A 33-year-old Indian technology professional has returned to India after being laid off and losing his green card application process. According to his Reddit post, the man moved to the US in 2015 on a student visa and spent years attempting to secure long-term residency through the H-1B route. After winning the H-1B lottery after multiple attempts, he had recently begun the PERM labour certification process through his employer, marking the first major step towards an employment-based green card. However, after waiting for over a year, he was laid off and the green card process was discontinued, leaving him emotionally drained and describing his future as "vanished." The case has struck a chord with many Indian professionals living in the US on temporary work visas, particularly those stuck in decades-long green card queues.
The case highlights the broader challenges facing Indian professionals in the US immigration system. For foreign workers on H-1B visas, job loss creates immediate immigration pressure as they are tied to employer sponsorship. Unlike American citizens or permanent residents, H-1B holders typically have a grace period to find another employer, change visa status, or leave the country. The uncertainty becomes particularly severe for Indians due to decades-long waiting periods for green cards under EB-2 and EB-3 employment categories, with many facing country-wise caps that extend waiting periods into decades despite years of living and working in the US. Recent years have seen repeated layoffs in the technology sector, tighter immigration scrutiny and prolonged green card delays pushing many Indian professionals to explore alternatives including Canada, Europe, West Asia and returning to India.
Despite earning well in the US, the man stated that immigration uncertainty overshadowed the financial benefits of his career. He described the system as emotionally draining and compared the uncertainty to living under constant restriction, noting that even simple decisions like traveling abroad became stressful due to fears around visa stamping delays or additional scrutiny during renewals. The professional expressed reluctance to continue switching visa categories merely to extend his stay in the country, ultimately deciding to return to India rather than face continued immigration uncertainty. As he wrote, "I wanted to see the world, but I stayed put because I was terrified of getting stuck outside the country."
Indian nationals form one of the largest groups of skilled foreign workers in US technology and engineering sectors, but are among the worst affected by employment-based green card backlogs. Immigration experts have identified the queue for Indian applicants as structurally unsustainable due to annual country caps in US immigration law. This uncertainty affects not only career planning but also family decisions, investments, property purchases, and long-term financial security. The Reddit post has resonated precisely because it highlights a reality many Indian professionals privately discuss but rarely say openly: that even after years in the US, immigration uncertainty can leave people feeling temporary. The discussion reflects a broader concern among skilled Indian migrants about whether the traditional American dream still offers long-term stability, with many exploring alternatives including Canada, Europe, West Asia, and returning to India.
