Getting a green card requires patience. An application can take more than ten years to process once it's filed. Often, people have looked for other, shorter and quicker ways to fulfill their American dream. The lure of America is so great that they don’t mind breaking rules and laws.
A Maryland resident from Kalol, Gujarat, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of legal repercussions came to the U.S. on a student visa but dropped out of his university because he could not afford it. Then, he studied a short-term course in English language classes and later found a college where he could get a computer science degree for less money. But to become a permanent resident in the country, he married someone who was a citizen. That way, he got a green card within a year.
“I did not want to stay here illegally, but there are many ways that people come here. If someone dies in India, you can get their visa copied and they put your face instead of theirs. It is a fake passport that has a valid visa. That way you enter the United States,” he said.
Other than that, people take the so-called donkey trail, the illegal route, and enter the U.S. via multiple stops in countries like Turkey, Guatemala, South Africa or Canada. For him, there is only one reason why people risk getting deported but still migrate to America — money. “Everyone loves money. Legally, it takes some 35,000 rupees to come to the United States. If you travel illegally, you have to pay about 8-8.5 million rupees. But you can make that money back in just two to three years by working in America. There is no way you can do that in India.”
For some, working in the States might seem like the only option. A source who prefers to keep his identity undisclosed because he fears deportation, came to the country eight years ago on a tourist visa. When his visa expired, he did not return and has been living here since. Since he does not have a work permit, he earns in cash by working in a property management company.
“I have no choice. In India, there were some financial problems. I lost my job, my business did not take off so I thought I will come here and try to earn. I did not intend to stay here so long and I have no wish to stay in America. Once my finances are managed, I just want to go back even if that means that I cannot come here again. There were struggles in the beginning but the U.S. currency gives you the power to endure that struggle,” he said.
