An Indian woman working in the United States has captured global attention for her journey to a Green Card. In the US, the process to get a Green Card is complicated and typically luck-based.
Aishani B, a Microsoft employee, has faced seven H-1B rejections before securing permanent citizenship. The journey shows the unpredictable and often frustrating nature of the US immigration system.
The story connects with hundreds of working professionals who are stuck in the same loop. They are highly qualified; still, the repeated setbacks hit them for the structural limitations in the visa process.
Aishani's seven-year-long journey shows her persistence, but it also highlights the randomness of the H-1B lottery system more prominently. She has been working at Microsoft and entered the lottery system between 2019 and 2025.
The Indian-American techie has shared her feelings on LinkedIn, stating, “The first rejection stings. The second, you rationalize; By the third, fourth, fifth — you stop telling people. Not because you’re ashamed. But because there’s nothing new to say.” She continued, “What nobody tells you about losing repeatedly: It’s not one moment of disappointment. It’s a slow, quiet erosion of certainty.”
Each year, the US government caps H-1V visas at 85,000, including 20,000 reserved for applicants with advanced degrees from US institutions. However, the application number often exceeds 700,000, which drastically reduces the odds of being selected. Thus, even top-tier professionals with strong educational backgrounds and working in leading companies can face rejection multiple times.
The initial process begins with employer sponsorship, after which applicants need to register electronically. Once applications exceed the cap, a lottery system determines who will proceed.
The broader issue goes beyond individual stories. The H-1B system is still limited by annual caps. Thus, it fails to match the increasing demand from the global talent pool. Additionally, US companies sponsor only a limited number of employees, further complicating the process. When thousands of companies fight for a handful of slots, rejection becomes inevitable.
This system encourages professionals to find alternatives. While some pursue the L-1 visa, others aim for the O-1 visa. Employment-based green card categories (EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) also offer routes to permanent residency. However, these processes also have their individual waiting periods and criteria.
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The success of Aishani shows a global reality where countries compete to attract and keep skilled professionals. The United States is indeed the top destination, but the visa policies and long processing time are gradually pushing talent toward other nations where immigration is relatively less complicated.
As global demand for tech expertise has been rising, immigration frameworks play a vital role in determining where professionals will land. Journeys like this remind countries to reform their immigration policies to manage skilled migration.