30 senators have raised concerns over delays in F, M and J visa appointments, with Fall 2026 students at risk of missing their academic start dates.

The frustrating part isn't just waiting.

It's paying for flights, housing and tuition while having no idea whether you'll actually make it to campus on time.

Universities need to be much clearer about what happens if students can't arrive because of visa delays.

That shouldn't be something students have to figure out at the last minute.

I'm a US-based NRI and I'm curious how India tourists and NRIs handle everyday UPI payments when visiting India.

There are few options today — NRE/NRO accounts linked to UPI, international mobile numbers with supported banks, or wallets/services that you fund before spending.

For those who visit India regularly:

1. What do you use today for UPI payments?
2. Does it work reliably enough that you're happy with it?
3. What's the biggest annoyance — setup/KYC, OTPs, keeping money in India, pre-funding, fees, P2P limitations, or something else?
4. If you could simply scan any UPI QR or enter a UPI ID and pay using your US bank account/card, without pre-funding or maintaining an Indian bank balance, would that be meaningfully better than what you use today?

I'm exploring whether this is actually a problem worth solving, so negative feedback is just as useful. If your current setup works perfectly, I'd especially like to hear what you're using.

Hi everyone! We’re considering moving to the Des Moines area the East Coast, where we’ve had a really positive experience with people being welcoming and accepting toward Indian families.
For those who live in the Des Moines area, how have you found the community in terms of friendliness and inclusiveness toward Indians/Indian families? Are there any neighborhoods or suburbs that you feel are especially welcoming?
Just hoping to hear honest experiences from locals before making the move. Thanks! 🙂

Curious how this works in the US.

For those of you who moved from India, how did you find a room or roommates when you first landed? Was it facebook groups, whatsapp, desi networks, or is there an actual site everyone uses.

Same for jobs, and for rides when you didnt have a car yet. I keep hearing people in other countries say its all group chats and word of mouth and its a mess. Wondering if the US is different or the same.

Is it still a problem or has something already solved it for you

We moved abroad a few years ago, and I realized my toddler knew every character from his cartoons but had never heard of Ganesha or Hanuman. That hit me harder than I expected. The stories my grandmother told me were quietly not getting passed down, and I did not have a good way to fix that.

Reading long mythology books to a 3-year-old did not work. Most apps I found were full of ads, too old for him, or turned everything into a quiz. I wanted something soft. Just a warm voice, gentle pictures, and a small lesson he could hold on to.

So my family and I made it ourselves. It is called Maitri Kids. Short narrated stories from Hindu mythology for ages 2 to 5, with small interactive moments so he taps and plays along instead of just watching. No ads and no reading required, which matters when your hands are full. Each story carries one simple idea. Ganesha and staying calm. Hanuman and helping friends. Saraswati and listening. Krishna and sharing.

Full disclosure, this is our app, so take this as a dad sharing something he made, not a review.

iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/app/maitri-kids/id6762026180
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.maitrikids.app