“My decision seemed irrational to many. But I wanted to break free from the constant visa hassles and a life of job insecurity. Life in India has it challenges but I feel freer,” Swapnil Sagar says.
Swapnil Sagar, a tech professional from India, spent a decade in the United States. He studied at a top university, worked for leading multinational companies, and bought a home in a Houston suburb. But after achieving the “American Dream,” he chose to return to India—without a job—ready to rebuild his life from where he had left off.
In an exclusive interview, Sagar reveals to The American Bazaar on the real reason why he decided to trade his safe, secure and well-to-do life in America for his roots in India.
“Let me start from the beginning,” Sagar says. “I had a good career back in India. I was working with Accenture; I was single and doing well. But I wanted to study and was particularly interested in computer science, so I decided to apply for a master’s in America. I chose UIC in Chicago for its excellent computer science courses.”
For Sagar, American university life was smooth sailing as an F-1 student, and he was also able to find work on STEM OPT.
Two failed H-1Bs and another nullified
“The real American visa reality began unfolding when my H-1B application was sent. My H-1B did not get picked up in the first two attempts, so I ended up utilizing almost all three years of my STEM OPT working,” he says. Sagar finally got lucky in his third attempt as his H-1B got picked up in the lottery but a twist was just around the corner.
READ: H-1B techie with $1M net worth considers moving back to India (February 26, 2026)
Sagar says, “I was happy when the third time around my H-1B finally got picked up but just as I was gearing up for my real work innings in the US, my employer fired me during the visa processing time. The same employer who had filed for my H-1B! And my H-1B was nullified.”
Sagar had a little time to find a new job and with the help of his university professors, he was able to secure a job in a small startup in Chicago. “I had a 90-day time frame but thankfully I was able to secure a job and was back on STEM OPT.”
Within a year, Sagar got another job offer, this time an oil resource company that required him to move to Houston. “I gladly agreed as they also applied for a H-1B for me. I stayed in that job until 2022 and then came the big break. I got a job in Microsoft,” he says. The year ahead was pivotal for Sagar as he got married, bought a house in Houston suburbs and life looked stable and promising. Sagar admits that somewhere he did have plans to move back to India to care for his elderly parents. But for now, his American Dream seemed to be going full steam ahead.
The big Microsoft layoff
“In May 2025, Microsoft laid me off among 10,000 people,” says Sagar. For him, this setback set the ball rolling on his decision to move back to India. He says, “We had a long discussion spanning several days. But somewhere I was getting tired of these constant visa issues and the layoff churn in America. I felt that America was no longer the same place where I once came to study. Most of my productive hours were getting wasted filing various forms and documents that did not provide stability.”
At this point, Sagar, along with his wife, decided it would be better to move back to Bangalore, where their families were, and chart a new chapter away from visa constraints.
Sagar adds that his wife was a dependent, on a H-4 visa, “[…] and my I-140 was yet to be filed, so she could not work. This also contributed to our decision.” However, he did receive well-meaning advice from friends and acquaintances about staying in America. After all, he had been through the roller coaster and worked hard to build a home there. “If I would have tried, I could have found a job, but I felt I have had enough,” he notes.
READ: Why this Indian software professional left her six-figure salary in Google to return home (February 18, 2026)
Since President Donald Trump began his second term in January 2025, the immigration crackdown has intensified. Changes introduced by his administration have reshaped the H-1B program and reduced the number of applicants entering the lottery. With fewer people competing for the same number of visas, the chances of selection have increased.
“Today, when I see increased scrutiny around immigration, I feel convinced about my move,” Sagar says.
Life in India
Sagar does not sugarcoat his experiences and admits that after spending a decade in America, he is still adjusting to the traffic, civic sense, and work culture in India. “I do miss my clean air and smooth rides to destinations. Also, the work culture in India can be taxing, but despite this, I feel free, as my life is not governed by visas and both my wife and I have our parents near us.” He adds that friends and colleagues in the U.S. often ask about his life in India, as many contemplate moving back but are bound by various circumstances.
He says, “A friend of mine wants to move back, but he bought a $1.3 million house in the U.S., and he won’t be able to sustain that mortgage on an Indian salary. As for me, we decided to rent out our Houston house, and the rent takes care of the mortgage.” Sagar found a job as a software developer a few months after his move, and for now, life once again feels complete. He misses the U.S. but says his time there taught him valuable lessons that will stay with him for life.