This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sohan Sethi, 29, an Indian national who faced three H-1B lottery rejections before becoming an O-1 visa holder. He works in data analytics and AI at a healthcare company.
The following has been edited for length and clarity.
I was sitting at the desk in my Chicago apartment, anxiously refreshing my email, as I’d been doing about 20 times a day for months. I was on a call with my best friend when an email from my lawyer popped up.
It said, “Congratulations.” That’s when all the anxiety flew away.
The immediate aftermath was silence and complete bliss. It took me some time to manage my emotions because I’d been anxious about this for almost a year.
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The first people I called were my mom and my brother back in India. Seeing their big smiles on the video call made all of my hard work worth it.
After being rejected three times in the H-1B lottery, my O-1 visa had finally been approved.
I was born and raised in Mumbai
I spent the first 25 years of my life in India. I’d never left the country before moving to the US for my master’s.
I’d always dreamed of studying abroad. I’d wanted to go to undergrad overseas, but because of funding, it wasn’t possible. Instead, I completed a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering at the University of Mumbai and worked for about a year and a half as a business analyst while saving money and preparing for graduate school.
It took almost three years for me to get to the US. While working full-time, I prepared for my GRE, gathered recommendation letters, and applied to several universities.
The University of Illinois Chicago was my dream school. I’d always been fascinated by Chicago, and it had a solid business analytics program and a good alumni network.
Provided by Sohan Sethi
I had a wallpaper on my laptop of a bridge overlooking the Chicago skyline. Every time I felt exhausted or anxious, I would minimize everything on my computer and look at that picture.
Eventually, I got accepted and arrived in Chicago in January 2022. Twenty days later, on my 25th birthday, I stood in the exact same spot that had been my wallpaper.
I built a career in data and analytics
As an international student, my tuition was roughly $60,000 across three semesters. I received a research assistantship during my second and third semesters, and the university covered a significant portion of the costs.
After graduating in May 2023, I started working as a senior business analyst at a healthcare company.
About a year and a half later, I was promoted to manager of analytics and reporting.
Professionally, things were moving in the right direction.
Provided by Sohan Sethi
I started preparing for the O-1 a year before my final H-1B lottery rejection
I entered the H-1B lottery three times, but wasn’t selected in any of them. After my second rejection in April 2025, I realized I couldn’t rely on the lottery alone if I wanted to continue my career in the United States.
I started preparing for the O-1 visa in June 2025, almost a year before my OPT was due to expire.
Unlike the H-1B, the O-1 isn’t based on a lottery. Instead, applicants have to demonstrate “extraordinary ability” through achievements in their field.
I hired a lawyer and spent the next several months building my profile while continuing to work full time. I audited my achievements, secured media coverage, judged at industry events, received awards, published scholarly articles, and gathered letters of recommendation.
Provided by Sohan Sethi
By February 2026, my lawyers and I had organized more than 700 pages of supporting evidence. I spent about $13,000 on lawyer fees.
In March, I wasn’t selected in the H-1B lottery for the third time. At that point, my STEM OPT was due to expire on July 5, leaving me with around 100 days to legally stay in the United States unless another pathway worked out.
I filed my O-1 petition by April.
After filing, I received a Request for Evidence, which required me to submit additional documentation and wait again. I was constantly refreshing my email, waiting for an update from my lawyer.
During that time, I started thinking about other possibilities. I know people who have gone back to their home countries, pursued a second master’s degree, or moved to places like Canada or the United Kingdom.
I considered those options too, but I couldn’t find another country where I felt I could build the same career. I work in data analytics and AI, and I believe the opportunities, infrastructure, and exposure available here are difficult to find elsewhere.
None of the other countries comes anywhere close to the level at which the US operates. That’s why I didn’t want to give up without exploring every possible option. Today, I manage a team of analysts working in healthcare data and analytics.
Provided by Sohan Sethi
I want to help others navigate uncertainty
Throughout this journey, I started sharing my experience on LinkedIn. I’ve shared advice about job searching, life as an international student, and the O-1 process because I know how uncertain it can all feel.
The only intent behind that was to be there for someone in the way I wish someone had been there for me.
For now, my focus is on making the most of the next three years in the United States.
