A tech entrepreneur recently celebrated securing US citizenship after enduring years of systemic immigration hurdles and personal betrayals. Starting his journey as an international student, he faced daunting loan debts, repeated job rejections, H1B visa lottery losses, and a malicious report to federal immigration authorities by former acquaintances. Reflecting on his journey, he pledged to actively advocate for fellow immigrants navigating complex visa systems while encouraging them to stay focused and law-abiding.
“Officially done with USCIS for the rest of my life. Today, I am an American,” entrepreneur Saiman Shetty wrote on Instagram. In the next few lines, he shared a detailed picture of his journey from a small village in Karnataka to the US.
“It starts in a village in Karnataka you won’t find on any map. A broke international student, a one-way ticket, and the flaming hot desert of Arizona waiting on the other side. New country, new language, new everything. The first person in my family to ever set foot on this side of the world. No friends. No safety net. No plan B,” Shetty recalled.
He continued, “America did not roll out a red carpet. She beat me up. She tested me at every single turn. The debt I didn’t know how I’d repay. The jobs that said no. The H1B lottery I lost. The backlogs. Walking away from a comfortable Silicon Valley paycheck to go build something of my own. Every step, I had to prove myself. Again. And again.”
{{/usCountry}}He continued, “America did not roll out a red carpet. She beat me up. She tested me at every single turn. The debt I didn’t know how I’d repay. The jobs that said no. The H1B lottery I lost. The backlogs. Walking away from a comfortable Silicon Valley paycheck to go build something of my own. Every step, I had to prove myself. Again. And again.”
{{/usCountry}}The founder and CEO continued, saying he was reported to USCIS [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services] by “jealous” individuals. He explained, “A few jealous pricks decided I was a ‘fraud’ and built a neat little trap for me. Handed it to USCIS with a bow on top. And for a moment, the most powerful immigration system on earth almost took the bait. But there’s one thing this country is known for above all else. And in the end, that’s exactly what showed up. Justice.”
He said that is one of the main reasons he decided to share his milestone on social media. He shared a few words of advice for those who are struggling to make it.
“If you’re on an F1, scared and half a world from home. This is for you. If you’re on an H1B, an O1, an L1, watching the clock and praying to the lottery gods. This is for you. If you’re stuck in a green card backlog that feels like it will never end. This is for you. And if you’re anyone, anywhere, daring to dream a life bigger than the one you were handed. This is for you.”
He continued, “I just walked the entire path you’re on. All the way to the end. And it did one thing above everything else. It made me more committed than ever to standing up for immigrants. Trolls wanted me deported. Instead, I’m an American. And I am still, very much, an immigrant. Fighting harder for us than I ever have.”
Finally, he said, “Follow the law, do the right thing and keep working hard!”
(Hindustantimes.com has reached out to Saiman Shetty. This report will be updated when he responds.)
What did social media say?
An individual commented, “Congratulations, Saiman! Proud to see how far you have grown since meeting you.” Another expressed, “How many years did it take you to become a citizen?”
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A third posted, “Congratulations, brother, so happy for you.” Several others congratulated Shetty. A fourth wrote, “This is awesome.”
Who is Saiman Shetty?
According to his LinkedIn profile, Shetty completed his bachelor's degree in engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University and his master's degree from Arizona State University.
He started his career as an intern in BSNL. Then he went on to work across different companies, including Tesla and Lyft. He started his own company in 2023.