Ananya Joshi loved her life in Chicago.
After moving from India for a master’s degree in biotechnology at Northwestern University, she landed a $75,000-a-year job as a scientist at a lab-grown meat startup in 2024. She was doing research, living in an affordable apartment in a suburb, and road-tripping with friends on weekends.
But her life in the US had an expiration date. Joshi’s company said it couldn’t sponsor her for an H-1B visa. Her Optional Practical Training, or OPT — a work authorization for foreign students — was set to expire in July 2025.
She had two choices: She could take a job in Germany and leave behind her partner and life in…
