Woman With H-1B Visa, 6-Figure Salary Leaves US To Return To Gurugram: 'I Wasn't Okay'

An Indian woman with a six-figure job in the US, who won an H-1B visa lottery, said she decided to walk away from it all to be close to her family. 28-year-old Disha Lamba said she moved to the US in 2021 to pursue a master's degree in computer engineering at New York University and managed to build a successful career, landing a data scientist role at CVS Health in 2024.

In a conversation with Business Insider, Lamba stated that living in New York made her ambitious, independent, and confident. However, the freedom came at a cost, once she wasn't willing to pay.

"I had a great life in the US, but decided to move back in May 2026, primarily to be closer to family. I also wasn't OK with the restrictions that come with the H-1B visa," said Lamba.

"When the clock hit 5 p.m., there wasn't anyone around to ask me how my day was. I had friends, but friends can't be your family. I kept having to organise my video calls with my mom, who's my best friend, around the time difference," she added.

Lamba said the H-1B visa has its pros, but she was not okay with the cons. She said having an H-1B visa meant it was harder to change employers, pursue additional income streams or take a career break.

"Once you're on an H-1B, you need a new visa stamp to travel and return to the US, and getting a stamping appointment in India can be a pain. Since the H-1B is generally granted in three-year increments, I felt there'd be a lot of ongoing visa management," said Lamba.

After quitting her job, Lamba flew to Gurugram, where she is living with her parents and brother. She took a two-month career break, which was a luxury that came from not having an employment visa. Although she did not have a job offer in hand yet, Lamba said India offers similar career opportunities as the US.

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H-1B Visa And Trump Administration

Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security released a proposed regulation to increase the H-1B visa fee to $103,265. If the proposed regulations are implemented, they could raise the expenses of working in the US for foreign nationals, particularly Indians who account for more than 70 per cent of all H-1B visa beneficiaries.

Apart from the new fees, the DHS also proposed eliminating the 60-day grace period for unemployed H-1B workers, forcing them to leave the US immediately or face status violations if the rule is finalised.

Another proposal could see the Trump administration end work permits for spouses of H-1B visa holders. If it goes through, it would reverse a rule that has let eligible H-4 visa holders work legally in the US for more than ten years. Indian professionals are likely to be hit hardest, as many H-4 permit holders are Indian.