{
  "id": 3888390,
  "title": "I gave up on getting an H-1B visa because of the $100k fee. I’m optimistic about my future outside the US.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/28/i-gave-up-on-getting-an-h-1b-visa-because-of-the-100k-fee-im",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-28T04:03:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/india-us-h1b-visa-fee-left-job-search-100k-fee-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Shreya Mishra Reddy faced financial difficulties when considering an H-1B visa, as an employer might have to pay up to $100,000 to hire her. This led her to reconsider her plans to live and work in the United States. Now, the 34-year-old Indian national is weighing the options of settling down in Canada or returning to India. Mishra Reddy had initially moved to the US to pursue a master's degree in engineering management at Duke University, where she graduated in 2022. Despite her efforts, she was unable to secure an H-1B visa, forcing her to leave the country in January 2026 when her student work authorization expired. Her initial plan was to move back to India and continue applying for US-based jobs, but the controversial fee for H-1B visas from outside the US made her reconsider her options. While she is not pursuing US-based opportunities due to the uncertainty surrounding the fee and the availability of sponsored jobs, Mishra Reddy remains optimistic about her future outside the US. She is currently based in Toronto on a tourist visa, taking a break from her job search to work on personal projects, including writing a fiction book and starting a handloom brand. Mishra Redd highlights the challenges faced by international students in the US job market, especially with AI impacting job opportunities for recent graduates and common layoffs. She is also exploring opportunities in fintech in India and has applied to a master's program in psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. Despite these challenges, she remains confident in her ability to succeed and make a significant impact, regardless of her location.",
  "summary": "When news of the $100,000 H-1B visa fee hit in September 2025, Shreya Mishra Reddy decided the visa was no longer a realistic option for her.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}