Waiting for H1B visa will really stressful ?

 Waiting for H1B visa will really stressful ?

 



talk to you about why H1B life can be

really really stressful while you are

living in us but before we get started I

would really appreciate if you can give

me a thumbs up to the video it allows me

to reach out to more people just like

you before I say anything I want to let

you know that this is not me complaining

about H1B or me uh venting about it it's

just sharing my mindset and sharing the

reality of what you should expect if you

choose to immigrate the U.S on F1 Visa

eventually on your H1B while figuring

out your process for green card okay so

now that we have established that let's

talk about it so

if you really see imagine you are

graduated today and now your journey

starts towards your future you know

let's say you're 24 25 whatever age you

are you're like okay how do I plan for

next five to ten years in America

because most people's goal is like to

get that green card within like 10 12

years if you're Indian anyone else you

might want to get your green card

without three to four years now

these are like time frames which are I

would say very very ambitious and I came

to us in 2011. it's 2023 right now I

still don't have my green card so I went

through four years of undergrad three

years of work after that I didn't get my

H1B and then I had to go back to Masters

did two years of Masters got my H1B

while doing my masters and then got

started on the Journey of green card

with my company and then comes i-140 and

then comes

um after 10 years comes green card so

it's a long journey guys and during this

you are going to have a lot of ups and

downs and you need to be prepared for it

the thing is

about immigration you have to understand

is you can't blame anyone else because

you you are the one who signed up for it

I am the one who signed up for this life

I am the one who said I am willing to

make sacrifices I'm willing to not see

my family for three years at a time

because of immigration issues I am

willing to make

um I'm willing to take abuse at times

from employers because they lie to you

at times employers will say they'll do

your H1B and they lay you off about

three weeks before they should be filing

their attorney that happened to me today

I was talking to someone they their

employer lied to them their employer

said they will file their H1B in their

first year they did not do that in their

second year they tried to do it or

something like that they filed it he

didn't get picked up now they have

they're on their third shot this is

their last year

so what is happening is people I feel

they come to America and then they start

figuring this thing out and I don't want

that to happen for you I want you to

know what lies after that what you can

do to prepare yourself for these things

that can happen Okay so let's talk about

what issues or potential issues you will

go through after graduating so number

one thing you're going to go through is

finding a job you have 90 days to find

this job at the pie in the sky and you

have to figure out a way to find it if

you are smart individual

um you've already done an internship

during Masters or your undergrad and you

have a job lined up because or you

because of your internship you have a

good resume and

companies are willing to hire you they

are looking at you you're getting

interviews and you're gonna get hired

imagine let's say you get a job

now you have to figure out you have to

convince your company to apply for your

H1B if you are in like if you're in I.T

computer science mechanical engineering

Automotive Engineering these things have

already been established for you civil

engineers on the other hand

if you are from like you know states

which do not have a lot of population

which does not have a lot of

international students it's going to be

difficult for you I remember

in my interview I had to explain those

people what an H-1B was after getting

hired for a year I had to sit down with

my HR explain them how the H1B works we

have to hire a lawyer we have to go

through this process and we'll figure it

out

eventually my HR just gave up on it they

were like yeah sorry we don't do this

kind of thing I had to quit that job go

to another company they said they'll do

my H1B we started figuring out process

and I was like man these people are not

going to do anything they said you hire

a lawyer and let's start the process so

I had to pay for everything I had to pay

three four thousand dollars to get this

thing done and they had certain fees

which I cannot pay as an employee only

employer has to pay it was fifteen

hundred two thousand dollars at that

point they were like we don't want to

pay they didn't say that to my face but

they didn't want to pay anytime the

money would come up they would take

their hands off it so this is the things

that will happen to you if you are in

certain kind of Majors I'm not saying

civil people everybody will have to go

through it but that's what used to

happen about three four five years back

things are things have changed now

things have gotten better there are

bigger companies like Acom WSB hntv

these are phenomenal companies to work

for if you are a civil engineer

eventually I was able to get into a

bigger company and they were able to

file things for me and that kind of

changed my life in U.S because I found

someone who was willing to do those

things for me

so that's what you have to understand so

let's say you start this process for

three years you don't get H1B on your

first try you start panicking second try

you are like hopeful if you don't get on

your second try your third try is going

to be very very stressful I remember

2019 was my third try at H1B and I was

losing patience I was like what am I

going to do if I don't get my H1B I had

nothing planned I didn't had money saved

up guys I was an undergraduate graduated

um I had I had saved up some money but I

lost a job in 2018 for about four three

four months and all my savings at seven

eight thousand dollar savings they blew

in those three months so now you start

back from zero 2018 I start back zero

you know things happen your family you

have all of these things and you're

providing for it now if you're in Tech

income earner hey life is different for

you but most core Engineers making sixty

seventy thousand dollars life is not

like that for you know they are not

really saving a lot of money they may be

