The value of a Green Card

[somegchuh]

Folks,

I know this has been discussed in the past on this and other message boards but I wanted to hear some more opinions about it. What is the value of green card to you?

I know different ppl have different reasons like ability to switch jobs, ability to travel freely, ability to have a job for spouse etc. All said and done how many of you would like to go back to your home countries in the next 5-6 years? I know a lot of people have issues such as aging parents back home or they simply don't see themselves living in a foreign land forever. I guess my question is what percentage of ppl aspiring for a GC view it as a convenience vs percentage of ppl who actually see it as a path to settling down in US for good.

Thanks

[qualified_trash]

Originally Posted by somegchuh

Folks,

I know this has been discussed in the past on this and other message boards but I wanted to hear some more opinions about it. What is the value of green card to you?

I know different ppl have different reasons like ability to switch jobs, ability to travel freely, ability to have a job for spouse etc. All said and done how many of you would like to go back to your home countries in the next 5-6 years? I know a lot of people have issues such as aging parents back home or they simply don't see themselves living in a foreign land forever. I guess my question is what percentage of ppl aspiring for a GC view it as a convenience vs percentage of ppl who actually see it as a path to settling down in US for good.

Thanks

you should maybe set it up as a poll. as for me, I am here for good unless asked to leave :-)

[satishku_2000]

For me its about the higher prize...thats citizenship...

I want to be here for good unless asked to leave. But at times it frustrates me to think that I will be well over age of 40 when I get my green card (Assuming that nothing will happen to alleviate the retrogression issue)...

And I keep asking myself whether its worth the wait (Waiting for 10 or 15 years and working for same employer and same position) ... I think its a valid question.

[hmehta]

I believe this is a very valuable debate/query and unfortunately there is no certain answer for this, there are numerous reasons either ways.....

I am sure to go back to my Home country - my reason is bring up of my children.

[somegchuh]

More than 4 years ago when I started the process I really was looking forward to getting a GC and eventually citizenship. But a lot has changed in the last 4 years. GC process has become much harder (after 4 years I am yet to file for 140 and 485). At the same time the economy back home is booming. So the financial incentive to go thru the long process is really going down by the day.

More than the financial factor, I have gradually started realizing that no matter how many friends I make here its never the same as having a large family network that provides for social stability for each family. Also, I have started observing aging indian couples in US who came in 60's and 70's. They look pretty lonely and sad. I guess the question I am asking myself today is, is finanical success today worth the social loss I will face once I retire?

PS: Does anyone know how to turn a thread into a poll?

[anurakt]

I have somebody in my family who is suffering from an incurable disease , thus I wan't to stay in this country till a medicine comes out. This country is known as the pioneer in the reserach of medicines . It may take 10 years for it to be in market but it may take another 25 years to be in India. I have been working with lot of pharmatuticals firms which may come out with a treatment.

GC is not important to me for money ! Never. I want to make sure that my family member gets the best treatment available in the world.

[asanghi]

Originally Posted by somegchuh

More than 4 years ago when I started the process I really was looking forward to getting a GC and eventually citizenship. But a lot has changed in the last 4 years. GC process has become much harder (after 4 years I am yet to file for 140 and 485). At the same time the economy back home is booming. So the financial incentive to go thru the long process is really going down by the day.

More than the financial factor, I have gradually started realizing that no matter how many friends I make here its never the same as having a large family network that provides for social stability for each family. Also, I have started observing aging indian couples in US who came in 60's and 70's. They look pretty lonely and sad. I guess the question I am asking myself today is, is finanical success today worth the social loss I will face once I retire?

PS: Does anyone know how to turn a thread into a poll?

When my labor approval came, I was very happy and even bought a house. But then retrogression happened. Now I am really tired of it, besides I only can watch my nephews nieces growing through webcam only. My brother sisters are getting older, and I feel I am drifting away from them because I hardly get much time to spend with them even when I go to India. So GC or no GC, I am going back.

