‘Why Am I Staying Here?’: H-1B Visa Holder’s Post Sheds Light on Emotional Struggles of Immigration

A heartfelt Reddit post by a 29-year-old H-1B visa holder is resonating with thousands, offering a raw look into the emotional toll of life as a foreign worker in the U.S. In his second year on the visa and employed at a small suburban firm sponsoring his green card, the poster described a monotonous existence that feels “boring and endless”—a cycle of work, home, and solo routines that leave him questioning the path he’s on.

“I have few friends and no relatives in the U.S.,” he wrote. “Every day feels the same… and I just can’t see my future. Why am I staying here during the best time of my life?”

Although his employer recently started the PERM process—an early step toward green card sponsorship—the expected 2–3 year wait feels daunting and uncertain. “It feels like an eternity,” he noted, especially with no guarantee that permanent residency will be granted.

The post has sparked a wave of empathy from fellow immigrants and international professionals, especially those outside of the tech sector, where H-1B sponsorship and job mobility are more common. The poster emphasized that switching jobs has been nearly impossible. “I’m not a programmer,” he explained, adding that recruiters often lose interest when they learn about his visa status.

Some commenters offered hope, noting that an approved I-140 (a key step in the green card process) could open more job opportunities. But the original poster remained skeptical. “Even then, I’ll still be someone without a green card,” he wrote. “How can things really be better?”

Others shared similar feelings of stagnation, loneliness, and uncertainty. One user responded, “You’re not alone. So many of us feel stuck—between countries, careers, and emotional stability.”

Advice poured in from the community—ranging from seeking therapy and building stronger social connections to evaluating whether staying in the U.S. truly aligns with long-term happiness.

As immigration reform remains a contentious topic in the U.S., stories like this offer a sobering perspective: for many skilled immigrants, the pursuit of the American Dream comes with significant emotional cost, especially when pathways to stability are so prolonged and uncertain.

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