This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Mohamed Zeeshan, 32, an Indian national and green card holder, who lives in Arlington, Virginia. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
My parents are both Indian. I was born in Indonesia because my father’s job took him there, but we moved back to India when I was 7. In Indonesia, everyone knew me as the Indian kid, and in India, everyone knew me as the kid from Indonesia.
Since I’d spent my early life as a foreigner, I developed an interest in international affairs. That led me to the US, where I pursued a master’s in the field at Columbia in 2016.
The US drew me because I was enamored by Ivy League universities. I was also a huge fan of President Barack Obama, who I related to because he grew up in Indonesia and has spoken publicly about his identity across different cultures.
My family was apprehensive about my decision. I come from a family of engineers, doctors, bankers, and lawyers, and an education in international affairs was seen as foreign and unconventional, but we struck a bargain; I could do it if I secured some tuition assistance.
I graduated from Columbia in 2018 and secured a green card in 2023. I’m patriotic about American values and would like to become a US citizen. Recently, I’ve grown concerned that it’s becoming increasingly uncertain and unpredictable for immigrants to build a life here.
My path to a green card wasn’t linear
I wanted to stay in the US after graduating and find a job using my Optional Practical Training (OPT), a work authorization for international students.
After the 2016 election, changes to rhetoric around immigration policies created uncertainty. I felt that employers were unwilling to take a risk on an international student like me. Instead of relying on the OPT-to-H-1B pathway, as many students do, I left the US and went to the Middle East to work for a management consulting firm.
A few years later, in 2021, I pursued an alternative pathway to the US: self-petitioning for a green card from abroad.
I had to submit extensive evidence showing that my work was in the national interest. My background in research and my work in public-interest issues helped me build a strong portfolio.
I got it in 2023, and no longer needed a visa or employer sponsorship to work in the US. Today, my wife and I rent an apartment in Arlington, Virginia. Our family life is unconventional by Indian standards, since couples are expected to have kids immediately after marriage, and we haven’t yet.
We’re holding off because my wife is still waiting for her green card, and we want to minimize uncertainty about her situation before having kids.
I was drawn to America for its values, but today’s uncertainty is concerning
Economic upliftment wasn’t the reason I moved to the US. When I lived in Dubai, I paid no income tax, and earned more there than I did after I got my green card and first job in the US.
Instead, I was drawn to American ideals of free speech — the ability to write and speak freely about issues, even if they’re controversial. India is a democracy, but it has a Hindu majority, and I’m Muslim.
I’ve written a book about India as an emerging power, and I care about improving policymaking there, but I’ve felt people have hated me for critiquing India’s policymaking in my writing.
In 2025, I started my own consulting firm. In the US, I feel like I can pursue my entrepreneurial ambitions with less bureaucratic regulation.
I think social and cultural reasons are a big part of why people still want to move to the US. My female friends from India have told me the US offers more freedom to build the careers and lives they want.
That said, I’m now also seeing relatives and friends look at other options like Germany and Australia because it’s become difficult to land a job and a visa in the US after graduating.
The H-1B temporary work visa was already an uncertain and inefficient route when I was graduating. Your visa is tied to an employer who can fire you at any time, and losing your job makes you vulnerable to having to leave the country. You’re always on edge.
Recent immigration changes, like the introduction of a $100,000 H-1B fee that was later struck down by a federal judge but remains tied up in court, have added to the uncertainty.
I try to tell other people that they do have options outside of the H-1B pathway, like the EB-1A visa for “extraordinary” individuals. That said, even these petitions seem harder to get, with data showing that EB-1A denial rates are increasing.
I wouldn’t come to the US on an H-1B today
I intend to naturalize and become a US citizen, unless something makes that difficult. We can’t say what rule changes might happen.
I came to the US as a permanent resident, but if I had to rely on an H-1B visa to come here today, I don’t think I’d do it.
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