#4 The cost of the American life

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When Lisa arrived in the US in 2012, for a Masters' program, immigration was far from her mind. As the urgent knock of the real world intensified around graduation, it appeared that there would be a few steps in this process and by as long as the rules were followed, immigration would be mostly procedural.

Nearly 8 years after she first arrived, we talk to Lisa about the emotional toll of a turbulent immigration journey. We reconcile who she was, who she has become and what parts of herself seem to have been lost to this stressful path and what a threshold of tolerance might look like for her, when she reconsiders if the costs are worthwhile after all.

Further reading

1. Green Card Backlog: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2020/visa-bulletin-for-july-2020.html
2. More on Green card backlog: https://www.cato.org/blog/150-year-wait-indian-immigrants-advanced-degrees
3. OPT and stem extension: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/training-opportunities-in-the-united-states
4. OPT and stem extension application: https://www.uscis.gov/opt
5. OPT and stem extension unemployment days: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/unemployment-counter
6. H1B Cap: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-dod-cooperative-research-and-development-project-workers-and-fashion-models
7. H1B Lottery: https://www.murthy.com/2019/12/16/frequently-asked-questions-about-h1b-cap-and-electronic-registration-system/
8. H4-EAD: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/employment-authorization-certain-h-4-dependent-spouses
9. EB1: https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/permanent-workers/employment-based-immigration-first-preference-eb-1
10. I-797: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/forms-information/form-i-797-types-and-functions
11. H1-B Program: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/immigration/h1b
12. STEM Fields: https://www.ed.gov/stem
13. Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizens: https://www.uscis.gov/green-card/green-card-eligibility/green-card-immediate-relatives-us-citizen
14. Family Immigration: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/immigrate/family-immigration.html
15. RFE: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/data/understanding-requests-for-evidence-h-1b-petitions-in-fiscal-year-2018.pdf
16. Specialty Occupation: https://www.uscis.gov/working-in-the-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-dod-cooperative-research-and-development-project-workers-and-fashion
17. Visa Stamping: https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/wait-times.html
18. H1B "Transfer": https://www.murthy.com/2017/04/20/h1bs-cannot-be-transferred-misconceptions-around-h1b-employment-change/
19. I-140: https://www.uscis.gov/forms/petition-filing-and-processing-procedures-for-form-i-140-immigrant-petition-for-alien-worker