Now I am here for 2 reasons, my wife is studying, I am stuck with a house. My wife's studies are almost over. So as soon as I can break even on my house, I will go back. Period.

My wife couldn't get an internship this year due to not having GC. She has converted to F1 after waiting for a long time, and hopefully this year will get an H1. So GC has no real value for me now. Only value GC has for me is that I can live more independently switch employers, experiment with startup ideas etc. while I am here.

[GCBy3000]

I am confused and think about this daily. I am here in US for the past 8+ years and I am 33 now. All my friends who have stayed back in India are in very good managerial position and earning well. Money is not the issue now, but the career.

I thought about going back to India and when I started the job search, I ended up seeing myself aged out. Being stuck with my GC, I am now continuing as a Sr Software er for the past 8 years. I did not move up an inch all these years and I did not think it is going to affect my career till now. Now if I look back, I sometime think that I have made wrong choices unknowingly.

In India:

1. I am not fit for Sr Software Er position as guys from college with 2+ years of experience fills that position.
2. I dont want tech lead / team lead as I hear from my friends there it is going back 5years for me for my age.
3. I am not getting project manager position as I do not have any managerial experience.

If I get a good position in India, I am ready to go back. At the same time, I have two kids who are born here in US and I own a house (technically I am proud owner of mortgage debt not house) here in US. I have to close all my debts before I decide to go back.

I AM NOT IN CLEAR STATE OF MIND. MAY BE GETTING GC WILL HELP ME OUT.

[FinalGC]

When my son was in 3rd grade, he was asked a question ...who were the pilgrims from your family. I told him it was his parents.

I presume just like the first pilgrims in USA had a lot of struggle, similarly we too are in the same boat....a time will come when we all will get our GC's....however the true beneficiary of the GC will be our children and our benefit will come by seeing our children getting that benefit. However, we all seem to be living better off than the 1st pilgrims...we are living more comfortably, driving good cars and have homes, enjoying the US dream to some extant....Even now if you go to your home country...you are considered a wealthy guy.....even if you have less money in your bank than your counterparts in India or other places...this is due to the standard of living in USA is expensive.

With the global economy and Infosys hiring US Citizens, I am not sure where where the job market is going, but I feel for the next 50-60 years US is still the place to live, since it has a very strong economy. With that perspective I believe a little struggle is acceptable.....

GC is out there for all of us...keep the hope alive...

[pani_6]

I am going back in a few years!..this in Bhoga Bhumi(Land of material pleasures)...my land Bharath is Punya Bhommi(Land of Good Karma).I am heading home no matter what!

[mirage]

I think it is the perspective that has changed. Until 2 years back we were ready to die to live in this country, we thought our country was crowded, polluted etc. etc. Things haven't changed much there. It's still same, criminals are still the most powerful, power, food & Shelter is still scarce, poor count hasn't decreased. It's just we are not seeing now 'the dark side of the moon'. There's no doubt our American dream is screwed up big time. We have ruined the best times in our lives. Out of these 1 million Visa holders, 1000's would have been entrepreneurs, artists, etc. etc. but this green card chase has beaten us down to H1B Visa holder forever.

[optimist578]

Originally Posted by GCBy3000

I am confused and think about this daily. I am here in US for the past 8+ years and I am 33 now. All my friends who have stayed back in India are in very good managerial position and earning well. Money is not the issue now, but the career.

I thought about going back to India and when I started the job search, I ended up seeing myself aged out. Being stuck with my GC, I am now continuing as a Sr Software er for the past 8 years. I did not move up an inch all these years and I did not think it is going to affect my career till now. Now if I look back, I sometime think that I have made wrong choices unknowingly.

In India:

1. I am not fit for Sr Software Er position as guys from college with 2+ years of experience fills that position.
2. I dont want tech lead / team lead as I hear from my friends there it is going back 5years for me for my age.
3. I am not getting project manager position as I do not have any managerial experience.

