Noted Seattle author Vikram Kapur has been in India since the past 6 months and is unable to return. America has been his home since 1987. An established writer and professor in Seattle Central Community College, he has been recently honored for 5 years of service to the college.

Kapur has his extended family in India. He was required to be in India for personal and professional reasons that were urgent. He hoped to go back early this year to join the quarter in college. The Chancellor has written to the BCIS (formerly INS) authorities that they require Kapur to join back by Jun 28. Numerous letters and petitions have been furnished on Kapur's behalf to the Immigration authorities in US as well as the American embassy in New Delhi. The local Congressman Jim McDermott has been in the act too.

Time is a Fire was Kapur's first novel released last year. Kapur has been living in US since 1987. He completed his baccalaureate degree (summa cum laude) from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Georgia and received his masters degree in Mass Communication from the University of Georgia in Athens. Currently he teaches Journalism and is a faculty advisor at Seattle Central Community College. "I was living in the best neighborhoods of Seattle, Bellevue, and was a so-called achiever. My application for the Green Card has been approved also. I have no records of any wrong doing either. I am lucky that I have a brother in the US who is looking after my interests without whom what would I do about my apartment, my car, my bank accounts!" states Kapur exasperatedly. Vijay Kapur, Vikram's brother in Seattle explained that the BCIS (formerly INS) communicated to Vikram, that he didn't need an advance payroll document to travel since he had been approved for permanent residency (Green-Card). "We were told that his travel documents will be sent, and we are still waiting for those," he says.

Kapur's case will be an eye opener to many. However, urgent reasons are to leave the country, it is a must to carry travel documents along. The local INS office takes no more than few hours to clear the documents and in case of an emergency, the papers are provided instantly. "In general, if a person leaves the United States without his travel documents, it is assumed that he is giving up his status of permanent residency," explains Garrison Courtney, a Public Affairs Officer with the BCIS (formerly known as INS). "I don't really know what his options are and it is quite possible that his travel documents might be frozen," he adds.

Post Sept 11, security measures have geared up for entry in USA. Foreign visitors from early January next year, arriving at US will have their photographs and fingerprints taken and identification checked against lists of those who should be denied entry for reasons like terrorist links and criminal violations.

Will Kapur be able to go back or will he have to re-create everything from scratch in India? As one waits to understand and see what the outcome will be, the students are suffering the most, waiting to finish their courses and move on with life.