saving thousand fifteen hundred dollars

a month but eventually what happens if

you're traveling to India if you have

parents you're supporting that money

doesn't go long way

so coming back to the point

I didn't had enough money saved up at

that point of time maybe three four

thousand dollars to be honest when I

found out that I didn't get my H1B for

the third time I was done and I was I

didn't had any idea how to figure out

how to live in us guys the only way

after that was me going back for Masters

at that point of time my dad had told me

that hey I cannot support you for

Masters anymore because he had helped me

with my undergrad so I had to figure out

so basically that what that meant is I

knew that with Masters you couldn't go

back to school and work continuously so

I didn't had money to go even figure out

first year of Masters because you get

usually permission to work after one

year so I didn't knew how I'm going to

make money for that year or how I'm

going to pay off my living expenses and

make money for college which was like

let's say a college for a year would

cost you about fifteen twenty thousand

dollars for a masters and your living

expenses if you cut down everything else

it's still going to be thousand fifteen

hundred dollars

so how do you take care of that you know

if you have lived your life for two

three years on on a job it's hard for

you to go back to 300 400 a month of

student lifestyle so you have to

maintain those lifestyle so I didn't

have 15 30 000 saved up for a year so I

was running out of ideas I remember at

that point of time I started looking

into Canada I started looking into other

options nothing was going to work

I didn't know how to take a loan in U.S

there were so many like you you know at

that point of time there was no one who

knew how to take a loan in U.S you

couldn't take a loan for your education

on F1 Visa they don't even give you

loans I remember going to a credit union

once and I told them I need a loan to

buy a car they said you have F1 Visa you

only give it to H1 Visa people so I

didn't even get a loan for a car so I

had I had no idea at that point of time

what I'm going to do so but here's the

thing I was creative I knew I'm going to

figure out a way because

like

I remember my mentor told me go to

Canada Canada is an easier option apply

for Canada immigration and see what

happens

the thing is I came back home I thought

about it for these days and days here's

what I told myself I did not come to

America to go to Canada because that was

not my goal I came to America when I was

applying for U.S education and stuff

like that I had also applied to British

England and stuff like that my dad

really wanted me to go to England I

didn't care for English I knew the

opportunities in America I knew the

lifestyle is in America and that's the

reason I came here I did not know

immigration is difficult as well you

know I wish I had known

but long story short

I started buying people lunches I

started going out there and figuring out

how I'm gonna stay in U.S I remember

buying 30 40 people lunches and dinners

guys I just wanted to learn how they are

figuring how they are figured out after

their life in U.S after not getting H1B

three times so I met bunch of people I

found out they are going to different

different universities and they have

applied for their masters there they're

studying they've got their CPT and

they're continuing to work in their SEC

first and second year of their masters

the problem was it was a little bit

different for me this was my first

Masters it was not going to be my second

Masters so I went I eventually ended up

going to Harrisburg University for my

Devon CPT that's where I if you know

this and like Master students I couldn't

take continuous two years of CPT because

if I did that I would have even lost

my opt because for Masters you get

another three years of open if you have

done your bachelor's here so I couldn't

even do that so getting my H1B on my

fourth try was going to be very very

critical for me because the next year I

wouldn't be able to work I would be only

able to work maybe part-time CPT I did

not know that at that point of time I

only know that I can take less than 364

days of CPT and then the year after if I

don't get my H1B I'll have to take a

break graduate and then go back to work

so fortunately I found a great company

my bosses my boss is phenomenal he told

me whatever you need I'll take care of

it not in terms of paying for my

education but in terms of documentation

helping you getting ahead and eventually

my company also helped me with some of

my tuition fees you know one of the

tuition fees in the year was paid my tip

by my workplace so I'm very very

grateful to them for doing that here's

the thing guys

these problems will come to you because

of immigration issues H1B is not an easy

place to be at so getting from F1 to H1B

is such a such a deal for me and it's

going to be a big deal for you not not

everyone is going to be fortunate to get

H1B on their first or second try I

remember I have friends who got their

H1B on first and second try and today

they are still struggling they are in

their fourth year of H1B and their

company hasn't applied for their green

card yet and they are nowhere in the

process for i140 which is the reality of

America I have gotten my H1B in 2020 and

I'm already ahead I'm already close to

you know figuring out all of this

process and putting it behind me and

that's the reality of America you may

think you see there is your destination

may be Florida and somebody you know

imagine I live in Detroit and my

destination is Miami and somebody might

be sitting in you know where four five

people who are trying to get there and

you're just imagine stuck in Detroit and

your friend is in a car and he's already

started driving towards it he's

somewhere in Ohio or Philadelphia or

somewhere halfway through some of your

friends are taking a train they are

already in Atlanta or something like

that but the difference is you don't

know you might have a plane waiting for

you which is like three four hours

you're just sitting on the tarmac you

are just waiting for the plane to take

off but then at the end of the day you

might land to your destination before

other people so you don't know what

cards you are going to be handed in this

game so the best way to handle your

immigration issues in America is to look

