OCI status of child crushes hopes of repatriation for Malayali techie stranded in United States

But a new order by the Indian government that bars the entry of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to India dashed the hopes of the family.
A UAE-returnee at Kochi International Airport. (Photo | EPS)
A UAE-returnee at Kochi International Airport. (Photo | EPS)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rahul Soman, a native of Guruvayur who went to the USA to work in an IT company, and his family could have easily got tickets in the special repatriation flights from San Francisco to Kochi starting between May 16 and 22. He would get priority as his work visa (H1B) expired on April 1. But a new order by the Indian government that bars the entry of Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) to India dashed the hopes of the family.

This would effectively mean that three-year old Rayan, an American citizen and an OCI cardholder, cannot to travel to India with his parents Rahul and Anju, who are Indian citizens. “I never thought that the government would suspend the OCI card when we needed it the most. The government should allow OCI children to move along with their parents,” said Rahul. There are several Indians in the US who are facing similar situation because of the new rule.

The lockdown has been a double whammy for Rahul who could not renew his visa and is forced to extend his stay without a job. Rahul moved to the US six years ago. After marriage, his wife also moved to the US on dependent visa. The family was planning to return to Kerala when the lockdown was announced. Now it is forced to dig in on its savings to stay back until the government offers relaxation.

Rahul has to meet the expenses along with the prospects of facing legal action for overstaying in a foreign country. H1B visa holders are allowed to stay in the US for a maximum of 60 days after visa expiry. The people with similar issues have formed a WhatsApp group and reached out to various diaspora associations, Ministry of External Affairs and politicians. They are now planning to appeal before the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to extend their stay. There are are around 25,000 Indians stranded in USA and 2,000 Keralites have registered with Norka-Roots.

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