A major controversy has arisen over the viral post of Indian technologist Gautam Dey, in which he regretted that he could not go to meet his dying mother for the last time due to delay in visa stamping.

After Gautam Dey’s LinkedIn post on how he could not come to India to see his dying mother for the last time due to embassy issues, a huge controversy erupted as many said that he should have opted to bring his mother back home instead of staying in the US. Many social media users questioned how he had been living in the US with his family for 20 years on the H-1B visa program – and why he was expecting anything more when he knew his life in the US was temporary and when it came to such an important situation he chose money. However, many experts, including Indian-origin entrepreneurs, stood by Dey and said that the reaction was unfair as there could be many reasons for Dey not getting a green card.Immigration policy analyst Sam Peek said, “If America is no longer a place where people feel empowered to be the best versions of themselves while celebrating, struggling, and mourning, then it ceases to be not only a land of opportunity, but also a land of respect and purpose.”Indian-origin entrepreneur Vijay Thirumalai called out MAGA, asking Dey why he has not become a permanent resident in the US in 20 years. Describing the incident as ‘overall very sad’, Thirumalai posted, “All those talking about why he did this, H1B is a dual intent visa (dual intent to work and last way to go to GC) which is now in a mess due to archaic country border.” He also cited other reasons why it was a difficult choice for Day.Tirumalai posted, “So all the MAGA people preaching on what H1Bs should and shouldn’t do, stop preaching and go after illegal immigrants and not after honest, tax paying Indian H1Bs, because once they decide they are doing that, all the equity you have built in your comfortable homes, all the technological dominance and everything else will collapse.”

‘You chose money over mother’

Gautam Dey, in his heartfelt LinkedIn post, wrote that he could not go to India as he could not get a visa stamping appointment in India. He said he had sent hospital documents to the Consulate explaining how important it was for him to come to India but even after trying for 26 days he could not get an appointment and his mother passed away. If he travels to India without an appointment for visa stamping, he will not be able to re-enter the US and will have to wait in India for months for a slot to open up.Thousands of H-1B visa holders traveling to India last December were stuck in their home country as all visa slots were rescheduled and even now, no new slots have opened.“You don’t have to measure success just by leaving home. Because no dream of a career should ever put you in a position where you have to choose between your mother’s last moments and the future of your children. I have lost that choice. And I will bear that pain forever,” Day said, only to be criticized by users that he chose money over his mother herself.