![]() Some have missed important family events, others have delayed big life moments. This year, I fault a lethargic, arbitrary, bureaucratic, and demonstrably unempathetic system. I couldn’t see him last year, but we had the pandemic to blame. The orthoped is one of the four other specialists he sees, each situation worse than the other. This morning, my father told me his orthopedic surgeon said his spinal condition has worsened. Every work conversation begins with people discussing their plans. It feels worse when everyone around you in the US enjoys the extended holidays with their loved ones. ![]() Going through the whole festive season – from Diwali to Christmas – without your family can feel gloomy, even heartbreaking. “Try at midnight.” “Slots open in the 15th minute of every hour.” “Don’t log in too often, or you’ll get locked out.” “Only share appointment availability updates on this group, for questions use the other group.” “I can see there’s an appointment, but when I click it, nothing happens.” It’s both disarming and pitiable to see so many people, all well-educated, come together to decode a system that rules their lives. Each of them are full of frustrated and helpful people sharing minute-by-minute updates, tips and their anguish. Fortunately I’ve found succour in hyperactive Facebook groups, subreddits and Telegram channels. Try logging in more than four times a day, and it blocks you for 72 hours. Any help in this matter is appreciated.- Snehal Patel November 24, 2021 Call center agents give standard response to keep checking for dates. This feels far, far my son who is a US Citizen is stuck in India because parents are not able to get H1-B visa appointments. Now combine it with a buggy website from the dial-up internet days. Nobody should have to go through it, so let me paint a picture: imagine the frustration of getting vaccine appointments online. The website to get a consular appointment deserves a special mention. If you own a place, you’ll need very kind friends. If you live on rent, you’ll need to ask your friends to help dispose of your stuff. Two, it impacts your school- or college-going children. This could mean missing on a work assignment or meeting your family. One, it stands to impact your employment and your career. But you can’t leave the US knowing you’ll be able to return. So what’s the big deal with not being able to get your passport stamped? It doesn’t hamper your ability to continue working. Turns out I’m among at least tens of thousands. As a result, I’m in this odd situation where I can’t re-enter the US if I were to leave. Now the trouble is, the US consulates in India, and indeed most parts of the world, have not been fully operational since the onset of the pandemic. As per the regular process, you need to visit a US consulate – ideally in your home country – to have your visa stamped on to your passport. I’m authorised to work in the US on an H-1B visa, which allows foreign workers to be temporarily employed by US firms. It’s an emotionally difficult situation to explain. Now, after 20 minutes of squirming in my seat while staring at a blank screen, I’m not sure where to start. I was teary when I decided to write this piece.
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