‘Absolutely Insane’: H1B Visa Holders Share Frustrations Over Scarce Dropbox Slots
The worker said he had been looking for H1B Dropbox visa slots for more than a month now, only to discover that organisers provided no slots to Indian applicants.
The H1B visa remains a significant avenue for the employment of foreign professional workers, especially Indians, in the United States. However, the Indian workers have termed the H1B visa renewal process “a nightmare". In a Reddit post, a person complained of the non-availability of slots under the known Interview Waiver Program or Dropbox through the US consulate.
The worker said he had been looking for H1B Dropbox visa slots for more than a month now, only to discover that organisers provided no slots to Indian applicants. He pointed out that the available time slots just offered inconvenient dates, including in some cases, two days before the appointment, making it almost impossible for those who live in the US to arrange for their travel back to India for the appointment.
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The user added, “How is anyone living in the US supposed to make that work?! It’s absolutely insane."
Under the Dropbox program, applicants are allowed to renew their visas without undergoing the necessity of facing an interview. But because of the high demand for and limited supply of these slots, many deserving candidates end up disappointed.
Many others said the situation was frustrating and they felt hopeless about it.
A user suggested, “Hi there, I was in the same situation – many of my friends are still waiting for slots. I observed that the Dropbox visa slot was extremely difficult and picked an in-person interview. I was able to book my slot in December within a week. I’d suggest changing your Dropbox to in-person if you can."
Another user added, “Thousands of people in the same boat. I’ve been looking since August. They opened Nov and Dec slots in July and a few weeks ago.. hopefully, more will open up, but hard to grab them.. hopefully, you don’t get locked out, or have access limitations or get stuck in the login page queue. Another option is to go to another country if you don’t get any slots."
A third user went on to say, “I agree, this situation is terrible. I have to take it at work to go to India and tell them in advance if I’ll be going for a month! I don’t know if I should plan my vacation if there is no guarantee of Dropbox slots."
The H1B visa allows a US employer to hire a foreign worker in a special occupation for a limited time. This has indeed been a breakthrough visa for many Indian working professionals who got career advancement and opportunities in information technology, health care, and engineering among other fields. However, the renewal process is exceptionally important for those candidates who do not want a gap in their employment in the United States.
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