VISA

 

                                                                  VISA

 

I am not talking about your visa card! I am talking about the cherished “VISA” – the one that entitles you to go abroad and stay there for as long as is permitted!

The average (please note I am using ‘average’ and not the extra-ordinary) IIT/IIM student dreams of a visa to go to the US of A, pursue some course there make money and (at the moment of going) return. It is a different matter that most of them choose not to return to ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’.

Be that as it may, why is this visa considered so precious? The widespread view is that USA is a land of opportunities devoid of bias based on caste, creed and what have you. To a large extent this is true. One is recognized for his contribution and not for where he is from or which race or country he belongs to. Compensation is definitely considered more than reasonable for one who contributes and delivers and you do not have to work according to the Indian clock!

 

  In this context, I read recently that some members of the US Congress have invited Mr. Narendra Modi  to visit Obama land – implied in the invitation is the issue (pun intended) of visa, which hitherto had been not considered favourably. And there are people who claim that this invitation is a positive affirmation of Mr. Modi’s credentials to lead the Nation. Earlier he had been invited to deliver a lecture for the Wharton Business School and the invitation was withdrawn with the media making a mountain of this issue.

 

To my mind the invitation and the retraction (forced on it through some protests) were avoidable embarrassments to both the parties. Mr. Modi deserves to be treated a bit more respectfully – it has to be remembered that he has won three elections in the face of severe criticism of some happenings a decade ago and the claim of development – the opposition would have you believe that nothing great has been achieved. The Indian electorate cannot be easily fooled and therefore, I believe that Mr. Modi has perhaps won on merits.

 

I am not concerned with whether Mr. Modi deserves the invitation or not. I am concerned with the ethics of the School in retracting after extending the invitation. A premier business school ought to have examined all the pros and cons of before extending an invitation – the school has fallen in my eyes – a management school ought not to have floundered like this! What kind of management does it teach? Is there a scope for me to write, ‘What they don’t teach at Wharton Business School?

One of the fundamentals of management is to know what I am, where am I and where am I going. That is what Peter Drucker said. An organization that does not know what it is doing and where it is going is set for a slide of Himalayan proportions! I am fairly certain that the management pundits of Wharton know more about study of environmental factors and their impact on whatever we are doing than this scribe knows. Were they not aware of the possible protests for inviting Mr. Modi? And when the protests did happen, why could they not convince the protesters about the rationale of the invitation and the gains to the academic community of the learning that can be derived from Mr. Modi?

Back to the Visa issue!

A US visa means practically an open door to anywhere in the world. I remember my travel agent telling me -when I wanted to go to Dubai- ‘don’t worry Sir, you have US visa for 10 years and so UAE visa is almost automatic! That is the power of US visa!

 

 

And if you have an American passport, you don’t need visa to go anywhere!

 

 

 

 

Time was when the US consulates were very frugal in issuing visa and I understand that there have been substantial relaxations in the recent past. One of my friends who is visiting USA on a package tour was granted visa for 10 years! I remember my visa interview which happened after I retired from service. I was asked what my pension was! I wonder what this had to do with the issue of visa. However, the official was generous enough to grant me a 10 year visa – I had told him that I was visiting US to play with my grand- -child. He appreciated that and wished me fun time with my grand- -daughter. So they are quite considerate and liberal these days. And I had to wait for a few hours to get that visa!

 

Thanks to changed times, you need to go only fifteen minutes before your appointed hour complete your visa interview and presto – you get it or you don’t get it!

 

Today’s newspaper speaks of HIB Visa being issued on the basis of lottery! This, to my mind appears a little stretched! HIB visa, as you know, is issued for those who are to be employed in USA and the visa application has to be sponsored by the employer. The employer sponsors an application based on the candidate’s suitability for appointment in the company. It is not a pilgrimage! Can we then make it a lottery?

 

And let me end with two anecdotes:

First one is ….

A business man called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed a visa. "Oh no I don’t, I’ve been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double checked, and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I’ve been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express." (Courtesy - joke Buddha)

Now read the first sentence of this piece

And the second one is ……

(A sad story of a lion…….)
In a poor zoo of India, a lion was frustrated as he was offered not more than 1 kg meat a day.
The lion thought its prayers were answered when one U. S. Zoo Manager visited the zoo and requested the zoo management to shift the lion to the U. S. Zoo.
The lion was so happy and started thinking of a central A/c environment, a goat or two every day and a U. S. Green Card also.
On its first day after arrival, the lion was offered a big bag, sealed very nicely for breakfast. The lion opened it quickly but was shocked to see that it contained few
bananas.
Then the lion thought that maybe they cared too much for him as they were worried about his stomach as he had recently shifted from India.
The next day the same thing happened. On the third day again the same food bag of bananas was delivered.
The lion was so furious, it stopped the delivery boy and blasted at him, and ‘Don’t you know I am the lion... king of the Jungle..., what's wrong with your management? what nonsense is this?, why are you delivering bananas to me?'
The delivery boy politely said,' Sir, I know you are the king of the jungle but. . Did you know that you have been brought here on a monkey's visa!!!
Moral of the story
Better to be a Lion in India than a Monkey elsewhere!!!!! (Courtesy - joke Buddha)

And now, read the first paragraph of this piece!

Get me?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VISA

This piece is not about your VISA credit cards!

I am talking about the cherished “VISA” – the one that entitles you to go abroad and stay there for as long as is permitted!

