'Layoffs, 221G and years of anxiety': NRI’s H1B survival story goes viral on social media
The first major shock came in 2009, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Without warning, he was laid off — and escorted out without being allowed to retrieve his own laptop.
- Nov 22, 2025,
- Updated Nov 22, 2025 10:01 PM IST
A deeply personal account shared in a Reddit discussion has resonated with thousands of NRIs navigating the complexities of the H1B visa system. The post traces a 16-year journey marked by layoffs, visa anxieties, prolonged separation from family, and the emotional weight of living in limbo.
The user narrates a story that spans from landing in the US in 2006 with “two bags and no plan” to finally receiving a green card in 2022 — a moment he describes not as celebratory, but as “a long, overdue exhale.”
According to the Redditor, his first major break came in 2007 when he was selected in the H1B lottery on the first attempt. But joining a New Jersey-based consulting firm soon brought its own reality check: he was paid $28 an hour while being billed at $75, a gap he says he accepted out of fear of losing status.
The financial imbalance, he writes, “felt normal because I was scared and didn’t know any better. When you’re on H1B, you don’t think about fairness — you think about staying legal.”
2009 layoff
The first major shock came in 2009, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Without warning, he was laid off — and escorted out without being allowed to retrieve his own laptop.
His wife was six months pregnant at the time.
“I just sat in my car, staring at the steering wheel,” he recalls. “What if I don’t find something? What if they make us leave?” He avoided telling his parents for days out of fear and guilt.
The episode shook his faith in the idea that hard work alone ensures security. It took weeks to find another contract job — and four more years to escape consulting for a full-time role that would finally port his I-140.
2017: A routine stamping turns into a 3-month nightmare
After avoiding international travel for 11 years, the Redditor flew to India in 2017 due to his father’s ill health. At the Hyderabad consulate, the visa officer looked at him “for five seconds,” asked no questions, and handed him a pink slip — a 221G administrative processing notice.
With no explanation and no timeline, he remained stuck in India for nearly three months, refreshing the CEAC page “like a maniac” while his wife managed their two daughters alone in the US.
“The only reason my life didn’t collapse was my manager,” he writes, crediting him for allowing remote work without hesitation.
“When the visa finally got approved, it felt like someone handed me my oxygen mask back.”
What helped him survive the grind
The Redditor says the journey wasn’t about shortcuts or luck, but slow, deliberate habits:
- Continuous learning to stay “harder to replace.”
- Building a six-month emergency fund after the layoff.
- Focusing on genuine relationships, not performative networking.
- Meticulously tracking project impact and wins.
These choices, he says, helped him stay afloat through repeated cycles of fear and uncertainty.
What held him back
He also reflects on mistakes:
- “Staying quiet too long and assuming people will notice.”
- “Remaining in consulting because fear convinces you that you don’t have options.”
Green card after 16 years
In 2022, when he finally received his green card approval, the emotion wasn’t triumph but exhaustion: “Not excitement… just an exhale.”
He says he is not wealthy today, but “comfortable” — able to travel with his family and spend without checking his balance for basics.
The post ends with a note to fellow immigrants: “You're not imagining the stress. You’re not weak, or alone. Speak up earlier. Don’t stay where your energy dies. And when your approval comes — take a moment. You earned it.”
A deeply personal account shared in a Reddit discussion has resonated with thousands of NRIs navigating the complexities of the H1B visa system. The post traces a 16-year journey marked by layoffs, visa anxieties, prolonged separation from family, and the emotional weight of living in limbo.
The user narrates a story that spans from landing in the US in 2006 with “two bags and no plan” to finally receiving a green card in 2022 — a moment he describes not as celebratory, but as “a long, overdue exhale.”
According to the Redditor, his first major break came in 2007 when he was selected in the H1B lottery on the first attempt. But joining a New Jersey-based consulting firm soon brought its own reality check: he was paid $28 an hour while being billed at $75, a gap he says he accepted out of fear of losing status.
The financial imbalance, he writes, “felt normal because I was scared and didn’t know any better. When you’re on H1B, you don’t think about fairness — you think about staying legal.”
2009 layoff
The first major shock came in 2009, in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Without warning, he was laid off — and escorted out without being allowed to retrieve his own laptop.
His wife was six months pregnant at the time.
“I just sat in my car, staring at the steering wheel,” he recalls. “What if I don’t find something? What if they make us leave?” He avoided telling his parents for days out of fear and guilt.
The episode shook his faith in the idea that hard work alone ensures security. It took weeks to find another contract job — and four more years to escape consulting for a full-time role that would finally port his I-140.
2017: A routine stamping turns into a 3-month nightmare
After avoiding international travel for 11 years, the Redditor flew to India in 2017 due to his father’s ill health. At the Hyderabad consulate, the visa officer looked at him “for five seconds,” asked no questions, and handed him a pink slip — a 221G administrative processing notice.
With no explanation and no timeline, he remained stuck in India for nearly three months, refreshing the CEAC page “like a maniac” while his wife managed their two daughters alone in the US.
“The only reason my life didn’t collapse was my manager,” he writes, crediting him for allowing remote work without hesitation.
“When the visa finally got approved, it felt like someone handed me my oxygen mask back.”
What helped him survive the grind
The Redditor says the journey wasn’t about shortcuts or luck, but slow, deliberate habits:
- Continuous learning to stay “harder to replace.”
- Building a six-month emergency fund after the layoff.
- Focusing on genuine relationships, not performative networking.
- Meticulously tracking project impact and wins.
These choices, he says, helped him stay afloat through repeated cycles of fear and uncertainty.
What held him back
He also reflects on mistakes:
- “Staying quiet too long and assuming people will notice.”
- “Remaining in consulting because fear convinces you that you don’t have options.”
Green card after 16 years
In 2022, when he finally received his green card approval, the emotion wasn’t triumph but exhaustion: “Not excitement… just an exhale.”
He says he is not wealthy today, but “comfortable” — able to travel with his family and spend without checking his balance for basics.
The post ends with a note to fellow immigrants: “You're not imagining the stress. You’re not weak, or alone. Speak up earlier. Don’t stay where your energy dies. And when your approval comes — take a moment. You earned it.”