For three consecutive years, Hari Prasad Renganathan waited for an email that never arrived. Each year, the message was the same, his H-1B visa had not been selected in the lottery. In an exclusive interaction with Financialexpress.com, he says, by the third rejection, the data scientist from Madurai had already done everything the American dream demands of international students that is earned a degree from Columbia University, secured a job in tech, converted an internship into full-time employment, and even started building his own AI product. None of it mattered against the randomness of a visa lottery.
“Three H-1B rejections didn’t end my career,” he says. “They redirected it.” Today, Renganathan is no longer in the United States. Instead, he is building a startup in London after reinventing his career again. He moved from a tier-3 engineering college in Tamil Nadu to the UK startup ecosystem through a series of immigration setbacks that ultimately changed his life.
H-1B visa system has increasingly become a defining pressure point for thousands of Indian professionals in the US tech industry. For many international workers, years of education, debt and work experience eventually funnel into a process governed partly by luck. Renganathan experienced that uncertainty firsthand.
A lottery that decides careers
After growing up in Madurai and studying mechanical engineering at Kumaraguru College of Technology, he did not initially come from a conventional tech background. During the pandemic, he taught himself data science online and eventually secured a job as a data analyst.
But he wanted to push further. “So I went online and researched the best data science programmes in the world,” he says. “Every article, every forum, every conversation pointed to the same place, Columbia University in New York.”
Regardless of various doubts about his profile, he applied. Columbia accepted him. “I didn’t think I was qualified,” he recalls. “So I applied everywhere. But Columbia came back with an admit.” The admit came with enormous financial risk. He took an $88,000 loan, larger than his family’s net worth at the time and boarded a plane for the first time in his life.
New York, and the limits of merit
The transition to New York was not so easy. For months, Renganathan struggled to secure internships despite studying at one of the world’s most recognised universities. Applications went unanswered. Recruiters stayed silent.
“Even as a student at one of the world’s most recognised universities, I felt invisible,” he says Eventually, he began cold messaging recruiters directly on LinkedIn and searching for alternative ways into the industry. That persistence helped him land a data science internship at Take-Two Interactive, which later became a full-time role.
At the same time, he co-founded Jotterwolf, an AI-powered project management tool for job seekers inspired by his own experience dealing with the hiring process as an international student. Professionally, things were beginning to stabilise. Immigration status was not. The H-1B lottery rejected him once. Then twice. Then a third time.
“After the first rejection, I convinced myself it was just bad luck. After the second, I started feeling the ground shift beneath me,” he says. “After the third, the reality became impossible to ignore.” The rejection meant he would eventually have to leave the US.
Starting over in another country
Like many international workers facing visa uncertainty, Renganathan briefly considered returning to India. But after years abroad, he says the idea no longer felt simple. “India no longer felt like the next step forward for me. I had changed too much,” he says.
He began interviewing globally, often clearing multiple rounds before employers backed out because they could not sponsor visas. Eventually, a Y Combinator-backed startup in the UK offered sponsorship through the Skilled Worker visa route.
Renganathan transitioned from data science into AI engineering and eventually led the AI team at the startup. Earlier this year, he switched to the UK’s High Potential Individual visa and quit his job after securing a place at Antler in London, where he is now building another startup. In hindsight, the three lottery rejections that once seemed devastating ended up redirecting his career entirely.
Disclaimer: This article is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or tax advice. Immigration laws and government policies are subject to frequent change without notice. While we strive to provide accurate updates, readers are strongly advised to verify the latest requirements with the official embassy, consulate, or government portal of the respective country. Financial Express is not responsible for any decisions made based on this information. For personalized guidance, please consult a qualified immigration attorney or a certified professional advisor.