- Sohan Sethi was rejected from the H-1B visa lottery three times in the US
- He pursued the O-1 visa, requiring proof of extraordinary ability in his field
- Sethi completed a masters in business analytics at the University of Illinois Chicago
An Indian professional who was rejected from the H-1B visa lottery three times has found another way to continue his career in the US. Sohan Sethi, a 29-year-old data analytics and AI professional at a healthcare company, shared his immigration journey in an as-told-to essay published by Business Insider. After three unsuccessful H-1B lottery attempts, he pursued an O-1 visa, which is not lottery-based but requires applicants to show extraordinary ability in their field.
Sethi spent the first 25 years of his life in India. After earning a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai, he worked as a business analyst for about 18 months while saving money and preparing to study abroad.
"I'd always dreamed of studying abroad. I'd wanted to go to undergrad overseas, but because of funding, it wasn't possible. Instead, I completed a bachelor's degree in computer engineering at the University of Mumbai and worked for about a year and a half as a business analyst while saving money and preparing for graduate school," he wrote.
It took him nearly three years to make the move. Alongside his full-time job, he prepared for the GRE, collected recommendation letters and applied to universities. The University of Illinois Chicago was his dream school. He had always been drawn to Chicago and was particularly interested in its business analytics programme and alumni network.
In January 2022, he finally arrived in Chicago to begin his master's degree.
"I had a wallpaper on my laptop of a bridge overlooking the Chicago skyline. Every time I felt exhausted or anxious, I would minimise everything on my computer and look at that picture. Eventually, I got accepted and arrived in Chicago in January 2022. Twenty days later, on my 25th birthday, I stood in the exact same spot that had been my wallpaper," he said.
As an international student, his tuition cost about $60,000 for three semesters. He received a research assistantship during his second and third semesters, which covered a significant portion of his expenses. After graduating in May 2023, Sethi joined a healthcare company as a senior business analyst. About 18 months later, he was promoted to manager of analytics and reporting.
Although his career was on the rise, his immigration status was still unresolved. Sethi entered the H-1B lottery three times but wasn't picked any of those years.
"After my second rejection in April 2025, I realised I couldn't rely on the lottery alone if I wanted to continue my career in the United States. I started preparing for the O-1 visa in June 2025, almost a year before my OPT was due to expire," he added.
Unlike the H-1B, the O-1 does not depend on a lottery, and applicants have to demonstrate significant achievements and recognition in their field.
Sethi then hired an immigration lawyer and spent months strengthening his application while continuing to work full time. He documented his professional achievements, secured media coverage, judged industry events, received awards, published scholarly work and collected recommendation letters. By February 2026, he and his lawyers had assembled more than 700 pages of supporting evidence. He said he spent about $13,000 on legal fees.
Then, in March, he was rejected from the H-1B lottery for the third time. His STEM OPT was due to expire on July 5, leaving him with roughly 100 days to find another solution to remain legally in the US.
He filed his O-1 petition in April. The application later received a request for Evidence, meaning he had to provide additional documentation before a decision could be made. During the anxious waiting period, Sethi considered other options, including returning to India, pursuing another master's degree or moving to countries such as Canada and the UK.
Ultimately, he decided that he wanted to keep building his career in the US. "I considered those options too, but I couldn't find another country where I felt I could build the same career. I work in data analytics and AI, and I believe the opportunities, infrastructure, and exposure available here are difficult to find elsewhere," Sethi wrote.
Today, Sethhi manages a team of analysts working in healthcare data and analytics. He has also been sharing his immigration experience on LinkedIn, along with advice about job hunting, life as an international student and the O-1 process.
