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Long Wait

One of my co-workers recently posted about his H1-B visa troubles on LinkedIn. G is a couple of decades younger than me and is experiencing what I did back then except I never shared things quite as publicly. This is a private hell new immigrants have to live in for a long time as the world around them goes on. Over time you start to fit in better, understand the culture and have a social life with people who simply won't understand your visa situation. I remember how anything I shared was met with complete astonishment by folks who had no idea what this was all about. 

On their best day, they knew of some family who had immigrated twenty years ago but no knowledge of what it took to get to a point of stability. G's troubles are unfolding in real-time and every day is consequential. He is one of those who chose not to put their entire life on hold waiting for permanency. My young friend S is the same way - she is making great strides in her career notwithstanding her H1-B status. 

They both are making the moves they need to make to build a good career, make as much money as they can while they remain in visa limbo. This entails changing employers along the way and losing their place in the queue. It's a prudent choice when the queue won't clear for decades anyway and the person is single. S does not want to add marriage to the list of things on her plate right now and understandably so. G's post saw a lot of helpful responses but the reality of a long, uncertain and stressful wait to freedom remains.

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