A year ago, Dhaval Babu flew to India to visit his sick parents. It was supposed to be a short trip; the San Antonio resident planned to fly home in February.
But the U.S. consulate in Mumbai asked him for more documents before it could approve his return to the U.S. As a result, his flight home was postponed. Then came the pandemic and in March, the American consulates in India and around the world closed.
In June, 鈥� expanding on 鈥� that keeps certain employment-based visa holders from entering the country. He said they threatened American jobs at a time when the country鈥檚 economy is reeling from pandemic-induced job losses.
Uncertainty About Job, Life in Texas
That left Babu wondering if or when he鈥檇 be able to return to his job and life in Texas.
鈥淢y world broke into pieces when I read the proclamation. It just was unbelievable,鈥� Babu said in July. 鈥淚t just was my destiny that I just traveled during the time of pandemic.鈥�
On New Year鈥檚 Eve, Trump extended the order, temporarily banning the entry of H-1B visa holders into the U.S. until March. are typically those who work in "high-skilled" jobs, such as engineering and research.
For now, Babu remains in India, along with his wife and 15-month-old daughter, who is a U.S. citizen. He works for a software company in San Antonio and is legally permitted to work with an H-1B visa, one of the visa categories affected by Trump鈥檚 proclamation.
His wife, who worked as an analyst, lost her job when she wasn鈥檛 able to return to the U.S.
鈥淪ince my family is here [in India] and I cannot afford to pay all my rent for this many months, so I asked my friends to pack up my stuff and move into storage,鈥� he said. 鈥淟ike what else I鈥檓 going to do? I cannot pay my rent for a year when I鈥檓 in India.鈥�
Babu has been able to work remotely, but there鈥檚 an 11 1/2 hour time difference between India and Texas. Being up at odd hours of the night isn鈥檛 unusual for many like him who remain overseas.
Babu said he feels trapped.
鈥淚t feels like there is no light at the end of the tunnel,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t seems like the more I walk into the blank tunnel, the more there is to walk. I guess I don't see a light at this point.鈥�
鈥淣ot Going To Steal Anybody Else鈥檚 Job鈥�
Babu took issue with Trump鈥檚 premise that employment-based visa holders take others鈥� jobs.
鈥淲e have jobs right now and if I鈥檓 going to come back, I鈥檓 not going to steal anybody else鈥檚 job,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 have a job right now.鈥�
Both visa holders who need to return to the U.S. or travel outside the U.S. are in a tough spot.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just a way to force people who are in the U.S. to end up being stuck outside the U.S. and then not allow new people into the U.S. either,鈥� said Emily Neumann, an immigration attorney in Houston.
In August, the State Department issued some guidance for work visa holders 鈥� they can return to the U.S. if they can show they were authorized to return to the same employer they previously worked for.
But qualifying for that exemption and others can be challenging.
鈥淧eople are still having trouble just getting an emergency appointment in the first place and then you might go through all of that and then they say, 鈥楴o, you don鈥檛 qualify for that.鈥� 鈥� Neumann said.
She said the situation is unfair to Babu and others like him and believes it actually hurts the country's economic recovery.
鈥淗ow can you claim that this is all for the benefit of the U.S. workers and to ensure that their jobs are not being given to foreigners when you鈥檙e blocking people who aren鈥檛 even taking jobs from coming in," Neumann said.
Some visa holders, however, have been to get back to the U.S.
Juilee Baride is a dentist in Lubbock, who鈥檚 been in the U.S. 11 years, first on a student visa and then with an H-1B visa.
Her dad died in India in early June, so she traveled there to support her mom a couple of weeks before Trump鈥檚 proclamation was expanded.
When Baride spoke to 四虎影院 over the summer, she said she didn鈥檛 know when she鈥檇 be able to return.
鈥淪o I鈥檓 trying to figure out, you know, what鈥檚 going to happen to me if I鈥檓 going to have a job in another six month or, you know, if I鈥檓 going to be able to go back even after six months, what I鈥檓 going to do about my car, my house, all my stuff,鈥� she said.
Some Exemptions Available
Fortunately for Baride, a colleague and patient sent letters of support to the U.S. Consulate in Mumbai, and she requested an emergency appointment with the consulate.
In mid-September, Baride flew back to Lubbock after her emergency request was approved. She had to lease a new apartment online, but said 鈥渆verything else is good.鈥�
Back in India, U.S. consulates are only processing a limited number of visa appointments. Babu said he鈥檚 asked the Mumbai consulate for an update on his case, but has been told only urgent cases are being processed right now.
He said he is trying to stay positive, but that it鈥檚 hard.
鈥淎nd after 11 years of working in the U.S., the country 鈥� who I gave my all [for] 鈥� will just kick me out like this.鈥�
Got a tip? Email Reporter Stella M. Ch谩vez at schavez@kera.org. You can follow Stella on Twitter at .
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