They planned their futures around America. Now they're putting down roots elsewhere.
Highly skilled international workers in the US are increasingly choosing to relocate to other countries due to the instability and difficulty of the H-1B visa process. The article profiles a scientist who moved to Germany after her US employer could not secure a visa, illustrating a broader trend of talent flight.
Why it matters
It underscores how restrictive immigration policies may undermine the US's ability to retain top-tier global talent in competitive industries.
Rob Dobi for BI Ananya Joshi loved her life in Chicago. After moving from India for a master's degree in biotechnology at Northwestern University, she landed a $75,000-a-year job as a scientist at a lab-grown meat startup in 2024. She was doing research, living in an affordable apartment in a suburb, and road-tripping with friends on weekends. But her life in the US had an expiration date. Joshi's company said it couldn't sponsor her for an H-1B visa . Her Optional Practical Training, or OPT — a work authorization for foreign students — was set to expire in July 2025. She had two choices: She could take a job in Germany and leave behind her partner and life in the US, or race to find a new sponsor. She took the offer and moved in January.
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