How do parents feel ?

[newyorker]

Dear all,

I've filed for b2 visa for my parents, my mom got hers and my dad's is under pending status since Jan 2006. My parents are avid travellers, they have been to Australia, UK and US (abt 15 yrs ago).

Initially, we use to talk very anxiously abt thier forthcoming trip to US. But the enthu is faded now with all the delay ...

When i check the forums here and other sites, i read of parents visa being rejected 3, 4, 6 times and I wonder... u know how do they (parents) feel..... about going back each and every time to convince some VO, and yet the visa is rejected so many times, it's not like they r desperate to come and stay bck here, doenst all this travelling to consulate cities, taking DD's, standing in lines in rain and sharp sun, is it all worth it ! how do they feel....

I know a lot of us have different takes on this...they'll see new life style, they'll enjoy being with kids...but at what cost...really...

[rcmax]

NewYorker, you are absolutely right, its so painful and humiliating for our parents to go thru this. My mother's visa has been rejected twice. We put in so much effort and send our aged parents from far off places to the consulate and in 30 secs the idiotic CO decides that they are potential immigrants. What a farce this is. This time I did write a real strong letter to the Chief of US consular Services Mark Fry about this whole process and in no uncertain language told him that they are doing a very poor job at it. I know he won't reply nor anything will change but its time to apprise him of the unjust process. I also wrote to the Minister of Overseas Affairs for NRIs (Vayalar Ravi) about how the US visa officers are not culturally trained to understand that Indian parents normally don't come here and settle down illegally and at the govt. level this issue needs to be taken up. I wish more people write to the NRI minister as it is a genuine grievance for us.

[UAJ]

We need unified efforts

Hi,
I have gone through the same pains as you. My parent's visa has been rejected 3 times. Not to mention that all the documents were prepared as per the requirements. but papers don't hold any importance to VOs. I don't know why they ask to prepare these long list of documents if they don't want to see to make an educated decision.
I believe that in the name of security they have lost the common sense. After spending many years in USA, as a child, one would like to see his/her parents. As a tax payer and abiding by law of the country, don't we deseve to have atleast this basic right to invite our parents without problem?
Yeh, those 11 million illegals are more important issue to be discussed and bend the law to legalize them. Everything is done favorable for those who break the laws and demand equal rights.
Your tax money is spent on those illegals but still your parents are bigger burdon and a suspected potential immigrant. What a shame for a super power nation.

We can only suffer because there is no centralized efforts for our own basic rights.

[newyorker]

I also wrote to the Minister of Overseas Affairs for NRIs (Vayalar Ravi) about how the US visa officers are not culturally trained to understand that Indian parents normally don't come here and settle down illegally and at the govt. level this issue needs to be taken up. I wish more people write to the NRI minister as it is a genuine grievance for us.

That's excellent, rcmax...I think if a considerable no of us write, call, anything to the Minister of Overseas Affairs, and NRI minister, maybe it'll finally fall on deaf years.

The loss of sense of excitement coupled with long waiting times for the interviews etc. is horrendous experience. My father doesnt have an HDFC account, those creeps said u have to open an a/c with min xxxx amount and wait until 3 weeks before we issue passbook so that u can have ur DD's. He raised a fit to the manager there and finally a kind banker lady asked another customer of her's if he could issue a DD from his a/c.

He was telling me the whole ordeal, and my heart just went out. The US consulates should learn something from Schengen and UK visa .

[immihelp]

One clarification:

You don't have to get the demand draft from the HDFC bank. You can get it from any nationalized bank (not co-opearative banks.)

Once you have the demand draft, you have to deposit it to the HDFC locations at https://www.immihelp.com/usa-visas/h...-branches.html

[msr]

All of you are really right. My case is similar , my Mother's visa was rejected 3 times from past 5 years. My case is more horrible because my Father passed away 10 years back and my Mom has to suffer all this alone going to chennai, taking dd's ect all this by herself. It is such a pain that , counsulates need to know. She only wants to see my son , he is almost 4 years now , and she has just seen him once when he was 1 year , that too just for 1 month. So we really want to show him to her and show her our house ect , but we are really fed up with this process. I can join the team to write a letter to higher authorities.She does not want to stay here but atleast see us and how we live here.

[newyorker]

Dear immihelp,

At that time, my dad wasnt in Hyderabad, so he went to the local HDFC bank in the city he was in. What i found surprising was the forhtcoming nature of a complete stranger, whom my dad trusted with the $ 10000 rs, to issue a DD. Well, u dont ifnd such things here.

My dad is a heart patient, so i hate to trouble him to go here and there, for these matters.

[immihelp]

I can understand the pain felt by all of you.

What is happening right now with US visas is not good at all. Too much delay in getting appointment, lot of procedures, complicated paperwork etc. But unfortunately, there is nothing we can do really.
I am sure people keep saying all of us should unite, write here/there, do this and that. Go ahead and do it. If it is going to make difference, it will be good for everyone.

[newyorker]

I can join the team to write a letter to higher authorities.She does not want to stay here but atleast see us and how we live here.

