Visa, OCI card suspension prevents several Indians in US from flying back home

Several Indians in US, eir on H-1B work visa or Green Card having children who are American citizens by birth, are being prevented from travelling to India aboard special repatriation flights being run by Air India amidst coronavirus-linked global travel restrictions.

According to regulations issued by Indian government last month and updated last week, visas of foreign nationals and OCI cards, that provide visa-free travel privileges to people of Indian-origin, have been suspended as part of new international travel restrictions.

For some of Indian citizens like Pandey couple in New Jersey (name and place changed at request), it's a double whammy. Having lost ir H-1B job, y have to go back to India within stipulated 60 days as required by law. couple has two kids d one and six years who are American citizens. In wee hours of Monday, y had to return from Newark airport as Air India refused to give ir kids a ticket to fly to India along with m, despite m having a valid Indian visa. young mor and far are Indian citizens. y said that officials from Air India and (Indian) Consulate (in New York) were very cooperative.

But y could t do anything as ir hands were tied by latest regulation issued by Indian government, a shocked Ratna Pandey told PTI.

"I would like to urge Indian government to reconsider ir decision on humanitarian basis," said Indian national who has lost her job but could t leave US within stipulated 60 days to avoid any future visa complications. She w plans to make an appeal to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to extend ir stay. Last month, H-1B visa holders, mostly Indians, launched a White House petition urging US President Donald Trump to extend ir permissible stay from 60 to 180 days after job loss. However, re has been decision from White House so far. While re is official statistics of how many Indian H-1B visa holders have lost ir jobs, it is believed to be substantial.

US, due to coronavirus pandemic, is experiencing an unprecedented unemployment rate and more than 33 million Americans have lost ir jobs in last two months. Given this massive job loss, Indians, who have lost ir jobs, are unlikely to get one and thus many would have or option but to travel back home.

In case of single mor Mamta (name changed), situation is graver as her son is just three-month old. Only she was given ticket and infant was t allowed to fly along with her because he carried an American passport. "I would like to request Indian government to let us fly back home. I don't want to stay in US any longer," she told PTI hours after being prevented from boarding her hometown Ahmedabad-bound flight from Newark on Sunday. "I am alone here. I don't have a relative here. It's a difficult situation," she said. "Vande Bharat Mission is a humanitarian mission. But this is certainly inhuman," said Rakesh Gupta (name changed) from Washington DC.

An H-1B professional, Gupta has lost his job and needs to return to India within stipulated 60 days. He and his wife, Geeta (name changed) being Indian citizens, received confirmation of ir seats in flight but have been told that ir two-and-a-half-year-old daughter cant travel with m as she carried an OCI card. "I don't believe this," he said.

Unlike Pandey couple and Mamta, who had made payment of USD 1,361 per ticket for ir flight back home, Rakesh has t made payment. Air India has said that money would be refunded. All three Indian citizens requested Indian government to help m travel back home by making necessary changes in current regulations.

As per a recent government tification, all existing Indian visa holders, and visa-free travel facility, granted to OCI card holders who are t in India, have been suspended till restrictions on international air travel remains.

New York-based community leader Prem Bhandari said that May 5 travel advisory has created multiple painful issues for OCI card holders in US and also to Indian citizens who are eir on Green Card or H-1B visas and want to travel back home, but cant leave ir kids who are Americans by birth.

"We would like to express our disappointment with discrimination between OCIs and citizens in respect of entering India at this critical st when many OCIs have lawfully built ir homes, families and businesses in India," Bhandari said in a letter to Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on Monday. PTI LKJ CPS