An Indian girl who spent years learning and dealing within the US has determined to look past America after failing to safe an H-1B visa. She stated uncertainty round US immigration guidelines made her rethink her plans to construct a future there.
In an as-told-to essay revealed by Enterprise Insider, Shreya Mishra Reddy, 34, shared that she moved from India to the US in 2021 to pursue a grasp’s in engineering administration at Duke College. She graduated in 2022 and acquired a job at Visa the next 12 months. Nonetheless, regardless of attempting, she was unable to safe an H-1B visa and finally needed to go away the US in January 2026 when her scholar work authorisation expired.
Shreya told Enterprise Insider that she initially deliberate to return to India and proceed making use of for US-based jobs. Nonetheless, she stated that her plans modified after information emerged in September 2025 that firms may face an extra $100,000 charge to rent H-1B workers from outdoors the US.
“An H-1B now not appeared like a sensible choice as a result of I anticipated the charge would apply to me. The charge was challenged in courtroom and is not at present being enforced, however I am nonetheless not pursuing alternatives within the US due to the uncertainty across the charge and discovering H-1B-sponsored jobs,” she stated.
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Challenges confronted by a world scholar
Shreya stated that she and her household had not totally understood the difficulties worldwide college students may face whereas attempting to construct a profession within the US.
“Social media painted a rosy image of shifting to the US, so my household and I did not know in regards to the hardships worldwide college students face whereas in search of a job in a rustic the place you don’t have any assist and know nothing in regards to the market,” she stated, including that her household inspired her to discover a job in America.
Nonetheless, she stated that she discovered the job search troublesome, significantly as a latest graduate with restricted expertise within the US. “My job at Visa felt like a miracle, and I believe the one motive I acquired it was as a result of I had prior work expertise in India,” she stated.
She additional revealed that a number of of her classmates needed to return to India after failing to seek out jobs, regardless of taking loans and spending important quantities of cash on their US schooling. Whereas issues labored out properly for her and she or he gained useful expertise at a high firm, she stated that college students and oldsters ought to pay attention to the challenges concerned in learning and dealing within the US.
“College students, and their dad and mom, who typically play an enormous function in sending their children overseas, want to pay attention to the tough realities of learning within the US, particularly now, with AI making it arduous for recent grads to get jobs and layoffs changing into so widespread,” she advised the outlet.
(Additionally Learn: Indian visits US for the first time, praises ‘massive’ growth but misses India’s hospitality)
‘Returning to India will not be a failure’
Shreya shared that she is at present in Toronto, the place her husband lives, on a vacationer visa. She is contemplating whether or not to settle in Canada or return to India. She stated that she has been taking a profession break whereas engaged on private tasks, together with writing a fiction guide and beginning her personal handloom model. She can also be exploring company roles in fintech.
The 34-year-old stated that she doesn’t see returning to India as a failure after spending years within the US. “Individuals who transfer to the US for just a few years typically see returning to India as a failure, however I am not scared to do that. Throughout my job search, I’ve seen nice development alternatives in cities like Delhi, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The startup business is basically booming,” she stated.
Why did she flip down grasp’s alternative within the US?
Regardless of her hardships within the US, Shreya stated that she nonetheless extremely values the schooling she acquired there. “I discovered a lot from doing my grasp’s at Duke,” she stated.
She additionally revealed that in March, she utilized for a grasp’s programme in psychology on the College of Pennsylvania. She was accepted however determined to not pursue the programme due to elements together with uncertainty round scholar visas and the job market.
Shreya stated that she stays constructive about her future regardless of having to go away the US. “I could not keep within the US longer, however I really feel optimistic about my future outdoors the nation,” she stated.
She added that shifting from India to the US required “power and resilience”, qualities she believes will proceed to assist her sooner or later. She stated that the expertise remodeled her personally and professionally and added considerably to her resume.
“I am nonetheless determining my subsequent steps, however I am certain I’ll do one thing superb with my life. Not getting a job within the US will not be the top of the world,” she concluded.