I'm truly sorry to hear about your father, msr. A friend of our's was in a similar situation, his mom's visa was rejected so many times and his father had recently passed away. He hired a lawyer here to eventually file the visa and she got it finally.

I totally understnad your stance, my dad says the same, all i want to know is how to u drive in the snow, and what kind of home do u live in. Me and my spouse are going back to India the next year, everything is all worked out, b4 we go back, i just want to show them around.

Sounds like an idea, if we find more peopl elike us, we shld sketch out plan of action.

[rcmax]

For a start you all should individually write real strong letters to the chief of consulate where your parent's visa was rejected. Don't hold back any punches, you got nothing to lose. You should also write individually to the Indian minister of overseas affairs. Also encourage others you know in the same boat to do the same. It has to start somewhere. maybe we might not see any beneficial results in the near term but in the longterm others are benefitted its worth it.

[SubhashCSR]

Sad situations

I can feel for all of you. I will never understand what exactly the VO looks for. My parents have travelled all over the world and my dad has worked for an internaitonal airline for 40 years. He has been to USA three times, all on different visas. Last visa they had was 10 years and this expired in 2004. They have tried twice more to get visa, but was denied, saying they are potential immigrant!! They have no relatives there, only close friends, and all these ties to India. All six of their children plus four grandchildren are in India, they have two homes, two cars, plus one of my sisters is mentally handicapped, plus my dads job, so why would they think they are potential immigrant? I know my situation is quite different as I am not the child waiting for my parents to come visit me in US, but it is very frustrating how the interview process works. I feel we Indians are given a bad treatment. It is shame.

[newyorker]

I know my situation is quite different as I am not the child waiting for my parents to come visit me in US, but it is very frustrating how the interview process works. I feel we Indians are given a bad treatment. It is shame.

that comes to me too....i've made all my trips to india to spend time with my parents and my relatives. The thought that as kids, we are me making our parents go thru all this ups and downs of visa acceptance and rejection, only to satisfy our feeling to have them see us in our new homes. You are right, though we are given high paying jobs, and titles, etc etc....we can never get the equal treatmnet.

[deba_sinh]

I am in the same boat as you all. I have seen my parents go through it all and rejected 2 times. I went to the local Senator's office and had the immigration guy write a letter to the consulate. The consulate did reply back saying all due procedures were followed and they were found ineligible due to 214(b). The point is they will never admit any mistake nor do they care. I think you all should raise the point and write a strong letter to the travel industry association of America. TIA has raised the visitor visa issue in the US congress. I however received no reply from them but it doesn't hurt to try. I am just sick and tired and mad with the whole process but frustrated knowing that I cannot do anything. Old parents receive arrogant treatment at the consulates. I wonder if the consulates care anything about their policies and image at all. At my last job I had an Israeli coworker and she used to admit and say that American consular posts only treat white Europeans/Caucasians and Israelis as human beings. All others are just dogs and treated as such. Sometimes I think there is a lot of truth in that. Sorry just venting my frustration. Good luck to you all.

[newyorker]

The point is they will never admit any mistake nor do they care. I think you all should raise the point and write a strong letter to the travel industry association of America. TIA has raised the visitor visa issue in the US congress.

At my last job I had an Israeli coworker and she used to admit and say that American consular posts only treat white Europeans/Caucasians and Israelis as human beings. All others are just dogs and treated as such. Sometimes I think there is a lot of truth in that. Sorry just venting my frustration. Good luck to you all.

Absolutely, deba singh....they'll never admit if a process is not working the way it's meant to, they are ill equipped to deal with applications for visas, they have problem trusting people who work with them.....

all these are translated by us as "bad luck"...but thier non-chalant attitude will back fire in loss of tourism to US.

There is a lot of truth in what u said....they see themselves as makers of history of US, and choose not to see our contribution in thier growth. Sometimes i think, a camp outside all the consulates to raise our issues and demanding for a better platform to resolve concerns might work. As someone else said, we dont care if they rejected the visas for our loved ones, they should know what htey r doing so that in future it can be of some use for other applicants

[HurricaneBay]

I have written strongly in my earlier posts regarding this issue. My parents were rejected twice for the reason of having only one child. Each and every step in this process is very unfair for legal applicants.

Forget the actual visa, I don't understand why it is so tough to get an appointment in regional language. VFS is a big sham as you can cough up 6-10K and get an appintment from "brokers". I have been trying for a Telugu appointment for my mother for last 2 months without success. I spend so much time on the lame **** VFS web site during work and again at home. And after all this sweat, you again start worrying if the lame **** officer who would interview your parents woke up on the right side of the bed or not.

US Consulates will not mend the ways of visa issual process by themselves since they do have sweeping authority and discretion due to INA (Immigration and Naturalization Act). So any change should come from congress here, which will be a long and arduous process. It might be worthwhile to pursue with yout local congressmen for individual cases, but change across the board will be a pipe dream.

At least we can lobby to fix the appointment system. We should try to get concrete evidence aginst VFS abusing the system and see if that helps. In any case, we should try change the system so that once can get an appointment in 3 months, regardless of the language.

Please share your thougths.