They planned their futures around America. The past 12 months have left them rethinking that dream.
Former H-1B hopefuls and international graduates are building new lives abroad, as a stable future in the US increasingly becomes a pipe dream.
Ananya Joshi's life in Chicago was abruptly interrupted after her employer decided they couldn't sponsor her for an H-1B visa. The 26-year-old scientist, who had moved from India to the US for a master's degree in biotechnology, was forced to take a job in Germany or leave the country altogether. This decision highlights the increasing uncertainty foreign workers face as they try to build careers in the US under complex and turbulent immigration policies.
Since the H-1B visa was introduced in 1990, it has been a gateway to better career opportunities for highly skilled workers. However, demand for these visas greatly exceeds supply, with the US issuing only 85,000 new H-1Bs each year. Despite this, the process has become even more uncertain since the Trump administration began cracking down on H-1B visas a year ago.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
