here, feel free to move home immediately.”
I must admit I chanced upon this wonderful site trappedinh4mess.wordpress.com, with all the information I needed during my research, where I also found the response to this comment.
Here it goes –
“As for Mrs. N:
I am amazed at the ignorance of these people. If I leave today with my family and friends and all the Asian community, this country would crumble (so would ours but we aren’t the ones getting caustic). Let’s just withdraw all the people on H1 and other temporary visas for a month and let’s see how things function…maybe we can withdraw all the goods from China, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan ( after all, these imports too take up jobs here - right ?)…and then, let’s see some more….
I wonder if they have heard of the word - ‘GLOBALISATION‘…it is not just our need but also their’s, that is why we are here. People who come here on H1 are not beggars or slum dwellers in their country…they are very well educated, rich and the cream of the society. They make very good living in their country but the ambition to further their professional careers brings them here. So, there is no FAVOR involved here…It is an exchange …from which both parties benefit. And if people here or in any part of the world refuse to understand this …I just ask them to Educate themselves before commenting. And hey, we dont want your sympathy. We want our rights and do whatever you want, we are going to get it ! eat your heart out !"
-Joli
I must say Joli, you have a point!
And here is yet another case. I am quoting this from the blog "Trapped".
"It is very difficult to explain why is hard not to be working. But it’s true, the hard part is not to have the choice of or even worst, having someone else deciding for you . I am a mechanical engineer and I used to work a lot, A LOT. I thought it was going to be actually a blessing not to have to work. And I do feel grateful, don’t get me wrong, I am pretty sure this was the right decision. But it’s true I FEEL TRAPPED!
I have been on an H4 visa for almost three years. I have studied english, photography. I have volunteered . Once, I decided to apply to get into a public college hoping I would be considered a “chicagoan” since we have lived here for almost two years and I have an ITIN, but I was considered an international student so instead of paying the $79 per credit chicagoans pay, I had to pay $250 per credit. And for sure this is the kind of situation makes you feel “trapped”. When you run out of choices. Because let’s face it, studying here its very expensive. "
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, there are now between 600,000 and 800,000 H-1B visa holders in the United States. Exactly how many are married to spouses ineligible to work in this country is unclear.