I moved to the US for my husband's job but it didn't feel like home. We took a risk and moved to Canada.
Shrutinder Kaur shares her experience of moving from India to the US and eventually to Canada to find greater stability and professional identity. She highlights the challenges faced by 'trailing spouses' who are restricted by visa regulations and the difficulty of integrating into a new country.
Why it matters
The story sheds light on the personal and professional struggles of immigrants who move for a partner's career, particularly regarding visa-related limitations.
Shrutinder Kaur was 23 when she moved to the US, but she left for Canada roughly four years later. Courtesy of Shrutinder Kaur Shrutinder Kaur went to the US as the dependent on her husband's visa. She couldn't work on her visa, and at times, felt like she'd chosen love over her identity. Kaur and her husband moved to Canada in 2019 because they felt it would give them more stability. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Shrutinder Kaur, 35, who is from India and lives in Ontario. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I met my husband online, but not on a dating app. In early 2014, I searched Facebook for the man my dad was trying to matchmake me with, but accidentally sent a friend request to my now-husband, who happened to have the same name.
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