‘It took me 8 years to get a green card’: Indian investor’s immigration journey draws criticism

An Indian-origin investor shared his green card journey but was slammed on social media for siding with those who have waited decades to obtain permanent residency in the United States. The backdrop for this article by Silicon Valley investor Arnav Sahu is the U.S. government’s new green card regulations, which will see many applicants leave the U.S. and return to their home countries to apply for green cards, as adjustment of status only allows applicants to change a non-immigrant visa to a green card if the government deems it appropriate, not in all cases.Sahu said it took him eight years to get his green card, and it was faster because he applied through a special petition under EB-1. EB-1 is available to individuals with extraordinary ability, outstanding professors, researchers, managers, or executives. Not everyone qualifies for this, so the wait time is shorter. “I know people who have lived in this country for 25 years, had children, and still don’t have a green card,” Sahu wrote.Sahu was responding to Canadian engineer Trevel Blackwell’s observations about the new rules. “People may not know that the processing time for a green card application can take months to years. So someone could be on an O-1 or H-1B, work for five years, be critical in their role, file, and then have to give up their job. That has an extremely harmful impact on American industry,” Blackwell said.However, Sahu’s story of eight years of waiting did not go down well with social media users as they questioned why foreigners felt they were eligible for a green card in the United States. They also noted that there is a backlog because the system allows many people to obtain green cards. “This proves that too many people are being allowed in. With the right numbers, the system envisaged can handle the traffic,” one wrote.Another wrote: “Why do Indians expect special treatment? I’m an immigrant too and it took us longer to get citizenship. You are on a temporary visa. Temporary. No one owes you a green card because you keep extending your temporary status.”In response to the situation Sahu described, that of people who have lived in the United States with their families and children for 25 years but still hold temporary visas, social media users asked why these people did not leave the United States. “Why are they having children on temporary visas?” someone asked.“It took me 12 minutes and that’s it. So what do you mean? Everyone should not be charged. The United States, like India, Australia, Canada, etc., has the right to choose,” asked another.