A former H-1B visa holder moves back to India and shares the empowering experience of being authorized to work in India.
A Redditor who recently left the US and moved to India permanently shared a heartwarming experience of applying to an Indian company and not checking the box where the company asks whether the applicant is authorized to work in the country. The Redditor said checking the ‘no’ box for the first time is an empowerment itself that a person does not need a government lottery or a lawyer to approve life.The Redditor spent 11 years in the US chasing the American Dream, starting from education to job, buying a car etc. “But if you have ever been on an H-1B visa, you know the truth. You are always one layoff or one lottery rejection away from packing your bags. The background anxiety never actually goes away,” the person wrote.”Right now, I am sitting in a noisy cafe in Bangalore, trying to figure out my next move. I want to build something of my own, so I spend my days looking for real local problems that need solving. But to keep my options open, I am also looking at corporate jobs,” the post continued.”Yesterday, I was filling out a job application on an Indian portal. I scrolled down to the bottom of the page, and my hand just froze. There it was. The visa question.””For over a decade in the US, that question was my nightmare. “Will you now or in the future require visa sponsorship?” Every single time I had to check YES, my stomach sank. You just know that the moment you click that box, an automated HR system is probably going to throw your resume in the trash. It makes you feel like a burden, like you are an expensive complication instead of a talented professional. I looked at the screen in front of me. The Indian system was asking a similar question about international relocation and work authorization. I clicked NO,” the Redditor said.”I cannot even describe the rush of emotion that hit me. I literally sat back and just stared at the screen for five minutes. It felt like a massive weight rolled off my chest. No. I do not need a company’s permission to live here. I do not need a government lottery to decide if I can keep my house. I do not need a lawyer to approve my life,” the person added.”Clicking that “No” gave me this incredible feeling of power and relief. It was the first time in my adult life that I felt completely in control of my own career. In America, your visa status always comes first, and your talent comes second. Here, I am just a person with skills, looking to add value,” the post continued.The Redditor did not turn a blind eye to the problems of living in India. “The reverse culture shock is definitely real. The traffic is insane, the humidity is hitting me hard and figuring out the right business problem to solve is going to take a lot of work. But hitting submit on an application without the ghost of immigration hanging over my head? I know I made the right choice. It is good to be home,” the person concluded.
