This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Madhur Mehta, 35, an Indian national living in Seattle and working at Amazon. The following has been edited for length and clarity.
When I came to the US for my master’s degree in August 2021, my goal was to have a stable career and join a good company. I wanted to grow professionally and personally, and support my family back home in India.
After five years in the US, I’ve achieved a lot, including landing a program manager role at Amazon. But the journey has taken an emotional toll I never expected, from being far away from family to dealing with visa uncertainty.
From the day I landed in the US, it felt like I was in a race I didn’t want to come last in. I’ve been in survival mode ever since, and I don’t feel like I’ve rested once.
Getting an H-1B was a big relief
I graduated with a master’s in science and business analytics from UT Dallas in 2023. My course was in STEM, which meant I was eligible for three years of student work authorization through Optional Practical Training.
I struggled to find an employer to sponsor my visa beyond those three years, until I joined Amazon in 2025. While the company was trying to get me an H-1B visa, I found out the government was changing the lottery system for H-1B registrations. Candidates would now be placed into four wage-level categories, with those in the higher categories having a greater chance of being selected.
I didn’t know what would happen with this new rule, and I was concerned that other candidates would have a better chance of getting selected. I started making Plan B and C in case I didn’t get picked. I explored “extraordinary ability” visas, such as the EB-1A, and opportunities in other countries, including Canada and Australia.
When I got the email saying I’d been selected in March, I couldn’t believe it. As someone who’d already put down roots in the US, built a career, and met my fiancée, it was a big relief to get the chance to work and stay in the US another three years.
It was like someone had taken a 100-pound weight off my mind.
The current visa climate comes with a lot of uncertainty
I still plan to pursue the EB-1A, and I’m glad the H-1B visa is giving me more time to build up my profile for the application. But there’s still uncertainty. If the government decides to change the visa rules, it could flip my life.
If you lose your job on the H-1B, you generally have 60 days to find a new one. For couples who are both immigrants, that uncertainty can affect both careers.
I got engaged in July 2025. My fiancée is also from India and has one remaining attempt in the H-1B lottery before her work authorization expires. If she doesn’t get picked, she might have to become my dependent on an H-4, which doesn’t automatically include work authorization. She could enroll in another program, but recent changes to student visas make that more complicated.
Until we’re both clear on our visa statuses, we can’t plan ahead. Last year, we explored buying a house, but couldn’t commit. I have friends who’ve been here for more than 10 years but are still renting apartments because of uncertainty.
Being away from family in India is also difficult. God forbid there’s an issue back home; my parents have to handle it alone. Traveling outside the US can be complicated.
If I get my EB-1A, I’ll be able to think about starting a family and buying a house. I’ll be able to travel back to India without worrying about stamping, and I won’t have to worry so much about what happens if I lose my job.
It’s not the dreamy American life I expected
Up to now, I’d still say living in the US has been worth it. In the tech field, the US houses some of the best companies to work for, as long as you’re able to cross the visa hurdle. While Amazon has offices in India and elsewhere, it wouldn’t be the same. The network, exposure, and credibility that come from working in the US compound over time.
I imagined a very dreamy life in the US. I know people probably see my life on Instagram and think everything is going well. They see the job and the happy photos, but that’s only half the story.
Canada and Europe, where the visa pathways seem more stable, have also come up in conversations between my fiancée and me. But it’s difficult to imagine packing up my life in two or three suitcases and leaving.
I’ve put so much effort into building a life in the US that it’s hard to imagine walking away from it and starting from zero somewhere else.
Business Insider confirmed that he is employed by Amazon. Amazon did not reply to a request for comment.
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