A good friend asked me why I feel I have to go home and what it means. As I explained to her, it also helps me better understand my options, if my work visa application fails. Here is the Why and Then What.
My current visa is Student Visa which expires on November 10, 2014. The H1B work visa application begins on April 1. (My company will apply the work visa for me.) If I successfully get the work visa sponsorship, I’ll be on work visa status starting on October 1, which could last maximum 6 years. But if for any reason, the visa application fails, my last day legally in the United States is 90 days after my current visa expires, which is February 8, 2015.
By the mid of April, I probably would be able to know whether the work visa application is successful or not. If yes, then I plan to stay here permanently and will ask my company to sponsor me green card, which is another 5-year wait. If not, I need to prepare for what I need to do next. Currently I have a few thoughts…
Plan A: Go back home relatively soon. This will be a permanent move. I’ll choose this plan if I couldn’t think of any better outcomes of staying here knowing I have to go home by February next year, therefore there’s no point of wasting my time here, and I’d better start my new life back home sooner than later. This is also what my father wants. He very much wants to see me settle down in China soon. (He really doesn’t want me to be all by myself here. He thinks the life is just too hard for me. The life he envisions for me is to work for a state owned company – meaning very little work, and to have my own family – meaning getting married soon.)
Plan B: Go back home any time before February, 2015. This will be a permanent move. I’ll choose this plan based on the considerations: 1) Finish my current commitments. For example, my company may want me to complete the current contract with Client; 2) Give myself some time to be mentally prepared to move back home, like some time for travel and vacations; 3) Be better prepared for my livelihood in China. I may need the time to research the job market back in China, and determine which city to go to; I may also consider the possibility of starting my own business.
Plan C: Seek the opportunity of going back to school, for 2015 intake. I was thinking of pursuing an MBA degree a long time ago. This might be the opportunity for me to switch gears and explore a new world. I’ll choose this plan if 1) I can get fully support from my family, knowing it will be very difficult from my father; 2) I can figure out the financial solution for two-year tuitions. If this is doable, I will go with the full-time MBA program at UW. I’ll use the time to prepare exams and applications to hit the October deadline. I’ll get the notification of the admission by December. If I’m admitted, then I’ll go back home when my visa expires and have a half year vacation, and return in September 2015. Everything will start all over again. If not, I’ll go back to China permanently.
Plan D: Seek the opportunity of asking my company to apply for work visa again next year. I have no idea whether this is possible or doable. But if I can get the commitment, then I will just go back home in February 2015 and have a long vacation, then come back in October 2015.
My friend asked me about my heart and my mind. Here is the answer. My heart wants to stay, and my mind also asks me to stay if I don’t need to worry about the visa. But my mind is so easily influenced by the result of this application. For the record of my life, my mind overrules my heart all the time…
Yan Ren 