A tennis scholarship, an MBA, and the harsh reality of an H-1B exit

Pereyra arrived in the U.S. at 17, trading her home in Lima for a tennis scholarship and a trajectory that eventually earned her a Bachelor’s degree and an MBA with a 4.0 GPA. She secured a position as a marketing and communications specialist, navigating the complex H-1B sponsorship process only to see that stability dissolve during a departmental restructuring. The subsequent job hunt proved futile; recruiters frequently rescinded interest the moment her sponsorship requirements surfaced, and internal hiring freezes stalled potential opportunities during her narrow 60-day window.

Returning to Peru in March, Pereyra traded the constant anxiety of visa-dependent residency for a new venture, Casuma, a startup producing cashew butters infused with local flavors. While she maintains freelance marketing work for U.S. clients, she views her time abroad as a closed chapter. Her experience highlights the vulnerability inherent in work-based immigration, where professional accolades and high-level education often fail to provide the security of permanent status, leaving many international workers in a perpetual state of survival.