By Manishka Soorya

Procuring a Green Card these days is an extremely time-consuming ordeal. A major racket exists right from making hopefuls run around in connection with paperwork to demands of huge bribes for mandatory documents required.

Distressed respondents shared their woes on our portal. One of our respondents from Bhopal had to pay Rs. 10,000 in order to secure a police clearance certificate while applying for a US Green Card (http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/they-would-not-give-me-police-clearance-certificate-my-us-green-card-application).

With Telugus forming such a huge percentage of Indians in U.S., it goes without saying that many complaints related to green cards emanate from Andhra Pradesh. One respondent from Kurnool shelled out Rs  8,000 while another from Warangal paid Rs 5,000 to procure NRI birth certificates, a mandatory requirement for green cards.

The bigger shocker is the corruption by Indian officials based abroad. One of our respodents based in the Indian Embassy at San Francisco speaks of the whopping $US 3,000 for renewal of visa for green card holder! (http://ipaidabribe.com/bribe-central/usa-indian-consulate-san-francisco-asking-3000).

Old habits (learnt in one’s birth place) truly die hard!