The hidden sacrifices of chasing an H-1B career in America

H-1B visa holders and hopefuls told us about the career, financial, and family costs they encountered while pursuing this visa route. Rob Dobi for BI In the five years Madhur Mehta has spent in the US, he's earned a master's degree, landed a program manager job at Amazon, and been selected for an H-1B visa. But at 35, Mehta still doesn't feel able to plan his life very far ahead. He and his fiancée explored buying a house last year, but couldn't bring themselves to commit. They're both from India, and she has one remaining attempt at the H-1B lottery cycle before her work authorization expires. "It's hard, you know, obviously you can't plan," Mehta told Business Insider, adding, "unless we are both very clear on what our visa status is." Madhur Mehta said he feels like he's been in a "race" since he moved to the US. Chona Kasinger for BI His experience captures a contradiction facing many highly skilled foreign workers in America: The visa that allows them to build a career in the US can also make it difficult to know how firmly to establish a life here. The H-1B program has come under the spotlight over the past year, as the Trump administration has moved to clamp down on legal immigration, including with a contested $100,000 fee for certain H-1B petitions. The fee was tied up in court, adding layers of unpredictability to a system that can already make long-term planning difficult. As part of our H-1B Fallout series, marking a year of heightened uncertainty hanging over this visa program, Business Insider spoke to more than 20 people who moved to America and either received an H-1B visa or attempted to pursue this route. The first story in the series dug into the question of where foreign talent is going, if not to the US. In this installment, we examine the theme of costs, asking visa holders and hopefuls about the financial, career, and personal sacrifices they have made as they've navigated a visa pathway that comes with an expiration date and no guarantees. A spokesperson for the White House said in a statement that the Trump administration's agenda is designed to prioritize American workers. A USCIS spokesperson said the agency's goal is to make sure employment-based visa programs are used to "supplement, not supplant American workers." A State Department spokesperson said the proposed H-1B visa fees are designed to address "abuse of the program" and to protect American interests. Shreya Mishra Reddy, now 34, came to the US from India for her master's degree in 2021. She landed a dream role at Visa in 2023. Her student work authorization was set to expire in January 2026, but she had a plan: She would leave the US and apply for H-1B jobs from overseas. The $100,000 H-1B fee shook up Shreya Mishra Reddy's plans. Cassandra Rudolph for BI That plan changed in September 2025, when the administration announced the $100,000 fee on certain new H‑1B petitions for workers outside the US. Reddy felt one option closing off: "I knew it was no longer a realistic option for me." No longer authorized to work in the US after January, she moved to Toronto, where her husband lives. Reddy regrets that she didn't pursue alternative career options abroad: "I only planned for the best-case scenario," she said. "It didn't happen, and it ended up costing me a lot." H-1B holders can change employers and roles within an organization, but the process comes with paperwork: A new employer has to file an H-1B petition, while workers who stay with the same company may need an amended petition when their job title or work location changes. That can make some workers cautious about pursuing a promotion, a new company, or a move to another city — choices that often come with higher pay. In July, median year-over-year pay growth was 7% for US job-switchers, compared with 4.4% for workers who stayed put, according to ADP Research. "The employer tie affects everything," said Nicole Gunara, a principal attorney at the immigration law firm Manifest Law. "The timeline and risk profile for changing jobs are completely different from a US citizen." This story is part of Business Insider's "H-1B Fallout: 1 year later" series. Read more of our coverage of how the Trump administration's H-1B visa changes affect workers: The new lands of opportunity I spent years building a life in New York. Losing my job meant leaving my cats, my apartment, and the US. I missed out on the H-1B lottery 3 times. I wasn't ready to give up on my career in the US. If you've been impacted and want to share your story, please fill out this short form for the reporter. Still, H-1B holders can change employers, and many do. David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, pointed to USCIS data showing that tens of thousands of job change petitions are made every year. "The employer tie does not prevent switching; it adds steps and costs to switching," Gunara said. It also raises the stakes around layoffs: If an H-1B holder loses their job, t