This as-told-to effort is based connected a speech pinch Luciana Pereyra, a 25-year-old Peruvian nationalist who moved to the US astatine 17 connected a tennis scholarship, mislaid her H-1B-sponsored occupation successful 2025, and had to return to Peru. It has been edited for magnitude and clarity.
I was calved and raised successful Lima, Peru, and I've been into tennis since I was 7, erstwhile my dada first took maine to a tribunal 5 minutes from our house. My parents had ever wanted maine to play a sport.
I started competing erstwhile I was astir 11, and by 14, I was watching older girls from my nine spell to the US connected tennis scholarships. I wanted that, too. An agency connected maine pinch US assemblage coaches, and I sent them a video of myself playing successful tournaments crossed South and Central America.
I chose a schoolhouse successful the US based connected what it offered.
I moved to the US astatine 17 connected an F-1 student visa
I spent my first twelvemonth astatine Middle Georgia State University, past transferred to the University of Findlay successful Ohio. I played varsity tennis location for 4 years while earning a Bachelor of Science grade successful business administration.
I graduated successful May 2022 pinch a 4.0 GPA. Because the pandemic gave college athletes an other twelvemonth of NCAA eligibility, meaning I could proceed competing, I stayed for an MBA and vanished the pursuing year. My danasiwa covered astir everything.
I'd already started occupation hunting successful October 2022, but I kept getting rejected aft answering "yes" to the mobility astir whether I'd request sponsorship. Eventually, I sewage a trading and communications master domiciled astatine Ohio State's College of Nursing.
My early leader agreed to clasp the connection until July, erstwhile my OPT authorization began. About 9 months later, successful April 2024, my H-1B support notice arrived.
The US started to consciousness for illustration home
Once I had my ain flat successful Columbus and was earning my ain money, I felt settled. But I ne'er afloat relaxed into it. I ne'er really dressed up my spot because I didn't cognize really agelong I'd get to support it.
That stableness only lasted until precocious 2025, erstwhile the College of Nursing restructured. On December 15, HR told maine my position would extremity connected January 15. I would person 60 days to find a caller sponsor and record a caller petition, aliases time off the country.
The timing made everything worse. Universities were shutting down for wintertime break conscionable arsenic my timepiece started, truthful thing could move until mid-January.
I focused my occupation hunt connected different universities, hoping they'd beryllium much unfastened to hiring world workers. One promising question and reply successful Chicago fell isolated the time earlier it was owed to return place, erstwhile the recruiter learned I needed sponsorship and said the institution had paused sponsorship altogether.
In February, I sewage adjacent to different occupation opportunity astatine Ohio State. But astir 2 weeks earlier my deadline to time off the country, I received an email saying they couldn't get a visa approved successful clip aliases sponsor the new H-1B fees required nether my status.
I headed backmost to Peru successful March
I treated the job search for illustration the past lucifer of my career. But by February, the exhaustion caught up pinch me. I retrieve crying connected the telephone pinch my mom, conscionable wanting it to beryllium over.
A mates of weeks earlier I had to leave, I felt done, successful a way. I started looking astatine the US and conscionable wanted to get out. I felt for illustration everything I'd done — my degrees, my grades, each of it — hadn't mattered aliases been valued.
In my past days, I had to break my lease, springiness up unpaid activity translating for families successful my community, and battalion 8 years of my life into 2 suitcases and a carry-on.
Being backmost successful Peru comes pinch reverse civilization shock
Over the past 5 months, I've gained thing I hadn't felt successful years: state from having to building each determination astir a visa.
I now divided my clip betwixt freelance trading activity for a US client, coaching tennis, and building Casuma, a mini business I launched successful July that makes flavored cashew butters that harvester the American nut-butter contented pinch Peruvian flavors for illustration lucuma and cacao. I've trademarked the sanction and sold adjacent to 50 jars truthful far.
It's besides been awesome reconnecting pinch my family since I've been backmost — including my 2 younger brothers.
I visited the US again for a wedding successful July and loved seeing everyone, but I wouldn't move backmost correct now. If I ever move overseas again, it won't beryllium connected a activity visa. I've already lived 3 years successful that benignant of endurance mode, wherever losing a occupation intends losing your home, too. It would request to travel pinch a existent way to imperishable residency.
Studying and moving successful the US was worthy it, particularly for the English-language and taste experience. But my proposal would beryllium to dainty it arsenic a season, not thing permanent.
I assumed my US degrees and occupation acquisition would unfastened each door, but it's been harder than expected. And without trying to get political, there's a communicative that immigrants return American jobs. In my experience, I had to beryllium myself complete and complete conscionable to get a ft successful the door. It's not arsenic elemental arsenic group assume.
Business Insider confirmed she was employed by Ohio State's College of Nursing. Ohio State declined to respond to a petition for comment.
