I am very notorious for my pro activeness.... sometimes it will have good results... sometimes it made me to think, why the hell I am being proactive....
It was November,2009, I am all set to travel britain for my first longterm to onsite with my family. I went to my immigration to collect my visa stamped passport. I need to travel in 10 days.After collecting my passport, I could have come directly to my office. But being proactive, checked with the them who is the point of contact for L1 visas. They showed me a bay which has people for US visas. I went to them and told them that in Jan'2009 I had applied for a L1 Visa, as now I am travelling to britain they can cancel my US visa. The immigration specialist told me that L1 will be handled by someone else, but she can help me. She checked the details and told me that my visa was already approved by Sep'2009 So I am good to go for stamping. I told her that in 10days I must fly to Britain so its not possible for me to go for stamping as it takes time. She told its not a big deal, jus fill the forms we will get the date in next one week. I was not sure what to say...As an another IT guy, always had a dream about USA... So decided to give a shot...
I was busy in closing everthing @ Chennai, meantime I filled the forms for stamping, got the dates for stamping which is jus a week before my flight to britain.Still took risk then went for stamping... Praapti was jus 1 year... so we had privileage of getting in to consulate easily by bypassing the queues... The lady @ consulate asked about our wedding and kept starring @ praapti and enquiring about Praapti. withint 10mins everything was over and I was told that passport will be dispatched in a week time. Jus 2 days before my travel to britain got my passport and left for Britain.... Life was going good @ britain... but among my friends circle I am the only person who was at britain. So, always the dream for USA was kept on the corner of my heart. In 2011 I went for vacation to India,met my manager and explained I am interested in travelling to USA. But asusual, employees' preferences were not given importance, then back to britain. With few months my manager left cognizant, so went under new manager.
Being proactive, I initiated the discussion with him to ask how can I add value. During discussion he asked me whether I wanted to be in Onsite only. I said for few years I wantd to be. Then he asked me that I can be only at britain. I jumped and told him that I have a L1 visa until 2012.So, I am ready for USA also. He said USA means I should be ready for moving between states and I said ok. Then he told that he will work on it. It happened by Sep'2012. Next 6 months went in discussions and working on option for finding replacement.But I was not identified for any project so I was not sure about USA. Finally by March'2012 my friend was identified as my replacement. It was decided that I will move out of britain by June'2012. I was having visa only upto Sep'2012, i checked with my Immigration whether I can travel and extend the visa. They told me that I can do it, but atlease 6 weeks before I shoule be in USA. By June end moved back to India with all dreams to fly for USA. Did many things during the stay. But I was not getting any projects @ USA. I was becoming nervous (dont know why :-)). Everyday I was given with 2-3 opportunities and next day it will not be available.Booked ticket for 3 times and cancelled them. Finally i was asked to take a functional role for 6 weeks then meantime they can find next opportunity. I dont know what to do, I accepted it. The location was Boston.Though I was pretending that I am happy, I was pretty nervous as my visa expires in one month time and there is high possibility at port of entry I might be grilled that why I didnt use the visa all these days.My company gave me a letter stating that why there is a delay in travel. I was not so confident by reading that letter.
I had raised my travel request wherein I was given crazy travel plans, then I myself checked the available options in the net and gave it to travel team. They confirmed it. Jus repacked the stuff and left for USA on Aug/10/2012 (yeah.... US format for date).After 23 hours travel, we were standing in a long queue for the immigration. After 1hr 15mins wait, we went in front of Immigration officer. I was very tired and lips and tongue were dry. Immigration officer asked me "what you were doing for the past 3 years?"(ooopps... here you go... this is what I worried). I told her I was working for different client at britain and there is a requirement at USA so moved here. I showed her my companies letter stating the reason for not using the visa within 6months of stamping. Then she asked me what I am going to do here. I didnt here the question clearly and gave some answere then my wife corrected me, then I explained about my job nature and role. During all these time I was not confident and my tongue and lips were becoming more dry. She was not pretty happy with my answers. She asked me to give the finger prints then to my wife.She took our photoes, my kid was shouting that she needs to be in photo. She took the phone and called someone to come near to her desk. The she told me that her friend will take me to another room where they will decide about my entry. ooooppssss........ one thing which I was thinking that should not happen... we were taken to Secondary Immigration. I was more nervous. My wife was cool by face and my kid was very tired and upset as photo was not taken. We were told to collect the baggages, ours were the only pending baggages. I kept them on the trolley and while moving it, they fell down. The guy who came to take us to secondary immigration was asking to move stating that there will be more people. He was carrying our passports and other documents.
