This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sohan Sethi, 29, an Indian national who faced three H-1B lottery rejections before becoming an O-1 visa holder. He works in data analytics and AI at a healthcare company.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I was sitting at the desk in my Chicago apartment, anxiously refreshing my email, as I’d been doing about 20 times a day for months. I was on a call with my best friend when an email from my lawyer popped up.
It said, “Congratulations.” That’s when all the anxiety flew away.
The immediate aftermath was silence and complete bliss. It took me some time to manage my emotions…
