India-Born H-4 Visa Holder Forced To Self-Deport From US: His Story

An Indian-born man living in the United States was recently forced to self-deport from the country despite growing up here with legal status after he aged out from his mother’s green card petition. At 21, Roshan Taroll, who had spent over 16 formative years in the US city of Boston, now faces the complexities of American immigration policy.

Under current rules, thousands of children like Taroll risk deportation upon turning 21 if their parents have not secured permanent residency. Taroll’s mother, who entered the US on a work visa, passed away before achieving citizenship. His case underlines challenges within the immigration system, where backlogs in green card processing cause the separation of families.

According to some US media reports, more than one million Indians, including dependents, await resolution in employment-based immigrant visa categories. Taroll’s case gained attention after an advocacy group for young immigrants highlighted Taroll’s story on social media.

The organisation underlined the emotional toll of family separations and advocates for policy reforms like the America’s Children Act. Last week, a bipartisan group of US lawmakers urged the Biden administration to address these issues. They stressed the urgent need for administrative action to protect the thousands of children of professionals navigating prolonged green card backlogs.

“These young people grow up in the United States, complete their education in the American school system, and graduate with degrees from American institutions. However, due to the long green-card backlog, families with approved immigrant petitions are often stuck waiting decades for permanent residence,” the letter read.

“Many other families have no pathway to permanent residence and can live in the United States only as long as they maintain their work visas. Meanwhile, the children of these immigrants age out of their dependent status when they turn 21 and are forced to leave the United States if they cannot find a new status,” it added.

Despite efforts to navigate the system through various visa statuses, including an F-1 student visa, Taroll and several other immigrants face setbacks. His employer’s unsuccessful attempts to secure an H-1B visa forced him to relocate outside the US while continuing his professional duties remotely. Reflecting on his experience, Taroll expressed his frustration over the uncertainties of the US immigration process.

“It feels very frustrating to know that all the time that I had spent in our immigration system would be rendered invaluable,” he regretted. Before he was forced to self-deport, in an emotional appeal, Taroll expressed his deep ties to the United States and his aspiration for citizenship.  “Moving to the United States meant her kids are able to have the opportunities that she may have not had,” he shared, referring to his late mother’s hopes for a better future.