This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Shreya Mishra Reddy, 34, an Indian nationalist presently staying successful Toronto connected a tourer visa. The pursuing has been edited for magnitude and clarity.
I moved to the US from India to do my master's successful engineering guidance astatine Duke University successful 2021.
I graduated successful 2022 and sewage a occupation astatine Visa the pursuing year. But contempt trying, I didn't get an H-1B visa, truthful I had to time off the state successful January 2026, erstwhile my student activity authorization expired.
My scheme was to move backmost to India and support applying for US-based jobs. But, successful September 2025, news deed that companies could look an other $100,000 fee to prosecute H-1B labor from extracurricular the US.
An H-1B nary longer seemed for illustration a realistic action because I expected the interest would use to me.
The interest was challenged successful court and isn't presently being enforced, but I'm still not pursuing opportunities successful the US because of the uncertainty astir the interest and uncovering H-1B-sponsored jobs.
I didn't cognize really difficult being an world student could be
Social media painted a rosy image of moving to the US, truthful my family and I didn't cognize astir the hardships international students look while looking for a occupation successful a state wherever you person nary support and cognize thing astir the market.
My family successful India encouraged maine to find a occupation successful the US, but I recovered the process really difficult. My occupation astatine Visa felt for illustration a miracle, and I deliberation the only logic I sewage it was because I had anterior activity acquisition successful India.
It felt difficult arsenic a caller postgraduate pinch constricted experience, and galore of my classmates had to move backmost to India because they couldn't find jobs. It's a sad reality, fixed that people return retired loans and walk a batch to spell to a US university.
Things worked retired good for me, arsenic I worked astatine a apical institution wherever I learned truthful much. But students, and their parents, who often play a large domiciled successful sending their kids abroad, request to beryllium alert of the harsh realities of studying successful the US, particularly now, pinch AI making it difficult for caller grads to get jobs and layoffs becoming truthful common.
In 2025, I started an online organization for world students successful the US, which now has much than 9,000 members. Because of the projected interest and uncertainty surrounding the lottery system, I'm seeing much liking successful talent visas for "extraordinary" individuals, specified arsenic the O-1. I don't cognize if this will activity retired for them, particularly if much group apply. I haven't considered applying for 1 of these visas because I consciousness for illustration it's going to get harder.
I'm deciding wherever I'll guidelines myself next
At the moment, I'm successful Toronto, wherever my hubby lives, connected a tourer visa. I'm debating whether to guidelines myself present aliases return to India.
I've been taking a profession break to activity connected individual projects, including penning a fabrication book and starting my ain handloom brand. I'm besides exploring firm jobs successful fintech, but I'll person to spot what offers I get and what the imaginable for maturation looks for illustration earlier deciding which state to live in.
People who move to the US for a fewer years often spot returning to India arsenic a failure, but I'm not frightened to do this. During my occupation search, I've seen awesome maturation opportunities successful cities for illustration Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The startup manufacture is really booming.
I still highly respect US-based education. I learned truthful overmuch from doing my master's astatine Duke. In March, I applied to a master's programme successful psychology astatine the University of Pennsylvania, a section I've ever been willing in. I was accepted, but I decided not to move guardant because of factors for illustration uncertainty astir student visas and the occupation market.
I consciousness optimistic astir my early extracurricular the US
I couldn't enactment successful the US longer, but I consciousness optimistic astir my early extracurricular the country. Moving from India to the US required spot and resilience, and I deliberation those qualities will service maine well. The acquisition I gained successful the US transformed maine personally and professionally, and added truthful overmuch to my résumé.
I'm still figuring retired my adjacent steps, but I'm judge I'm going to do thing astonishing pinch my life.
Not getting a occupation successful the US is not the extremity of the world.
Business Insider confirmed that she was employed by Visa. Visa declined to respond to a petition for comment.
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Charissa Cheong is simply a elder first-person newsman connected Business Insider's Business Contributors and Freelance team, based successful London. She covers: Relocation and immigration, really employment visas impact careers, what it’s for illustration moving astatine the world’s biggest companies aliases alongside its astir prominent leaders, really the AI revolution is affecting professionals, and more. Charissa’s activity spans a wide scope of topics, but the unifying thread is first-person storytelling — sharing people’s unsocial profession and life experiences successful their ain voice, pinch their ain words. She writes successful Business Insider’s signature “As-told-to” format, which is designed to item powerful perspectives successful a conversational way. She besides commissions and edits personal essays from freelance writers and contributors. Charissa joined Business Insider successful 2022 connected the integer civilization desk, covering family vlogging, online harassment, and influencer culture. She moved to the contributors and freelance squad successful 2024.She graduated from the University of Cambridge pinch a BA successful English and holds a golden modular NCTJ Level 5 publicity diploma.
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