‘Did everything right, and still had to leave’: AI engineer exits US after H-1B visa setbacks
In a candid post that has resonated widely online, the Data and AI Engineer announced she is leaving America after failing to secure an H-1B work visa despite multiple attempts.
- Feb 2, 2026,
- Updated Feb 2, 2026 3:09 PM IST
For Sunjana Ramana, the decision to leave the United States was not about lack of ambition, talent, or effort. It was about a system that ultimately left her with no choice.
In a candid post that has resonated widely online, the Data and AI Engineer announced she is leaving America after failing to secure an H-1B work visa despite multiple attempts — bringing into sharp focus the uncertainty faced by thousands of skilled immigrants navigating the US immigration system.
“Four-and-a-half years ago, I landed in the US with $80,000 in student debt and a stubborn belief in the American Dream,” Ramana wrote. What followed, she said, was a textbook pursuit of success: an Ivy League education, a six-figure tech job, and the repayment of her student loans. Along the way, she spoke on global platforms such as TEDx and even sold her first SaaS product.
Yet none of it was enough to overcome what she described as the “random draw” of the H-1B visa lottery.
“After three H-1B attempts, the answer was still no,” she wrote. “It’s hard to explain how much it hurts to do everything right… and still lose.”
The H-1B programme, which allows US companies to employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations, is capped annually and allocated through a lottery system when applications exceed the limit. Critics have long argued that the process prioritises chance over merit — an issue Ramana’s story brings into stark relief.
“But this is the reality for so many immigrants,” she noted. “You can do everything right and still have no control over the outcome.”
Rather than return home, Ramana is charting a new path in the United Kingdom. Her next chapter begins in London, a city she says she is approaching with the same determination that once brought her to New York.
“They say, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere,” she wrote. “America, thank you for the opportunities and the growth. This isn’t goodbye forever.”
Her story has sparked renewed conversation online about America’s ability to retain global talent, particularly in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence and data engineering. At a time when the US tech sector continues to rely heavily on immigrant professionals, Ramana’s exit underscores the human cost of rigid visa policies.
As she signs off with optimism — “London, let’s do this” — Ramana’s journey stands as both a personal turning point and a broader commentary on how the modern American Dream can still slip through the cracks, even for those who seemingly do everything right.
For Sunjana Ramana, the decision to leave the United States was not about lack of ambition, talent, or effort. It was about a system that ultimately left her with no choice.
In a candid post that has resonated widely online, the Data and AI Engineer announced she is leaving America after failing to secure an H-1B work visa despite multiple attempts — bringing into sharp focus the uncertainty faced by thousands of skilled immigrants navigating the US immigration system.
“Four-and-a-half years ago, I landed in the US with $80,000 in student debt and a stubborn belief in the American Dream,” Ramana wrote. What followed, she said, was a textbook pursuit of success: an Ivy League education, a six-figure tech job, and the repayment of her student loans. Along the way, she spoke on global platforms such as TEDx and even sold her first SaaS product.
Yet none of it was enough to overcome what she described as the “random draw” of the H-1B visa lottery.
“After three H-1B attempts, the answer was still no,” she wrote. “It’s hard to explain how much it hurts to do everything right… and still lose.”
The H-1B programme, which allows US companies to employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations, is capped annually and allocated through a lottery system when applications exceed the limit. Critics have long argued that the process prioritises chance over merit — an issue Ramana’s story brings into stark relief.
“But this is the reality for so many immigrants,” she noted. “You can do everything right and still have no control over the outcome.”
Rather than return home, Ramana is charting a new path in the United Kingdom. Her next chapter begins in London, a city she says she is approaching with the same determination that once brought her to New York.
“They say, if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere,” she wrote. “America, thank you for the opportunities and the growth. This isn’t goodbye forever.”
Her story has sparked renewed conversation online about America’s ability to retain global talent, particularly in high-demand fields such as artificial intelligence and data engineering. At a time when the US tech sector continues to rely heavily on immigrant professionals, Ramana’s exit underscores the human cost of rigid visa policies.
As she signs off with optimism — “London, let’s do this” — Ramana’s journey stands as both a personal turning point and a broader commentary on how the modern American Dream can still slip through the cracks, even for those who seemingly do everything right.