Felt loyal to my CEO, then got laid off: Indian man narrates H-1B ordeal in US, returning to India after 5 years ‘feeling completely defeated’
A 25-year-old man narrated his ordeal in the US as he said he is now returning to India after five years, feeling completely defeated. His US story involves a lot of to-and-fro over job and visa and now he has been asked to immediately leave the country.But how did it come to this?The Redditor said he came to the US in 2021 for his master’s when he was 21. He completed a six-month internship and then got a job at a startup and worked there for a year. Everything was working out well; he got picked for the H-1B lottery at the first attempt. He said he wanted to move to a better-paying job as his salary in the startup was not that good but he felt loyal to the CEO as he had trusted him and hired him from his internship. But four months after getting the H-1B status, the man said he was laid off .
Struggle of 60-day survival
H-1B visa holders get 60 days to find another job or lose their status. He did not find a job in 60 days and so switched to a B-2 visa status to stay compliant. He said he received a Notice to Appear from the immigration as they started his removal proceedings. The process lasted for three months and drained all his savings but he won the case and got to stay in the US. And then he found another job.
Govt shutdown, deadline missed
When he got a new job, the government shutdown happened and he said his new employer could not file the LCA in time. So he had to file for an extension of his B2. He also filed an H-1B change of status petition But all his applications remained pending for over a year. Then his B2 got approved but his B-2 extension was denied.“Now I’m being told I have to leave the country immediately. I don’t know how to process any of this,” the man said.“I got laid off the day after my parents received their B-2 visas to come visit me. I sold my car. I sold most of my belongings—things I had worked for years to afford. I’m preparing to move back in with my retired parents. Instead of going home with experience, savings, and stability, I’m going back with student loan debt, no savings, no motivation, and no idea what comes next. The only thing keeping me going right now is my dog,” the man wrote.