Indian Entrepreneur Says His Life "Completely Changed" After Switching From H-1B To B-1 Visa

An Indian entrepreneur recently shared his experience of switching from an H-1B to a B-1 visa, which transformed his life. After spending nine years on an H-1B visa in the United States, Aniruddha decided to take a leap of faith and switch to a B-1 business visa. He credits this move for giving him the freedom and flexibility he had long been missing, allowing him to run his own LLC (Limited Liability Company) and travel without the constant stress of visa renewals. 

In his post, Aniruddha shared how the H-1B visa imposed restrictions that impacted his life. He faced limitations, including inability to start his own business, restrictions on travel to India, and constant stress of renewals and changing immigration policies. He described his life as "mundane" and feeling "like a slave", indicating a loss of freedom and autonomy. This experience motivated him to explore alternative options, ultimately leading him to switch to a B-1 visa.

Aniruddha shared the benefits he experienced after switching to a B-1 visa, a temporary non-immigrant visa for business-related activities. He highlighted improvements such as running his own LLC legally, travelling to the US from India twice a year, and having a visa valid for 10 years. "No stress about policy changes. Enjoying entrepreneurship. Life feels in my control and exciting every day," he added.

Watch the video here:

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A post shared by Aniruddha (@growwith_ani)

Aniruddha also shared that he now lives in India full-time, and visits the US only for conferences.

His post sparked interest among social media users, many of whom shared similar frustrations with the H-1B process or sought advice on switching to a B-1 visa. One user wrote, 'But being in B1, you are not allowed to be engaged in any productive/income generating work. Then how will you run the business in US?"

Another asked, "What about travel to India only once? H1B doesn't restrict your travel out of country."

The timing of Aniruddha's post also coincides with US President Donald Trump's announcement, imposing a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications. This move has raised concerns among Indian professionals, who comprise nearly 70% of H-1B visa holders in the US tech sector.