If I get a good position in India, I am ready to go back. At the same time, I have two kids who are born here in US and I own a house (technically I am proud owner of mortgage debt not house) here in US. I have to close all my debts before I decide to go back.

I AM NOT IN CLEAR STATE OF MIND. MAY BE GETTING GC WILL HELP ME OUT.

Exactly same thoughts cross my mind too. I am planning to finish my Masters, on a part-time basis, after which I have to decide my direction for good. I don't have any kids so that is not a factor to hold me back to this country. But I face my biggest discouragement about returning to my home country, when I think of a typical workplace atmosphere there. If you are working for one of the software firms delivering services to international clients, you might end up as someone who simply follows the orders from overseas clients - working 14-15 hours at least 6 days a week. Add to that the living conditions, feudal bureacracy and you have conjured up a recipe for formidable hardship and frustration. On the other hand, US has a growing economy and newer opportunities come here first. Also I have quite a few friends here who have got theirs GCs and are doing good. So, that serves as a sort of inspiration for me.
So, overall, I am also confused. My wife is my driving force, positive about making it big here- business or corporate world and my only hope. But she has been put up at home, now for more than 4 years; pretty hard to imagine especially with MPhil and an MS from US universities.

[GotGC??]

This thread is long time coming, and thank you for starting this. This is a question often discussed in friend circles, but most people I know hesitate to take a position. I think the anonymity of this forum will let us express ourselves more honestly...

When I came to the US 6 years ago, I had deliberately made the decision not to decide in the first couple of years about staying on or returning back after sometime. I had seen too many friends and relatives who all said "don't worry, we'll back in a couple of years" and never made it back. Marriage, kids, school, house, GC...Citizenship...it kinds of gets on you. And before you know, your kids are making the decision for you. I know of a couple of families with grown up kids who moved back to India only to move back to US because the "kids could not adjust". It's not hard to read between the lines that "we also could not adjust".

As days go by, it is becoming more clear everyday that I will also return back one day, sooner rather than later. I have some questions that haunt me:
- if/when I get my GC, and if I return back, is there a way to hold on to the GC status?
- if someone has a US citizenship, when companies such as Infosys hire them, do they have to get a work visa or something? Is there a concept equivalent of H1/GC for non Indians yet?

Originally Posted by FinalGC

When my son was in 3rd grade, he was asked a question ...who were the pilgrims from your family. I told him it was his parents.

I presume just like the first pilgrims in USA had a lot of struggle, similarly we too are in the same boat....a time will come when we all will get our GC's....however the true beneficiary of the GC will be our children and our benefit will come by seeing our children getting that benefit. However, we all seem to be living better off than the 1st pilgrims...we are living more comfortably, driving good cars and have homes, enjoying the US dream to some extant....Even now if you go to your home country...you are considered a wealthy guy.....even if you have less money in your bank than your counterparts in India or other places...this is due to the standard of living in USA is expensive.

With the global economy and Infosys hiring US Citizens, I am not sure where where the job market is going, but I feel for the next 50-60 years US is still the place to live, since it has a very strong economy. With that perspective I believe a little struggle is acceptable.....

GC is out there for all of us...keep the hope alive...

[ArunAntonio]

Test

[somegchuh]

I think this is a really complex issue. We go thru a lot of thoughts now and then.

When I think rationally this is what I am concerned about:
1. Social isolation from family (brother/sisters/extended family) in the long run.
2. Inability to support aging parents.

The second issue weighs down on my soul more because supporting aging parents is a debt we are all supposed to pay back (regardless of ethnicity/class/caste/nationality/...). We are not supposed to run away from it. Some of us are lucky to have sibilings who are supporting the parents back home and that makes it a little easier. I know some of us even have single parents living by themselves.

The long wait makes it hard for you and wife. So you really feel frustrated and want to leave. At the same time waiting for GC your career has been stagnating for years, your wife hasn't had a job in years and that makes going back harder. Its like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Things seem good with a GC in US and they look good back home but we seem to be getting neither ... *sigh*