What is the H1B visa?
The H1B visa was designed for "specialty occupations," requiring a university degree and theoretical or technical expertise. It became the lifeblood of Silicon Valley and a vital tool for research institutions. However the system was already broken:
- The Lottery:* Demand has outstripped the annual cap of 85,000 visas for years, turning the application process into a game of chance. Millions of dollars and countless hours were spent by companies on applications that had a high probability of being rejected simply due to the lottery.
- Uncertainty:* Applicants were left in limbo for months, unable to plan their lives or careers.
- Employer Dependency:* The visa is tied to a specific employer, giving companies significant leverage and making it difficult for workers to switch jobs.
The new $100,000 fee is the final, fatal blow. It's a cost no rational company will bear for most roles, effectively ending the H1B as a viable option for engineers, scientists, researchers, and other qualified professionals.
What’s the reality of the H1B visa according to expats in the US?
To understand the shift, you have to understand what life on an H1B visa has become. Long before the $100k fee, expats painted a grim picture that went far beyond the already stressful application lottery.
- "Golden Handcuffs": A recurring theme in discussions is the feeling of being chained to an employer. "You can't easily switch jobs, start a side hustle, or even complain too loudly," one user on r/h1b writes, "because your very presence in the country is tied to that one company." This creates a power imbalance that many feel stifles their career growth and personal freedom.
- Eternal Guest: Even after a decade of paying US taxes and contributing to their communities, many H1B holders speak of the inability to put down real roots. The path to a Green Card can be decades long for individuals from certain countries, meaning they live with the constant, low-level anxiety that a single layoff could mean having to pack up their entire lives and leave within 60 days.
- High Salary, Higher Burnout: While US tech salaries are high, so is the cost of living in the hubs where those jobs exist. Expat groups are filled with discussions comparing a $150,000 salary in the Bay Area to a more modest income in Europe. When you factor in rent, healthcare costs, and a "hustle culture" that glorifies burnout, many find their quality of life is far lower than the numbers suggest. The "dream" was often a reality of endless work and financial pressure.
