• Shreya Mishra Reddy came to the US in 2021 to study, and now works in tech at Visa. • After not getting an H-1B visa via the lottery system while in the US, she planned to return to India and try again. • She has lost hope of getting hired in the US due to the Trump administration's $100,000 H-1B visa fee.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with 33-year-old Shreya Mishra Reddy, a technical program manager at Visa based in Austin. Business Insider has verified Reddy's employment, immigration status, and unsuccessful H-1B attempts. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I never dreamed of living in the US. I grew up in India and wanted to stay close to my parents.

In December 2021, I moved to the States for a Master's program in engineering management at

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