For many young professionals working abroad, visa uncertainty can abruptly upend carefully built lives. Jobs, routines and relationships often hinge on paperwork that is not always in their control.
An Indian woman has now opened up about returning from London after her visa expired, describing the experience as both a personal and professional setback. Her account highlights the challenges immigrants face while navigating jobs and visa rules abroad.
Speaking to HT.com, 26-year-old Ananya, who worked in marketing, said she returned to New Delhi after spending nearly 5 years in the UK. “I’ve been keeping a secret from everyone because I am too embarrassed to admit it,” she said in an Instagram video, recalling how she booked a one-way ticket home after her visa expired.
Calling the experience a “personal and professional failure,” she admitted she initially planned to leave without telling anyone. However, what began as a private struggle soon turned into a public conversation. “Although I was extremely embarrassed to come clean at first, I realised that revealing this truth might help someone else feel less lonely, and thereby make me feel slightly better about my situation,” she said.
The slow realisation of having to leave
Ananya said the possibility of leaving the UK did not come as a sudden shock, but gradually became more real as her visa expiry date approached. “As the date of my visa expiring slowly approached, it began to sink in that I might have to go back home to New Delhi soon. It was a sinking feeling that only grew as the date approached, but it wasn't a shock,” she told HT.com.
{{/usCountry}}Ananya said the possibility of leaving the UK did not come as a sudden shock, but gradually became more real as her visa expiry date approached. “As the date of my visa expiring slowly approached, it began to sink in that I might have to go back home to New Delhi soon. It was a sinking feeling that only grew as the date approached, but it wasn't a shock,” she told HT.com.
{{/usCountry}}Despite the looming deadline, she said that she remained hopeful until the very end. “I am still hopeful that one day I will return. Although something like this can be quite devastating, maintaining some kind of hope and having the support of understanding friends softened the blow of this devastation,” she said.
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A difficult job market for immigrants
Ananya pointed to structural challenges that make it harder for international workers to secure roles in the UK, especially outside STEM fields. She said that companies are often reluctant to hire international workers due to the costs and risks associated with visa sponsorship.
“Companies are wary of hiring internationals as sponsoring visas is an additional cost and risk they do not want to take on,” she said.
She added that recent rule changes have made the situation more difficult, especially for non-STEM roles. “As of 2025, it has become even harder to sponsor in this role and in the industry as marketing-related roles are no longer considered essential,” she explained.
Working in marketing within the food and beverage industry, she said she found herself at a disadvantage. She also pointed to what she described as a growing anti-immigrant sentiment in parts of Europe, particularly in the UK.
Ananya further recalled coming close to securing visa-sponsored roles more than once, only for opportunities to fall through at the last moment. “It happened twice that I was on the cusp of securing a visa-sponsored job. Most recently, I was not offered a job even after multiple rounds of interviews due to the fact that I have an online following, which the organisation believed was a liability to their operations,” she shared.
In another instance, she said the terms offered were not viable. “The company was willing to sponsor me, but not pay a fair wage, nor offer reasonable perks,” she said. These repeated setbacks, she added, made the experience more difficult.
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Leaving more than just a job behind
For Ananya, the hardest part of returning to India was leaving behind the life she had built. “Leaving my partner and my friends was the most difficult part,” she said.
She also spoke about the loss of independence. “In London, I would go out all the time as there were always some things to do, and it was safe for me to go out at pretty much any hour of the day,” she said. However, back in New Delhi, she finds those freedoms more limited. “My mobility is severely restricted,” she added.
‘A few steps back, hopefully eight forward’
Despite the challenges, Ananya remains hopeful about returning to London in the future.
“While some struggle to call even one place home, I am lucky to have my loved ones and my dreams tied to London. So I know there will be a day when I return. There is simply no other option,” she said in the video.
Summing up her journey, the 26-year-old said: “Four steps back, hopefully to take eight steps forward! Dejected, but hopeful, that at the end of all of this, I will be reunited with my closest ones, and the city I love- London.”