Three H-1B failures: How one analyst spent $13,000 to stay in the US

Sethi, an Indian national working in healthcare AI, first arrived in Chicago in 2022 to pursue a master's degree. His transition from student to professional was marked by rapid career growth, rising to a manager role within a year of graduation. However, his legal status remained tethered to the H-1B lottery, a system he describes as a source of constant anxiety. Following his second rejection in April 2025, he began proactively building a profile for the O-1 visa, a non-lottery pathway that requires applicants to prove significant contributions to their field.

Preparing the petition proved to be a full-time undertaking. Alongside his daily responsibilities, Sethi audited his own career achievements, sought out media coverage, served as a judge at industry events, and published scholarly articles. By February 2026, he and his legal counsel had compiled over 700 pages of evidence. When the third H-1B rejection arrived in March, he had roughly 100 days remaining on his STEM OPT. The O-1 approval finally arrived in June, securing his immediate future in the United States. He now shares his journey on LinkedIn to guide other international professionals navigating similar immigration uncertainty.