You’d think that purchasing a ticket to visit your loved ones back home would be comforting. But for Indians in the US with H1B visas, that ticket usually has one shadow over it—will I get back in?
Even with all the proper documents, good immigration record, and proper visa stamp, there’s still doubt. It’s not because you did something wrong—it’s because something might go wrong.
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Individuals are having difficulty trusting the process, not because of anything they’ve done, but because too many tales have circulated—interviews that have gone awry, officers who ask odd questions, or systems that randomly flag. The re-entry process has become a psychological barrier, rather than a legal one.
The anxiety comes harder when it’s a family crisis. You’re not heading out on holiday—you’re in a hurry because someone is waiting for you. And yet your thoughts are torn between your family at home and the unknown that lies ahead of immigration lines.
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For H4 visa spouses, the anxiety is no less intense. Particularly when the main H1B is out and the H4 must return single-handedly—the tension feels even more acute.
What this actually does is show just how tenuous the feeling of stability is—even after years in the US. The visa may declare you belong, but the system tends to make you feel like you’re just a visitor.
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Perhaps it’s time we begin discussing this more openly—not as isolated events, but as a pattern that requires empathy and reform. Because when doing everything “right” still feels questionable, it’s not policy—it’s people.
