{
  "id": 730843,
  "title": "I was rejected from the H-1B lottery 3 times. I spent $13,000 to secure another way to stay in the US.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/13/i-was-rejected-from-the-h-1b-lottery-3-times-i-spent-13-000-to-secure",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-13T04:04:21.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/rejected-h1b-visa-lottery-01-visa-approved-lawyer-fees-2026-8"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Sohan Sethi, a 29-year-old Indian national, faced three rejections in the H-1B visa lottery before obtaining an O-1 visa in June 2026. Born and raised in Mumbai, Sethi had never visited the US before enrolling at the University of Illinois Chicago. After three H-1B rejections, his O-1 visa was finally approved, allowing him to work in data analytics and AI at a healthcare company. He spent $13,000 in lawyer fees to secure his O-1 visa, as the H-1B lottery is based on chance, while the O-1 requires applicants to demonstrate extraordinary ability in their field. Despite considering other countries, Sethi found the US to be unparalleled in opportunities, infrastructure, and exposure for his career.",
  "summary": "After three H-1B lottery rejections, Sohan Sethi secured an O-1 visa, allowing him to continue his data analytics career and stay in Chicago.",
  "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."
}