Depending on the visa status, you may get more or less freedom to do what you love in the United States. American Dream is not for everyone and it’s better to have a good plan and choose a proper visa to immigrate to chase your American Dream.
H1B visa allows you to change employers but with some constraints. You have to go through USCIS for each transfer and renewal application. This puts your head on the chopping board every time you decide to change your job or try to extend your employment.
Due to the complexity and limitation surrounding the H1B visa, it may prove to be the worst option to come to the United States.
I have met many happy and sad people working on the H1B visa and I think that H1B is mostly suited for the following types of people.
Worker bees:
Some people are very happy and successful doing a 9 to 5 job. (In the case of H1B, it may be 24/7). Such folks are wired to just punch their timecard and repeat it every day for the rest of their working life. They are comfortable doing it for a long time without any issues.
If you have less to moderate ambition for doing something different in life, you are guaranteed to be happy and successful living on H1B visa.
Loyal ones:
Although, you are free to change your employer on the H1B visa. Finding a new employer and going through the scrutiny of applying H1B transfer is a troublesome process. So, if you are the one, who is happy working for one employer for many years, you will have less struggle and more joy in life. There is already the pain of going through an H1B extension every 3 years, but your employer may let you work out of the USA for some time in case things go awry during your visa renewal process.
Working for one employer for a long time is one of the less stressful ways to live on H1B.
People who expect less:
People who understand that the H1B visa is a temporary visa with a maximum duration of 6 years, and they don’t have any long-term plan, end up enjoying the most.
They don’t worry too much about H1B transfers or extensions. They enjoy the 6 years to the fullest, make money and go back to their home country content and find more suitable job positions.
Pain starts only when you want to go against the odd and try to live there for more than 6 years on an H1B visa.
So, the person who knows that they are here for only 6 years. They make the most of our it with less stress. They don’t buy houses or expensive cars. They tend to lease the car and rent an apartment and go back without losing much.
Young and single ones:
Imagine starting a restrictive H1B life without any dependents and at a more youthful age. You will have the best time of your life if you manage to do that.
You will have valuable work experience and you can land a better and bigger opportunity in your home country.
You don’t have to worry about dependents or think about buying a house, save for retirement, etc. You just savor every day and take the party to your home country when the party is over here.
You got nothing to lose and only to gain.
Conclusion:
One solution never fits all. There are always outliers in each scenario. But it is always better to be in the right place at the right time to make life easy and fun.
