What would you do if your family needed you urgently, but you were stuck waiting for a visa appointment that would not come in time? For many people working abroad, this is not just a question, but a reality they quietly deal with. It is a situation where career, rules, and family emergencies can collide in painful ways.
An Indian-origin tech professional in the United States has now shared such an experience in a post on LinkedIn. Gautam Dey, who is working in the US on an H-1B visa, said he was unable to travel back to India to see his mother in her final days because of delays in getting a visa stamping appointment. He described the moment as one that he will never forget.
In his post, he wrote, “Today I am writing this not as an engineer, not as an H-1B worker… I am writing this as a son,” he wrote.
Dey shared that his mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer and was hospitalised for 17 days. During this period, he tried urgently to arrange travel to India, but visa delays made it impossible.
“My mother was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. She was hospitalised for 17 days. During that time, I was desperately trying to get a visa stamping appointment so I could travel to see her,” he said.
He also explained that his journey to the US was based on professional expertise, not financial advantage. “I did not come here to undercut anyone’s salary. I was brought in for my expertise to solve a serious software problem and fix vulnerabilities that needed attention,” he wrote.
As his mother’s condition worsened, Dey said he found himself stuck between strict immigration rules and a personal emergency. He added, “But when my mother was dying, none of that could help me reach her. Like many H-1B professionals, I am waiting for my priority date. I have a lawful job, a family, responsibilities, and a life built here. But because of visa stamping delays, lack of interview slots, and sudden changes to the dropbox process, I was trapped.”
He explained the consequences of travelling without proper stamping under the H-1B system, regulated through United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. He said, “If I traveled without an appointment, I could be stuck outside the US for months. I could lose my job, my legal status, and my family’s status. My daughter, who has studied in the US since kindergarten and is now in college, and my younger child in 10th grade, could have their lives uprooted overnight. So I was forced into an impossible choice: Be with my dying mother. Or protect the future of my children.”
Dey said he spent nearly a month trying to secure an emergency visa appointment. He submitted hospital records, followed procedures and repeatedly checked for availability. “I sent hospital documents to the Consulate. I tried for 26 days to get an appointment. I refreshed, waited, prayed, and hoped. But time did not wait,” he wrote.
He described how distance reduced everything to phone calls during his mother’s final days. “I could only see her through a phone screen. I could only hear her voice over the phone. That will remain the biggest regret of my life,” he shared.
He also reflected on life in the United States under the H-1B programme and shared that many people come with hopes of the American dream, working hard, paying taxes, and contributing to companies.
He noted, “To every young professional dreaming of an H-1B life: please think carefully. India is changing. There are strong companies, deep technology opportunities, AI innovation, product engineering, and serious investment happening there now…You do not have to measure success only by leaving home.”