'Immigration system breaks you down': Indian techie leaves US after layoff

Reddit user says he was emotionally drained due to the uncertainty surrounding his green card application

For many Indian professionals in the United States, the fear is not just losing a job, but the right to stay in the country after years of building a life there. 

That anxiety has resurfaced online after a 33-year-old Indian technology professional wrote on Reddit that he is returning to India after he was laid off and his green card process collapsed. His post struck a chord with many Indians living in the US on temporary work visas, particularly those stuck in decades-long green card queues. 

The man, who said he moved to the US in 2015 on a student visa, described years spent trying to secure long-term residency through the H-1B route. He said he eventually won the H-1B lottery after multiple attempts and had recently begun the PERM labour certification process through his employer, the first major step towards an employment-based green card. 

However, after waiting for over a year, he was laid off and the green card process was discontinued. 

“Just like that, the future I tried to build here vanished,” the Reddit user wrote.

Why layoffs hit immigrant workers harder

For foreign workers on H-1B visas, job loss in the US often creates immediate immigration pressure. Unlike American citizens or permanent residents, H-1B holders are tied to employer sponsorship. Once employment ends, they typically have a grace period to either find another employer to sponsor them, change visa status, or leave the country. 

The uncertainty becomes even more severe for Indians because of the long waiting period for green cards under the EB-2 and EB-3 employment categories. Due to country-wise caps, many Indian professionals face waiting periods stretching into decades despite living and working in the US for years. 

The Reddit user described the system as emotionally draining and compared the uncertainty to living under constant restriction. 

“The immigration system breaks you down,” he wrote, adding that even simple decisions such as travelling abroad became stressful because of fears around visa stamping delays or additional scrutiny during renewals.

Green card backlog remains a major concern

Indian nationals form one of the largest groups of skilled foreign workers in the US technology and engineering sectors. However, they are also among the worst affected by the employment-based green card backlog. 

Immigration experts have repeatedly pointed out that the queue for Indian applicants has become structurally unsustainable because of annual country caps in US immigration law. As a result, many professionals spend years on temporary visas while waiting for permanent residency approval. 

This uncertainty affects not only career planning, but also family decisions, investments, property purchases and long-term financial security. 

In the Reddit post, the man said that despite earning well in the US, the stress of immigration uncertainty overshadowed the financial benefits. 

“I wanted to see the world, but I stayed put because I was terrified of getting stuck outside the country,” he wrote. 

He also said he did not want to continue switching visa categories merely to extend his stay in the country.

Growing debate around immigration uncertainty

The discussion reflects a broader concern among skilled Indian migrants about whether the traditional American dream still offers long-term stability. 

In recent years, repeated layoffs in the technology sector, tighter immigration scrutiny and prolonged green card delays have pushed many Indian professionals to explore alternatives including Canada, Europe, West Asia and returning to India. 

For some, the issue is no longer about salaries or career growth alone, but about predictability and quality of life. 

The Reddit post has resonated precisely because it highlights a reality many Indian professionals privately discuss but rarely say openly: That even after years in the US, immigration uncertainty can leave people feeling temporary. 

(Disclaimer: This article is based on discussions and posts shared publicly on social media platforms. Business Standard could not independently confirm the individual claims mentioned in the post.)