US-based Indian techie’s death leaves family facing deportation

Washington, March 7  The sudden death of a US-based Indian techie, who was in the country on a H-1B visa and his wife on a dependent visa, has led to his family face deportation as he was the sole provider, a media report said.

The victim Anjanee Kumar Batchali and his wife Manogna were living in Chester Springs, Pennsylvania with their two young children, the American Bazaar newspaper said in the report on Friday.

Since Batchali, who died on February 29, was the only one earning, his family would have to now relocate and find means to support themselves, the report added.

On a GoFundMe campaign started for the family, Manogna describes the struggle of being on a dependent visa in the US.

“Anji was on an H1B Visa and was the sole financial supporter of not only our immediate family, but much of our extended family as well,” she wrote.

“I am on a dependent visa, which is in danger of being revoked,” Manogna wrote seeking “some support to help us get back on our feet” as “with Anji”s passing, we have no income”.

According to US immigration laws, if the primary sponsor for a work based permanent residency application dies, the application is revoked leaving the dependent family with no choice but to leave the country.

In similar incidents last year, two US-based Indian professionals, whose names were listed in the Green Card backlog, died suddenly leaving their families in limbo.

Based in Tampa, Prashanth Padal, died after a heart attack on November 9, 2019, while Shiva Chalapathi Raju from North Carolina, passed away a month earlier, the American Bazaar reported.