Not everyone who returns to India after living abroad finds it easy to adjust. A software engineer, who moved back from the US in 2022 after his H-1B visa luck ran out, has now called the decision the “biggest mistake” of his life. His brutally honest post on Reddit has gone viral, striking a chord with many.
Sharing his story on Reddit under the handle ‘That-Replacement-232’, the man revealed that he pursued a Master’s degree in the US and worked there for four years before being forced to return due to visa issues. Nearly three and a half years since, he says his life has taken a turn for the worse.
“I did my Masters from the USA and worked there for 4 years before my luck ran out in the H-1B lottery and I had to resign and come back in 2022. It’s been downhill from there,” the post reads.
Back in India, he continues working as a software engineer, but says the difference in compensation has been stark. “I was earning 8 times more in the USA than here. My monthly savings there were more than my yearly savings here,” he added.
Beyond pay cuts, he misses the better work-life balance, clean air, and superior infrastructure in the US. “I am literally slogging for peanuts here and my Masters degree and US work ex is also not helping me to get a good package as companies here don’t care about it at all,” he wrote.
The post quickly went viral, sparking a wave of reactions. While many found his frustration relatable, others offered advice or shared similar struggles.
“If your visa ran out, how was this a ‘mistake’? There was no choice right?” one user commented. Another advised, “Try to get a job in a company which might sponsor your H1/L1 later if you want to go back.”
Others chimed in with their own experiences. “Imagine instead of software, being a Mechanical Engineer with 3+ yrs work exp in Silicon Valley. There is literally no scope here for new product development, so my skills are mostly useless,” shared one.
“Why not move to the same company in India if it was big enough and paying so much?” another user asked.