"For a love that carried me here, to the land of opportunity, I gave up my career, my life, and my identity. I'm wondering now where my chance went. Spouses on H4 visas often perceive their voyage as a romantic start to a new life in the United States, but that is not the case at all. Beneath the verdant landscape of prospects lies a landscape of loss: a loss of identity, liberty, and career. Many women who enter the country as dependents of H1-B visa holders find that the American Dream is a contradiction in which they are present physically but absent emotionally and professionally.
 
Although a spouse's H1B can lead to opportunities, it also raises some startling questions: When one's identity and career are at jeopardy, what should one do? Imagine putting in a lot of effort to develop a bright future and becoming an expert in your area, only to give it all up when you relocate to a foreign nation where your immigration status forbids you from working. Many women who possess years of expertise and a degree find themselves paralyzed and entirely reliant on their partners, not only for financial support but also for identity. Many dependent spouses experience mental health problems as a result of the shock of losing their sense of self when they become financially independent.
 
"I had been working since more than four years when I relocated to the U.S. with my husband," remembered one H-4 spouse. After a romantic and adventurous day, the honeymoon phase ended with a depressing emptiness. I was invisible, not simply unemployed. Not only does the H-4 visa entail physical separation from friends and family, but it also causes emotional and mental isolation owing to the lack of a social life, professional network, or sense of belonging at work. Many women talk of feeling isolated and unable to connect with others or form meaningful communities. For other people, this subsequently escalates into more severe mental health issues including sadness and anxiety.
 
Occasionally, this psychological and emotional toll quietly creeps into a person's marriage rather than limiting itself to that person alone. When one spouse achieves complete independence from the other, the dynamics of the marriage alter. Typically, a stay-at-home spouse has guilt for not being able to contribute and feels under pressure to take care of the family on her own.
 
In addition to facing mental, physical, and cultural difficulties, the majority of H-4 wives discover that they must take on the job of housewife and manage households—a duty that is unfamiliar to them from their own country. For women who have lived freely and led busy lives in the past, this abrupt shift to a home existence might feel rather restrictive. The issue is made worse by the absence of paid domestic assistance or extended relatives to help with home chores.
 
The problems faced by H-4 spouses, especially women, are institutional rather than personal. Restrictive immigration laws that exclude employment represent a loss of enormous skill, potential, and financial contribution. These are educated, competent, and prepared for the workforce rather than only being dependents. I didn't pick this life; I selected my husband, and this life came with him, as one spouse so eloquently puts it. But is asking for a loving family and a job too much to ask for?
   
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H4 Spouse

G GOWTHAM

26/09/2024 08:41 AM