I had been to the USA twice in the past on work assignments and lived there for a considerable amount of time. When I returned the first time, they detached the departure card (I-94) from my passport; but on my second return, they just left it there.

Honestly, I didn’t think it would be an issue. It was not my mistake after all. But after some random conversations with fellow travelers and their experiences with the American immigration authorities, I was beginning to get a little worried. Stuff I read online only made it seem that this could be a serious problem when I landed in the USA. Finally I decided that the best course of action would be to simply clear things up at the American Embassy in Hanoi. I had only a few days before my Chinese Airlines flight from Hanoi to San Francisco.

I got to the American embassy early in the morning. Security at the embassy was anything but friendly to me. They didn’t let me speak to any official, but instead asked me to go to the American consulate a few streets away. Guards at the consulate were no better. I was refused entry into the consulate because I was neither Vietnamese nor American. I explained my problem and showed them that I had a valid visa to the USA, but it was of no avail. Finally I gave up and came back home.

At home I sent e-mails to the American consulates both in Hanoi and in Chennai. The people at Chennai were quick and I had a reply within an hour. They wrote to me that this could indeed be a problem, but I would be allowed entry if I could sufficiently prove that I never overstayed in the US beyond the permitted duration in any of my past trips. All the necessary documents to prove this were back in India, packed in one of the many boxes in which my belongings lay.

The way I saw it, my choices were limited to:

1. Postpone my flight to the US, stay on in Hanoi and ask Shaarad to courier the documents here (assuming he could find them), or
2. Cancel my flight to the US, fly back to India and then think about the next plan of action

Option 1 was feasible as my Vietnamese visa wasn’t expiring anytime soon, but option 2 was what I really wanted in my heart. So that brings us to the present moment. Five pm Vietnam time - tickets to San Francisco canceled - tickets from Hanoi to Bangkok booked - tickets from Bangkok to New Delhi booked - total monetary loss about 30000 INR - happiness in my heart, priceless!