India, Sept. 12 -- An H-1B visa that once felt like a breakthrough became the reason Soumi Chanda had to leave the US after she lost her job. After spending nearly 13 years in America, building a career and eventually working at Amazon, Chanda returned to Kolkata in 2025 when she could not find another job within the 60-day window available to her after being laid off, according to a report by Business Insider.

Chanda, who grew up in Kolkata, arrived in the US in December 2013 on an F-1 student visa after receiving a scholarship to pursue an MBA at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Her early years in the US were marked by the difficulties international students can face when looking for work because of visa restrictions.

Chanda...