A 2021 post by Indian-origin entrepreneur Ankur Nagpal sparked major controversy as an investigative report labeled his post as visa abuse. Nagpal wrote that if someone is trying to immigrate to the United States on an O-1 visa and needs some letters of recommendation, they can contact Nagpal and even if he doesn’t know them, he will happily sign their letter because it won’t cost him anything, but the United States will get more skilled immigrants. In 2023, he added in the same article that it was a good idea as many people benefited from him during their visa journey. The report accused him of being part of a visa gaming system. It also noted that the social media posts were not deleted, and in the meantime, Nagpal founded several companies and became increasingly wealthy.
What is an O-1 visa?
Individuals with extraordinary abilities and a national or international reputation may apply for this visa to work in their field of competence. Applicants include six to ten letters of recommendation from independent experts and people who have worked with the visa applicant. Nagpal said he would provide the letters even if he did not personally know the applicant. In the comments section of that 2021 post, many people wrote that they also do this, providing letters of recommendation for O-1 visa applicants. Nagpal also created a video course teaching people how to “game” the O-1 visa system, the investigative report said. This is no secret. Nagpal talks extensively about his O-1 visa story and lessons.
What is Ankur Nagpal’s O-1 visa story?
Ankur Nagpal was born in India and raised in Oman. At age 17, he came to the United States on an F-1 visa. He graduated, but it was difficult to get a visa, so he started his own consulting company to sponsor his OPT. He also received a STEM extension from his company. But after expiration, he had no way to stay in the United States. He said that he also considered green card marriage.Then he found the cheapest community college so he could get another student visa and get a degree he didn’t need. He then accepted a job he didn’t want just to gain access to an O-1 visa. He said this visa changed his life. He immediately applied for an EB-1 green card and started another company at the age of 24. By the time he sold the company for nine figures, he had become a U.S. citizen. Nagpal has a net worth of over $100 million and is now the founder of Carry and Silli Money. He sold his platform, Teachable, for $250 million. In an interview, he talked about how he felt burned out after starting so many companies from scratch. But he discovered he was good at building companies and took a short break before getting back into business.