The average (please note I am using ‘average’ and the extra-ordinary)) IIT/IIM student dreams of a visa to go to the US of A, pursue some course there make money and (at the moment of going) return. It is a different matter that most of them choose not to return to ‘Mera Bharat Mahan’.

 

Be that as it may, why is this visa considered so precious? The widespread view is that USA is a land of opportunities devoid of bias based on caste, creed and what have you. To a large extent this is true. One is recognized for his contribution and not for where he is from or which race or country he belongs to. Compensation is definitely considered more than reasonable for one who contributes and delivers and you do not have to work according to the Indian clock!

 

In this context, I read recently that some members of the US Congress have invited Mr. Narendra Modi  to visit Obama land – implied in the invitation is the issue (pun intended) of visa, which hitherto had been not considered favourably. And there are people who claim that this invitation is a positive affirmation of Mr. Modi’s credentials to lead the Nation. Earlier he had been invited to deliver a lecture for the Wharton Business School and the invitation was withdrawn with the media making a mountain of this issue. To my mind the invitation and the retraction (forced on it through some protests) were avoidable embarrassments to both the parties. Mr. Modi deserves to be treated a bit more respectfully – it has to be remembered that he has won three elections in the face of severe criticism of some happenings a decade ago and the claim of development – the opposition would have you believe that nothing great has been achieved. The Indian electorate cannot be easily fooled and therefore, I believe that Mr. Modi has perhaps won on merits.

 

I am not concerned with whether Mr. Modi deserves the invitation or not. I am concerned with the ethics of the School in retracting after extending the invitation. A premier business school ought to have examined all the pros and cons of before extending an invitation – the school has fallen in my eyes – a management school ought not to have floundered like this! What kind of management does it teach? Is there a scope for me to write, ‘What they don’t teach at Wharton Business School?

 

One of the fundamentals of management is to know what I am, where am I and where am I going. That is what Peter Drucker said. An organization that does not know what it is doing and where it is going is set for a slide of Himalayan proportions! I am fairly certain that the management pundits of Wharton know more about study of environmental factors and their impact on whatever we are doing than this scribe knows. Were they not aware of the possible protests for inviting Mr. Modi? And when the protests did happen, why could they not convince the protesters about the rationale of the invitation and the gains to the academic community of the learning that can be derived from Mr. Modi?

 

Back to the Visa issue!

 

A US visa means practically an open door to anywhere in the world. I remember my travel agent telling me -when I wanted to go to Dubai- ‘don’t worry Sir, you have US visa for 10 years and so UAE visa is almost automatic! That is the power of US visa. And if you have an American passport, you don’t need visa to go anywhere!

 

Time was when the US consulates were very frugal in issuing visa and I understand that there have been substantial relaxations in the recent past. One of my friends who is visiting USA on a package tour was granted visa for 10 years! I remember my visa interview which happened after I retired from service. I was asked what my pension was! I wonder what this had to do with the issue of visa. However, the official was generous enough to grant me a 10 year visa – I had told him that I was visiting US to play with my grand- -child. He appreciated that and wished me fun time with my grand- -daughter. So they are quite considerate and liberal these days. And I had to wait for a few hours to get that visa!

 

Thanks to changed times, you need to go only fifteen minutes before your appointed hour complete your visa interview and presto – you get it or you don’t get it!

 

Today’s newspaper speaks of HIB Visa being issued on the basis of lottery! This, to my mind appears a little stretched! HIB visa, as you know, is issued for those who are to be employed in USA and the visa application has to be sponsored by the employer. The employer sponsors an application based on the candidate’s suitability for appointment in the company. It is not a pilgrimage! Can we then make it a lottery?

 

And let me end with two anecdotes:

First one is ….

A business man called and had a question about the documents he needed in order to fly to China. After a lengthy discussion about passports, I reminded him he needed a visa. "Oh no I don’t, I’ve been to China many times and never had to have one of those." I double checked, and sure enough, his stay required a visa. When I told him this he said, "Look, I’ve been to China four times and every time they have accepted my American Express." (Courtesy - joke Buddha) –

 

Now read the first sentence of this piece

And the second one is ……

(A sad story of a lion…….)
In a poor zoo of India, a lion was frustrated as he was offered not more than 1 kg meat a day.
The lion thought its prayers were answered when one U. S. Zoo Manager visited the zoo and requested the zoo management to shift the lion to the U. S. Zoo.
The lion was so happy and started thinking of a central A/c environment, a goat or two every day and a U. S. Green Card also.
On its first day after arrival, the lion was offered a big bag, sealed very nicely for breakfast. The lion opened it quickly but was shocked to see that it contained few
bananas.
Then the lion thought that maybe they cared too much for him as they were worried about his stomach as he had recently shifted from India.
The next day the same thing happened. On the third day again the same food bag of bananas was delivered.
The lion was so furious, it stopped the delivery boy and blasted at him, and ‘Don’t you know I am the lion... king of the Jungle..., what's wrong with your management? what nonsense is this?, why are you delivering bananas to me?'
The delivery boy politely said,' Sir, I know you are the king of the jungle but. . Did you know that you have been brought here on a monkey's visa!!!
Moral of the story
Better to be a Lion in India than a Monkey elsewhere!!!!! (Courtesy - joke Buddha)

And now, read the first paragraph of this piece! Get me?