Nerve Endings Firing Away

Now an article titled like that should be widely popular among Indians who still wish to chase the American dream. And it offers relatively accurate advice that jobs like a university professor, nurse, and physical therapist are more or less likely to guarantee a visa. In fact, if you are qualified to be any of the latter two, your green card is processed in less than a year; as one of my friends found out. But I was particularly concerned with the way the article starts out:

What’s the easiest way to legally enter the United States? Love. Fall in love with an American citizen, get married and you’re in. Unfortunately, not everyone can rely on romance.

I am sure the author meant that in a lighter vein but for a reader, it may seem like Ms. Weiss writing for Forbes considers marrying a citizen the best alternative. Heck, it just might be and I bet plenty of unscupulous people might be considering just that. In fact, I have personally encountered such people. A desi guy whom we met in Atlanta told us that he had a ‘gori’ wife. Now the fact that we never saw her at social gatherings and also that he used to blatant lech at other desi girls made us suspicious. And conveniently after the permissible limit of staying married and getting a permanent resident permit processed, he informs us that he had divorced his wife. Now, it may also be true that his intentions may not have been mala fide but I bet if you met the guy you wouldn’t think so. And everything just conveniently fell into place.

Another personal incident which actually was more shocking and hit close to home would show that such behavior is not necessarily restricted to desis. While discussing with another international-student classmate about the difficulties in obtaining a H1-B visa after graduation especially if you aren’t an IT professional, he said that he had a solution which he would tell me after class. I was naturally curious. He indicated that he knew a lady through some contacts who was willing to enter into a contract marriage for a fixed sum so as to smoothen the visa process. He offered to ask if I was interested. Needless to say, I was shocked and told him that I was engaged. To my surprise, he laughed it off and asked me to take her into confidence too saying that it was merely a technicality. I could not have walked away faster.

I bet every desi in the United States might have a related tale. Even the Russian mail order bride is a similar scam. That’s why I believe an article on India’s leading news portal shouldn’t have started off in that fashion. It just might give some frustrated soul misleading thoughts that might ruin more than one life.