Indian-origin man rejected for H-1B visa three times compiled 700 pages of evidence and spent $13,000 to secure another way to stay in US

Since the onset of the second Trump administration, the H-1B visa has transformed from a government document into a coveted goal. From applying to the lottery numerous times to hoping for other visas and even planning to switch countries, people have done all things imaginable to be able to extend their stay in the United States.The entire effort is in response to Trump’s tightening of visa guidelines to curb illegal migration while also prioritising native Americans. While the initiative has been impactful, it has led to displacing many people who were actively and effectively contributing to the United States economy. One such person is Sohan Sethi, a 29-year-old Indian-origin national who faced three H-1B lottery rejections before trying all his might to be able to get an O-1 visa.Sethi, was born and raised in Mumbai and spent 25 years of his life in India. Before moving to the US for his master’s, he had never set foot outside the country. Since doing an undergrad overseas was not financially viable, he completed a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering from the University of Mumbai and gained experience for about a year and a half as a business analyst while saving money and preparing for graduate school.It took him three years of continuous preparation, effort, and saving money to get to the US. “While working full-time, I prepared for my GRE, gathered recommendation letters, and applied to several universities,” he told Business Insider. The University of Illinois Chicago was his dream school and it had a business analytics program he really wanted to get into. Eventually, he got accepted and arrived in Chicago in January 2022.“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. Twenty days later, on my 25th birthday, I stood in the exact same spot that had been my wallpaper,” he said.

A career in data and analytics

As an international student, Sethi’s fees were roughly $60,000 across three semesters. He received a research assistantship during his second and third semesters and the university covered a significant portion of the costs. After graduating in May 2023, he began working as a senior business analyst at a healthcare company. A year and a half later, he was promoted to manager of analytics and reporting and life was good.

Attempts for H-1B

In June of the same year, he began preparing for the O-1 visa in June 2025, almost a year prior to the expiration of his OPT.

Sethi entered the H-1B lottery thrice and was rejected every time. “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,” he said. In June of the same year, he began preparing for the O-1 visa in June 2025, almost a year prior to the expiration of his OPT.Unlike the H-1B, the O-1 isn’t based on a lottery. Instead, applicants have to demonstrate “extraordinary ability” through achievements in their field. Thus, he hired a lawyer and spent the next several months building a profile while continuing to work full time. “I audited my achievements, secured media coverage, judged at industry events, received awards, published scholarly articles, and gathered letters of recommendation,” he said.By February 2026, he and his lawyers had organised more than 700 pages of supporting evidence. For all of this, Sethi spent a whopping $13,000 on lawyer fees. In March, he was rejected from the H-1B lottery for the third time. “At that point, my STEM OPT was due to expire on July 5, leaving me with around 100 days to legally stay in the United States unless another pathway worked out,” he shared.

An O-1 visa

In April, he had filed for an O-1 petition. After filing, he received a Request for Evidence, which required him to submit additional documentation and wait again. Sethi said that while waiting for a response, he began thinking about other possibilities. “I know people who have gone back to their home countries, pursued a second master’s degree, or moved to places like Canada or the United Kingdom. I considered those options too, but I couldn’t find another country where I felt I could build the same career,” he confessed.The O-1 visa is a temporary, non-immigrant visa for people with extraordinary ability or achievement in sciences, arts, education, business, athletics or television/film. It has no annual cap, no lottery, allows unlimited one-year extensions and requires a US employer or agent sponsor.As a professional working in data analytics and AI, he said no other country offered the opportunities, infrastructure and exposure that the US did. “That’s why I didn’t want to give up without exploring every possible option,” he added. Eventually, his O-1 visa was approved and now, Sethi manages a team of analysts working in healthcare data and analytics.All this time, he had been sharing his experience on LinkedIn in order to guide others like him who felt uncertain and were navigating the O-1 process. “The only intent behind that was to be there for someone in the way I wish someone had been there for me. For now, my focus is on making the most of the next three years in the United States,” he added.