NRI With Rs 40 Lakh Loan Struggles With Indian Job Market After Losing H-1B Lottery: 'I'm Overwhelmed'

An NRI techie who was forced to return home after losing the H-1B lottery said they were struggling with the difficult interviews in India, whilst having a 40 lakh loan to pay. In a Reddit post titled, 'Forced return to India (H1B not picked). Struggling with brutal tech interviews', the techie sought perspective from social media users, adding that they were feeling completely 'overwhelmed' by the challenges as well as the competition in the Indian job market.

"My visa expired, and I didn't get picked in the H-1B lottery. My US employer doesn't have an India office, so an internal transfer or remote-from-India setup wasn't an option. I had absolutely no choice but to pack up and move back," the user stated.

Prior to losing the job, the techie said they were making $200,000, but the sudden drop to zero in income and the forced relocation had come as a massive reality shock to them.

"The biggest hurdle right now is the job market here. It is absolutely brutal. The competition is insane, but what caught me completely off guard is the interview difficulty. The level of questions they are asking in Indian tech interviews is way more advanced compared to what I faced in the US," the techie said.

The pressure of managing the Rs 40 lakh debt while being grilled in the intense interviews was starting to mess with their mental peace.

"Is anyone else currently dealing with this, or has anyone successfully survived this forced transition? Any advice, reality checks, or just knowing I'm not alone in this would be highly appreciated. Thanks."

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'Temper Expectations'

As the post gained traction, social media users advised the techie not to focus on a big payday and instead get their foot in the door by landing a job.

"200k salary? How long did you have your job in the USA? It's surprising that you have a 40L loan even after that," said one user while another added: "You would be lucky to land 15 to 20 LPA at this point. Swallow your international experience and 200k ego and take it."

A third commented: "I moved back by choice after clearing my loan in 1.5 yrs. You can't expect salaries like in the US. If you have savings from US, try paying it out month after month. As for job, just get started with any decent job you get in your desired role, don't wait for that big buck opportunity."

A fourth said: "Temper your expectations, forget how much you earned in the US and research how much people with your level of experience are making in your domain and target that level of seniority and have salary expectations as per that level."