Indian techie Gautam Dey’s post has gone viral, sparking a major controversy. Dey lamented that he was unable to visit his dying mother one last time due to visa stamping delays.
Gautam Dey sparked a major controversy after he posted on LinkedIn that he could not travel to India to see his dying mother for the last time due to consular issues, as many pointed out that he should have chosen to return home to his mother rather than live in the United States. Many social media users questioned how he managed to live in the U.S. with his family for 20 years through the H-1B visa program, and why he chose money in such a critical situation knowing that his life in the U.S. was temporary while expecting something else to happen. However, many experts, including Indian-origin entrepreneurs, supported Dey and said the backlash was unjustified as there could have been many factors that prevented Dey from getting a green card.“If America ceases to be a place where people feel empowered to be the best version of themselves as they celebrate, struggle and grieve, then it ceases to be a land of opportunity and a land of dignity and purpose,” said immigration policy analyst Sam Peake.Indian-origin entrepreneur Vijay Thirumalai called MAGA great again, and they mocked Dey as to why he hadn’t become a permanent resident of the United States in 20 years. “For all those people talking about why he did this, H1B is a dual intent visa (dual intent to work and final path to GC) that is now in chaos due to outdated country caps,” Thirumalai posted, calling the incident “overall very sad.” He cited other reasons why Day made the tough choice.“So, all those who are pontificating on what H1B should and shouldn’t do, stop being dogmatic and go after illegal immigrants instead of honest, tax-paying Indian H1Bs because all the assets, all the tech dominance and everything else you have built in the comfort of your home will come crashing down once they decide to get it done,” Thirumalai posted.
“You chose money over motherhood”
In his heartfelt LinkedIn post, Gautam Dey wrote that he was unable to travel to India as he could not get a visa stamping appointment there. He said he sent hospital documents to the consulate explaining the urgency of his visit to India, but even after trying for 26 days, he was unable to get an appointment and his mother died. If he travels to India without a visa stamping appointment, he will not be able to re-enter the United States and will have to wait several months in India for an opening.Thousands of H-1B visa holders who traveled to India in December are stuck in their home countries as all visa slots have been rescheduled and no new slots are open even now.“You don’t have to measure success by just leaving home. Because no career dream should ever put you in a position where you have to choose between your final moments as a mother and your children’s future. I lost that choice. I will live with that pain forever,” Day wrote, but was slammed by users who said he chose money over motherhood.
