A 25-year-old Indian man has shared his painful experience in the United States, saying he is now returning to India after five years, feeling completely defeated.
His journey in the US involved repeated struggles with jobs, visas and immigration procedures. He said he has now been asked to leave the country immediately.
The man shared his story on Reddit, explaining that he had moved to the US in 2021 at the age of 21 to pursue his master’s degree.
After completing a six-month internship, he secured a job at a startup and worked there for about a year.
Initially, everything seemed to be going well. He was selected in the H-1B lottery on his first attempt.
Though he wanted to move to a better-paying job, he said he remained loyal to the startup’s CEO, who had hired him after his internship and shown trust in him.
However, just four months after getting H-1B status, he was laid off.
The 60-Day Survival Struggle
H-1B visa holders generally get 60 days to find another job after losing employment. The man said he could not secure a new job within that period and therefore switched to B-2 visa status to remain compliant.
He later received a Notice to Appear from immigration authorities, as removal proceedings were initiated against him.
He said the process lasted three months and drained all his savings. However, he eventually won the case and was allowed to remain in the US.
Government Shutdown and Missed Deadline
The man said he later found a new job, but a government shutdown affected the process. According to him, his new employer could not file the Labour Condition Application in time.
As a result, he had to apply for an extension of his B-2 status. He also filed an H-1B change-of-status petition. However, all his applications remained pending for more than a year.
Eventually, his B-2 application was approved, but his B-2 extension was denied.
“Now I am being told I have to leave the country immediately. I do not know how to process any of this,” he wrote.
The man said the situation became even more painful because he was laid off just a day after his parents received their B-2 visas to visit him in the US.
“I sold my car. I sold most of my belongings, things I had worked for years to afford. I am preparing to move back in with my retired parents,” he wrote.
He said he had hoped to return to India with experience, savings and stability. Instead, he is going back with student loan debt, no savings, no motivation and uncertainty about the future.
“The only thing keeping me going right now is my dog,” he added.
