US visa woes: IT professional’s H-1B dream falls apart even after spending nearly ₹7 lakhs, ‘I honestly don’t know…’
Amid H-1B related woes, a Reddit user opened up about their dreams of working in the US, saying it slowly faded away after years of trying.
In a Reddit post, the user mentioned that going to the US was one of the biggest career goals when they started working in the IT industry. The user’s former employers applied for an H-1B visa for five times, but none of those applications were selected in the H-1B lottery system.
H-1B application: From being selected to rejected
After multiple unsuccessful attempts, the user decided to make one final effort to secure the visa, approaching a consultancy for the process and paying nearly ₹7 lakh. This time, the user’s H-1B application was selected in the lottery, giving hope that the US dream could finally come true. The visa petition was then filed successfully after the lottery selection. But the process took a negative turn as the petition was later denied.
Also Read: Indian man on H-1B visa shares ‘brutal’ experience after being laid off, wife’s H4 rejection: ‘Thinking of moving back’
“Finally, I decided to give it one last try through a consultancy by paying nearly 7 lakhs. This time, the H-1B got picked and the petition was filed successfully. Unfortunately, the petition later got denied due to mistakes and issues from the consultancy side,” the user wrote.
HT.com could not independently verify the claims shared by the Reddit user. The story is based solely on information provided in the social media post.
H-1B petition denied
The user said the application was rejected because of errors and compliance problems by the consultancy. The reddit post includes information from a denial notice issued by the USCIS. According to the notice, the consultancy told the USCIS that it had only 50 employees, the Reddit user said.
USCIS found fee issue
Based on that claim, the consultancy paid a lower filing fee that is meant for small employers. USCIS records, however, showed that the consultancy had more than 80 approved H-1B petitions over the previous three years, as per the post. Because of those records, USCIS determined that the consultancy did not qualify for the reduced fee category.
USCIS then asked the consultancy to pay the remaining fee amount and submit supporting evidence. The user said the additional payment submitted by the consultancy was returned unpaid. The consultancy failed to provide the required documents requested by USCIS. Due to these fee-related and documentation issues, the petition was ultimately denied, according to the notice shared by the user.
Nearly two years have passed since the denial, the user said. During this period, the user claimed to have not received any meaningful update about the status of the matter. The user regularly follows up with the consultancy seeking answers. However, the consultancy continues to give the same response: that it is “working on it.”
Seeking refund and answers
The prolonged silence has left the user uncertain about the future of his H-1B process. The user is now questioning whether, “I should completely give up hope of obtaining the visa through this route,”
The user is also considering asking the consultancy for at least a partial refund because of what happened with the petition. The post highlights the frustration and uncertainty faced by some visa applicants when immigration processes are delayed or affected by third-party errors.