We kept the baggage outside the secondary immigration room and went inside the room. We went in to the room, the first voice I heard was "I hate these guys..." she was reading the letter given by company for the delay. We were asked to sit and after few mins called. My wife was about to join and the immigration officer told "you dont need to come mam".The immigration officer was a lady with 5+ feet heigh and should be in good weight. She was not smiling. I kept my dry smile to make the environment normal, but she was grim.She asked me Why I am here. I told here that I am a technical consultant and came here for a project. She asked me where is my employer situated @ massachuests. I told her, it is not in Massachuest but there is one in Newjersey. I was not sure why she asked me that question. She again asked the same question with increased tone. I was bit shivering with that tone, and I told her that there is no office @ masschuests. Then she asked me why I am here. I told her I came here for doing a project with customer as a technical consultant. She started saying "You are not listening to me". With more nervous mind, I told her "I didnt get you". She asked me to show the letter stating that I am eligible to work in Masschuests. I showed her the offer letter given my company. She said I dont need this, show me a proof that you have letter to work in massacheusts. I said all I have is this one and one more form which I got during the stamping (some I700 series letter). I showed her. She read it and asked me again, is that all you have, show me the proof for working in massachuests. I said I dont have any other letter with me. Now at maximum tone, she told me "You have autourzation to work in pennysilvenia and you are not authourised to work in Massachuests, So go back to your country and get the permit then come back". I am all lost now. Dont know what to say or ask. Body started shivering. She asked me to sit and told that she will call back.
I came near to my wife, she was not saying anything. I told her that they are asking us to go back. She nodded her head. I dont know what to do. I looked around the room and like me there were few more nervous people. One african american was talking very confidently with the immigration officer. I went to the toilet. I told my wife that lets get ready for another 24 hours of travel. I was started thinking, why they hell I am here. Why should I asked my manager about USA opportunities and all the above why I asked the immigration team about my L1 in 2009. Meantime I can overhere some discussion goin among the immigration officers. I was not clear what they were discussing, but heard saying "cant be possible in H1, but L1 let me check......., then getting tickets not an issue". I was more nervous now. I started looking at my daughter. She was very tired. My wife was telling that, going back is not an issue but again 24 hours we need travel. She was thinking something in her mind. I was called again. I was asked how long I am here. I didnt understand that question and I told that I jus came in. She asked me HOW LONG I AM HERE.... I said i didnt get you.... then she got irritate and told me that "how long you are going to stay here, am I not clear". With shivering voice I told here that "I jus came in, so i will apply for visa entension and will be here for 6 months". She started saying, "If you would have told this earlier, I would not have wasted my 30mins time with you". I was wondering when she asked me about my stay, she jus asked me about the work permit. She started asking about my project, manager, location etc. I was telling her and noted that she was just writing on a small white paper. I gave first name of the person whom I am going to meet @ new project. She still noted it. I was slowly getting confidence now. She gave back the letter that was given by my company about the delay of arrival and told that this is of no use, not sure why I gave.
Now she started stamping in out passports, slowly I got my smile on my face.She did a mistake in my daughters passport and got angry for it.Finally she gave all passports to me and told I hope I gave everything to you, is anything missing.I said I have everything. I told her thanks and wished her good evening. She told thats fine. I came to my wife and told "we are staying here honey". She gave a dry smile. The we took the baggages and we were about to cross the customs, but we were asked to go for next bay. I was asked whether any eatables there. I told her that I have ready to eat stuff. The customs officer asked me which baggage had those. I showed her. She asked my to put all the baggages for scanning. Then she opened those baggages and started checking it. She removed everything out. Meanwhile Me and my wife were struggling to keep the baggage back in stoller. I went to her and asked whether I can help her. She said yes, so I started removing things.She saw the ready to eat and tamarind. She asked me whether anything else is there. I said no. She told "it is too much". And started keeping the things in my baggage. I helped her and finally kept them in the baggage. I told her thanks and wished her good evening. She acknowledged it. We came out of airport and it was raining heavily. The time was 6PM, we landed at airport by 3PM.
