Getting my H-1B on the first try felt like 'pure luck.' 4 years later, a layoff meant I had to leave the US.

Soumi Chanda got laid off last year and moved back to India. Provided by Soumi Chanda Soumi Chanda moved from Kolkata to the US for graduate school and spent 13 years building a career and life there. She was picked for an H-1B visa on her first try and later moved to Seattle after Amazon acquired her visa sponsorship. After she got laid off last year, Chanda returned to India with her two cats. I spent almost 13 years building a life in the United States , and then I had 60 days to pack up and leave it all behind. I was raised in Kolkata and never lived anywhere else until 19.