A 25-year-old man narrated his ordeal in America and said that he is now returning to India after five years, completely defeated.
His American story involves a lot of back and forth regarding jobs and visas and now he has been asked to leave the country immediately.
But how did things reach this point? The Redditor said he came to the US in 2021 at the age of 21 to pursue his master’s degree. She completed a six-month internship and then got a job at a startup and worked there for a year.
Everything was going well; he was selected for the H-1B lottery on his first try. He said he wanted to move to a better-paying job because his salary at the startup was not that satisfactory but he felt loyal to the CEO because he trusted him and hired him from his internship.
But four months after receiving H-1B status, the man said he was laid off from his job.
Struggle to survive for 60 days
H-1B visa holders have 60 days to find another job or lose their status.
He couldn’t find a job within 60 days and so switched to B-2 visa status to stay in compliance. He said he received a notice to appear from Immigration when his removal proceedings began.
This process lasted for three months; he lost all his savings, but he won the case and got a chance to stay in America. And then he got another job.
Government closed, deadline missed
When he got a new job, government business stopped, and he said his new employer could not file the LCA on time. So he had to apply for an extension of his B2.
He also filed a petition to change his H-1B status, but all his applications remained pending for more than a year.
Then his B2 was 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 deal with this situation,” the man said. “I got laid off from my job the day after my parents got a B-2 visa to come visit me. I sold my car. I sold most of my stuff – things I’d worked years to buy.
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 I don’t know what’s next. The only thing keeping me going right now is my dog. She’s my dog,” the person wrote.
