Swapnil Sagar returns to his family in Bengaluru, India from Houston, USA
“I feel free,” says Swapnil Sagar, a former Microsoft professional who has returned to India, leaving the American dream behind after a decade in the United States, citing visa uncertainty and job instability as key reasons for his decision.Sagar, an Indian tech worker who spent nearly ten years in the US, returned to India after a long period of professional toil and repeated immigration tensions. In an interview with The American Bazaar, he spoke in detail about his journey from India to America and back again, which included study, work, setbacks and ultimately relocation.“My decision seemed illogical to many people. But I wanted to be free from a life of constant visa hassles and job insecurity. Life in India has challenges but I feel more free,” says Swapnil Sagar.Sagar’s journey began in India, where he worked at Accenture before deciding to pursue higher studies in computer science. He moved to the United States to study at the University of Illinois Chicago. “Let me start from the beginning,” Sagar says.He said: “I had a good career in India. I was working with Accenture; I was single and doing well. But I wanted to study and had a special interest in computer science, so I decided to apply for a master’s in the US. I chose UIC in Chicago for its excellent computer science courses.”He managed to work initially under F-1 status and later on STEM OPT, but his long-term plans were disrupted due to repeated visa uncertainty. He says, “The reality of the actual US visa started to set in when my H-1B application was sent in. My H-1B didn’t get taken on the first two attempts, so I used up almost all three years of my STEM OPT.”Even after finally being selected in the H-1B lottery, his situation changed again. “I was happy when for the third time my H-1B was finally picked up, but just as I was getting ready for my actual work shift in the US, my employer fired me during visa processing time. The same employer who applied for my H-1B! And my H-1B got canceled.”Despite the setbacks, he rebuilt his career, working at various companies before getting a job at Microsoft. During this period, he got married and bought a house in Houston, marking a stable phase of his life. However, that stability was short-lived. “In May 2025, Microsoft fired me among 10,000 people,” says Sagar.After the layoffs, Sagar and his wife question their future. His wife, who was on an H-4 dependent visa and unable to work, also influenced his decision. He expressed frustration over the paperwork, visa dependency, and uncertainty in the US system.He said: “I felt that America was no longer the place I had come to study. Most of my productive hours were being wasted filing various forms and documents that did not provide stability.”Eventually, the couple decided to return to India and settle in Bengaluru, where their families live. He said, “I miss our clean air and smooth journey to the destination. Also, the work culture in India can be tough, but despite this, I feel free, because my life is not governed by visas and both my wife and my parents are with us.”Sagar is now again working as a software developer in India. He says he still misses his time spent in the US, but believes the move has brought a sense of control and closeness to family, which he values more than his previous life abroad.