We moved in to the hotel, I started calling my friends and sent mails to my friends.Sent message to my group head and my manager about the situation in port of entry. My manager was saying sorry for it and my group head told that I will be laughing at it once I settled down @ USA. Came to know that my Hyderabad room mate Nanda was very near my hotel. He came and picked me for a lunch. Good to see his house and merc suv. I joined the project, came to know that customer is not looking for a functional consultant and he is interested in technical person. I was getting NIL support from offshore point of contact. I was tried building the confidence with the customer, but customer told that he needs only technical consultant. I called the project head, but no luck. Spoke to my manager about my situation, he told me that he had only one goal, that is sending me to USA and it is done. He told me that he will work on something. Meanwhile I worked on submitting documents for visa extension. It was submitted in premium processing. People were telling that it is very difficult to get an L1 visa extension.
All these days, daily evening we all 3 go for a long walk around the hotel for one hour and by week end we went either for shopping or went to Boston for sight seeing. At boston we visited Harward business school, MIT, children science musuem.... By 3rd week of september, I was checking the USCIS site PROACTIVELY for my visa status, it was told that they need additional information which is called as RFE (request for evidence). I chased the immigration for an update, after 2 days I got an update asking to fill some more documents. I filled them and submitted them. There was a need for manager's signature, where in I asked my current manager to sign, but he was not ready to sign since I am leaving the project. Finally with the help of immigration team's mail, I got the signature and sbmitted the documents by 24th or 25th of september.
On my next project, I was asked to attend a i/v for a customer at santa ana, califronia. It didnt go well.Later I was told that I will be moving to Bentonville, AR.Meanwhile I was asked to travel to Santa Clara for a project wherein I need to work for 3 weeks on a crisis. But my current project team was not ready to release me before sep'30th. Later the new customer also told that he doesnt need additional person. Finally We left boston by 3rd october, after struggling with the process for transfer. After reaching bentonville, Arkansas we started checking for house. As it is almost 2 months that we were in hotel, we visited few apartments and fixed one which we felt good one (but not for the rest of Indians).We got few used furnitures and found school for my kid. Finally we moved in by oct'15th.
Bentonville is a little India where you can find every Indian companies' office as there are no enough place at customer location. My company has 2 office and heard that around 450 people work here. I was not introduced to any one and I was not told what to do and where to go. Good thing at my company is, everyone will be busy with their friends and work. If any new comer join, either he will be ignored or left alone. The city doesnt have any public transprot as per my fellow peers who are there for 2-3 years. But from the day one, I used to catch a city bus which runs for every one hour around the city. It drops jus behind my office. Evening i will get a drop from one of the team member.Couple of days he forgot that I am there, so started searching for people to drop me. Meantime, I was checking with my immigration team about my RFE. They told that it will be taken care.Every week I sent them mail asking for update, finally I told them that it is very difficutl to survive without I94, so help me. By Nov'1st, I was told that I didnt answer the queries of RFE, I told them that I did it. The immigration team sent me the questions. There were 3 questions stating, who built the legacy system of my customer, whether my company holds license for it and what I am going to do in it. I told them that I never worked in legacy system is the questions are really for me. They told yes. I was not sure, I checked the form submitted by me, there were no mention about legacy system. I gave my response as per my project. Finally my RFE repsonse was submitted on Nov'5th.
Now I am PROACTIVELY checking the USCIS site for status. it was told that it is under review. Meantime my project is getting over by 2nd week of december. I dont know what is next.... But we are open for anything..... Our life is completely paralyzed as we dont have car... we need to depend on cab for anything and everything.... it is 3 months now since we moved to USA.. there is nothing great happened....I was in a situation where in i had money in my dollar card but I cannot use it...Daily morning I walk 1.25miles to catch the bus... I am doing batch scripting after almost 9 years of experience.... once went in to complete depression.... gone mad.... cried at my situation.... came out of it with the help of "my angel wife".... doin things to keep my mood positive.. morning goin for joggin and skippin...today went for a long walk to take fall color photoes... praapti speaks spanish....i came to know that there are lots and lots of good hearted people around us who cares about our life... I must thank all of them for their care...
Sometimes our choices are wrong... but we need to fight with it.. I am doing it now... If I would have been @ britain, I would be cursing for not sending me to USA.... I wanted it... I raised it... I got it... I am suffering... I know the clock is ticking on deciding my future..... but who cares.... its upto me to handle it....
