A 25-year-old man recounted his experience in the United States, saying that when he returned to India five years later, he felt like a complete failure. His experience in the United States has involved a lot of back and forth with work and visas, and now he’s being asked to leave the country immediately.But how did things come to this?The Reddit user said he came to the United States to study for a master’s degree in 2021, when he was 21 years old. He completed a six-month internship and then found a job at a startup, where he worked for a year. Everything went well; he was selected for H-1B on his first try. He said he wanted to move to a better-paying job because his salary at the startup wasn’t very good, but he was loyal to the CEO because he trusted him and hired him during his internship. But four months after receiving H-1B status, the man said he was fired.
60 days of struggle for survival
H-1B visa Holders have 60 days to find another job or lose their status. He did not find a job within 60 days, so he transferred to B-2 visa status to remain compliant. He said he received a notice to appear when immigration authorities initiated his deportation proceedings. The process lasted three months and depleted all his savings, but he won the case and stayed in the United States. Then he found another job.
Government shutdown, deadline missed
When he found a new job, the government shut down and he said his new employer was unable to file the LCA in a timely manner. So he must apply to extend his B2 period. He also filed for an H-1B change of status, but all of his applications were pending for more than a year. Then his B2 was approved, but his B-2 extension was denied.“Now I’m told I have to leave the country immediately. I don’t know how to deal with this,” the man said.“The day after my parents received their B-2 visa to visit me, I was laid off. I sold my car. I sold most of my possessions—things I had worked for years to afford. I was ready to move back in with my retired parents. Instead of coming home with experience, savings, and stability, I would come home with student loan debt, no savings, no motivation, and no idea of what was next. The only thing keeping me going now is my dog,” the man wrote.
