‘Your talent comes second to visa status in America’: ex-H-1B holder on why he moved back to India

“In America, your visa status always comes first, and your talent comes second. Here, I am just a person with skills, looking to add value.” That was how a Redditor summed up the difference after moving back to India permanently following 11 years in the US on an H-1B visa.

The post described the constant background anxiety of the visa, with the person writing that they were “always one layoff or one lottery rejection away from packing your bags.” The turning point came while filling out a job application on an Indian portal and reaching a familiar question about work authorization at the bottom of the page.

“For over a decade in the US, that question was my nightmare,” they wrote, recalling how checking ‘YES’ to needing visa sponsorship in America made every application feel like a liability. This time, faced with a similar question, they clicked ‘No.’ “I cannot even describe the rush of emotion that hit me. I literally sat back and just stared at the screen for five minutes,” the post read.

“I do not need a company’s permission to live here. I do not need a government lottery to decide if I can keep my house. I do not need a lawyer to approve my life,” they wrote, describing the moment as giving them “the first time in my adult life” that they felt completely in control of their career.

Now weighing corporate jobs against building a venture of their own from a cafe in Bangalore, the Redditor acknowledged the reverse culture shock, including traffic and humidity, but concluded that the relief of applying for work without immigration concerns confirmed they had made the right decision.