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Laid off on H-1B, Indian techie leaves US as visa stress and loneliness take a toll: ‘Always in the back of my mind…’
A techie on an H-1B visa, laid off in the US, has chosen to return to India due to an exhausting job search, visa-related stress.
An Indian tech professional who lost his job in the United States while on an H-1B visa has decided to return to India, describing a prolonged job search, persistent visa pressure and loneliness as factors behind his decision.
The post was shared in a Reddit post titled “Returning after layoff. US to India”. The techie said he had been working in a good role on an H-1B visa before being laid off. What followed, he wrote, was an extended and frustrating search for another full-time position.
“I was working in a good job on H1B and was laid off. Have been searching for jobs since then and it has been never-ending,” he wrote, adding that he had decided to “call it quits” and return to India.
Visa uncertainty and a missed opportunity
According to the post, the job seeker came close to securing a role at a major technology company but failed to make it through at the final stage. He later began questioning whether he had been too rigid in limiting his search to full-time jobs instead of considering consulting roles or pursuing an F-1 CPT route.
But the uncertainty surrounding his immigration status appeared to weigh heavily on him even before the layoff.
“There was always an air of loneliness here in the US and the visa stress was always pressing in the back of my mind even when I had a job,” he wrote. However, HT.com could not independently verify the authenticity of the post.
The uncertainty was compounded by personal setbacks. The techie said his engagement ended after his former partner's family did not support his decision to return to India.
Despite moments of doubt about whether he should continue trying to remain in the US, he said he had ultimately made up his mind.
Starting over in India
The professional, who said it had been only three years since his graduation from a US university, is now preparing to restart his career in India.
He wrote that he was spending time working on LeetCode and system design while trying to secure a solid technology role. At the same time, he expressed concern about changing hiring practices and the growing prominence of artificial intelligence in the industry.
He also said he worried that his years in the US had not translated into the career progress he had expected and that he would now need to adjust to India's work culture.
The Reddit post drew responses from users who encouraged him to view the move as a fresh start. Some argued that returning earlier in one's career could make the transition easier, while others urged him to prioritize his well-being over the uncertainty of a prolonged immigration and job search.
The story reflects a familiar dilemma for some Indian professionals in the US: a layoff can quickly become more than a career setback when employment is closely tied to immigration status. For this techie, the combination of an unsuccessful job hunt, visa-related pressure and personal isolation eventually tipped the balance in favor of returning home.
