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Washington: Various Indians in the US Whether on the H-1B work visa or Green Card with children who are US citizens by birth, they cannot travel to India aboard Air India’s special repatriation flights in the midst of world travel linked to the coronavirus. restrictions
In accordance with regulations issued by the Indian government last month and updated last week, foreign citizen visas and OCI cards, which grant visa-free travel privileges to people of Indian origin, have been suspended as part of the new international travel restrictions. .
For some of the Indian citizens like the Pandey couple in New Jersey (name and location changed upon request), it’s a double whammy. Having lost their H-1B job, they have to return to India within the stipulated 60 days as required by law. The couple has two children, one and six, who are US citizens.
In the early hours of Monday, they had to return from the Newark airport as Air India refused to give their children a ticket to fly to India along with them, despite the fact that they had a valid Indian visa. The young mother and father are Indian citizens.
They said Air India officials and the (Indian) Consulate (in New York) were very cooperative.
But there was nothing they could do as their hands were tied by the latest regulation issued by the Indian government, a shocked Ratna Pandey told PTI.
“I would like to urge the Indian government to reconsider its decision on a humanitarian basis,” said the Indian citizen who lost her job but was unable to leave the United States within the stipulated 60 days to avoid future visa complications.
Now he plans to file an appeal with the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to extend his stay.
Last month, mostly Indian H-1B visa holders launched a petition at the White House urging United States President Donald Trump to extend his allowed stay from 60 to 180 days after the loss of the job. However, there has been no decision from the White House so far.
While there are no official statistics on how many Indian H-1B visa holders have lost their jobs, it is believed to be substantial.
The United States, due to the coronavirus pandemic, is experiencing an unprecedented unemployment rate and more than 33 million Americans have lost their jobs in the past two months. Given this massive job loss, Indians, who have lost their jobs, are unlikely to get one, and therefore many would have no choice but to travel back home.
In the case of the single mother Mamta (name changed), the situation is more serious since her son is only three months old. Only she was given the ticket and the baby was not allowed to fly with her because she carried an American passport.
“I would like to request the Indian government to allow us to fly back home. I don’t want to stay in the United States any longer, “he told PTI hours after he was prevented from boarding his hometown flight to Ahmedabad from Newark on Sunday.
“I’m alone here. I don’t have a relative here. It’s a difficult situation,” he said.
“The Vande Bharat mission is a humanitarian mission. But this is certainly inhumane, ”said Rakesh Gupta (name changed) from Washington DC.
As an H-1B professional, Gupta has lost his job and needs to return to India within the stipulated 60 days. He and his wife, Geeta (name changed) as Indian citizens, received confirmation of their seats on the flight, but were told that their 2.5-year-old daughter cannot travel with them because she carried an OCI card.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
Unlike the Pandey and Mamta couple, who had paid $ 1,361 per ticket for their flight home, Rakesh has not made the payment. Air India has said the money will be returned.
All three Indian citizens asked the Indian government to help them travel back home by making necessary changes to current regulations.
According to a recent government notification, all existing Indian visa holders and visa-free travel facilities granted to OCI cardholders not in India have been suspended until restrictions on international air travel remain.
New York-based community leader Prem Bhandari said the May 5 travel advisory has created multiple painful problems for OCI cardholders in the US. USA And also for Indian citizens who have Green Card or H-1B visas and want to travel back home, but cannot leave their children who are Americans by birth.
“We would like to express our disappointment at the discrimination between OCIs and citizens regarding entering India at this critical stage when many OCIs have legally built their homes, families and businesses in India,” Bhandari said in a letter to the secretary. from the Union home, Ajay. Kumar Bhalla on Monday.
(PTI)
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