A Reddit user has shared his stressful yet ultimately successful journey of securing an H-1B visa this year despite being laid off shortly after approval. The user detailed the timeline of events over the past few months, emphasizing the uncertainty and challenges faced.
Layoff Threatened H-1B Status
The applicant recounted: “Jan 2025 – Joined a well-known firm in NYC as a full-time analyst (consulting). April 2025 – Got selected in the lottery (2nd attempt, on STEM OPT). 7 July 2025 – Received H-1B approval notice under change of status. 14 July 2025 – One week after approval, got laid off due to organizational changes.” He explained that he spent a month consulting lawyers and interviewing for new positions to preserve his H-1B, focusing on start-ups due to flexibility in filing petitions.
New Employer Files Cap-Exempt H-1B
The applicant shared his progress: “18 August 2025 – Started as a Solutions Analyst at a start-up. They were very supportive and immediately looked into H-1B filing for me. I updated my DSO on the employment change and stopped the clock on my STEM OPT unemployment days. 19 September 2025 – Filed a new cap-exempt change of status H-1B petition (on the day of the new H-1B 100k proclamation), under premium processing. 24 September 2025 – Received receipt number. 1 October 2025 – My status automatically changed from F-1 to H-1B per my first employer’s petition, and my SEVIS record was terminated. I contacted my school to let them know I was waiting for the result of my new petition. 10 October 2025 – Petition APPROVED! Exactly 15 working days after filing. I’m still waiting for the official approval notice from the lawyers, but the USCIS portal shows the petition as approved.”
Reflecting on the experience, he wrote, “It’s been a very stressful journey, not knowing if things would work out, but I’m so grateful they did. Overall, it turned out to be a relatively smooth process all things considered.” He encouraged others in similar situations to reach out for advice, saying, “If you’re in a similar situation, please feel free to reach out, I’d be happy to share more details about my experience.”
(This story is based on a post shared by a social media user. The details, opinions, and statements quoted herein belong solely to the original poster and do not reflect the views of Financialexpress.com. We have not independently verified the claims.)