at this as a game look at this as a game

of cards and you are been given cards

and you have to play your cards you

cannot complain why did I get these

cards you can't expect there is no law

of attraction here where your career

like oh I hope I get better cards no you

are going to get the cards which are

destined to you but you have the choice

to play the game

you have to play the game with the cards

you have been given whenever something

comes you put that card whatever is the

best thing you can do at that point of

time that's how you play this game and

that's what you can already do folks you

can't do much more than that you do the

whatever the situation arises you plan

for it you prepare for it sometimes you

think a little bit ahead you think two

three steps ahead and plan for it so

and among this you know I want to talk

about few challenges which were really

really difficult for me you know when I

got match when we

um you know

immigration like sorry the covet

happened and you know I couldn't go back

to India for two years I got stuck here

and then when I went I got my H1B and

stuff like that life became a little bit

easier after that now I'm able to travel

every year I'm really really grateful

for that but I couldn't travel to India

I went to I came to us in 2011 I went to

India in 2014 2015. after that

I was stuck in America for seven years

guys I couldn't go back to India from

2015 to 2022 April so it was the longest

time by the time I had gone back to

India my city my everything had changed

my sister who is like when I left India

I was 10 years old like sorry or six

years old she had become 16 by that time

I'd only seen her two or three times by

that time I had only seen my parents two

three times in that time so it's

difficult it's something it's a price

you have to pay to get ahead in life and

it's a price you have to pay for

ambition so you may ask yourself or you

may ask me why are you doing all of this

why do why go through such a torture why

go put your parents your family through

all this it's ambition guys it's the

goals you have you signed up for this

when you leave uni left your country and

that's the reason we do this so I

understand where you are coming from I

understand what you're going

at the end of the day the way you play

this game is you have you have a Clarity

of thinking Clarity of thinking will

allow you to figure out this game

another thing you have to understand

you're not alone in this journey there

are hundreds and hundreds of Indians

immigrants all from different different

countries as well playing this game so

it's okay don't feel that these problems

are unique to you you may get a hand

which is difficult maybe bad than other

people but everyone else is playing the

game so be grateful for what you have

it's fine you will figure it out just

keep playing the game you will figure

out I remember talking to a person about

two years back a year and a half back

and he had gotten his green card exactly

10 years from the time it was applied

like it was exact 10-year date from the

day he had applied and he told me that

so he had been in us for 15 years so he

said I did my he did his investors in

Texas and he was been working about

three years and that's when his H1B his

green card was applied and it took him

10 years too and the message he told me

was just stay consistent just just stay

consistent with this thing and that's

what you have to do guys you have to

figure out your job situation you can't

jump companies sometimes you have to

work at bad companies sometimes you have

to work at good companies sometimes you

have to wait for your immigration and

all of these things happen and all of us

are going through this so don't worry

about it there are other people who are

just going through it just talk to them

just reach out to people when you are

going through situations talk to them

ask them questions about how they

figured out and what they went through

to figure it out okay and here is what I

want to tell you this is the last story

I'll tell you and I'll let you go so you

see the game of

um have you ever played the game of

Snakes and Ladder

and it's a very very interesting game if

you notice in the game there is there

are snakes which eat you and they bring

you back to the house right so at

certain in between 10 to 20 10 to 20 to

30 there are multiple snakes but

understand there is a snake at 97 which

brings you back back to almost two three

four wherever it is you know it brings

you back to this thing and sometimes you

have to be careful about the snake in my

case it was H1B I didn't get h1b3 times

boom back to zero I have I went into

negative I had to buy I had to take

loans I had to go into negative asset

negative income to get back into school

start making money pay off that

Education Loans and all of this but

here's the thing if you keep playing the

game

you will win eventually you will win you

will get to the house that's the secret

guys if you get upset because you got

back to zero and you just stopped

playing the game

there is no chance of you winning it so

it's okay keep playing I remember there

were so many times I was that snake has

eaten me and I had still won the game

and this game I believe I'm still going

to win it and same goes for you I hope

you win this game if you have anything

on your mind if you feel you're going

through something reach out to me reach

out to me on Instagram

um reach out to me on LinkedIn and I

will be happy to talk to you there are

links in my bio if you want to talk to

me personally I'm more than happy to

talk to you guys as well but if you have

any uh situations you're going through

or something interesting you went

through put in the comment section we

would love to know what you went through

okay but I had a blast talking to you I

wanted to put some content out there

where I speak my heart and just kind of

show you and you know show you reality

of America

at the end of the day it's something you

have chosen for yourself so you can't be

too upset even if you're upset everybody

has a right to rant and everybody has

right to get upset but who are you going

to get upset at at the end of the day

only yourself because there's no point

in getting upset at government

you know Mouse in the house president

and all these people you can't the only

person who controls your destiny is you

so all the best to you take care

[Music]

thank you

[Music]