'Deeply Miss The American Lifestyle': Indian Techie Leaves 'Toxic' US Job, Returns Home

Last Updated:February 26, 2026, 20:28 IST

After leaving a toxic US startup post-PERM, Miserable-Mind4356 found peace in India as a Senior Architect but misses US life and doubts his choice.

A story has gone viral highlighting the journey of an Indian tech professional who quit a “toxic" job at a US-based startup and returned home.

In the post on Reddit, the techie said he had moved to the US in 2022 on an H-1B visa and joined a boutique startup. “But those 1.5 years were honestly the hardest phase of my life. I had 11+ years of experience and expected to move into architect-level responsibilities. Instead, I was working purely as a developer," he said.

He further said: “My only teammate (a Russian colleague) would regularly humiliate and verbally demean me. I slowly lost confidence and started questioning my own competence."

“The startup had existed for 10 years but still had no stable clients. It was constantly in ‘stealth mode’. Meetings with potential customers were failing. The US job market was brutal, and I couldn’t find another role easily. I used to sit in my car after work and cry," he said.

“Ironically, on the same day I resigned, I received the email that my PERM (Program Electronic Review Management, the first step for a green card) was approved. At that point, I was so mentally drained that I didn’t have the strength to continue another year just for the I-140 and 180-day rule. I gave up and came back," the techie said.

He also said that he had also received two offers: $124,000 (approximately Rs 1.05 crore) in the US and Rs 37 lakh in India.

Also Read: ‘We Get Paid A Lot, But…’: Indian Google Techie Backs OpenAI Scientist Who Quit Over Burnout

The techie pointed out that in India he has joined a large services company as a Senior Architect and he is respected, leading teams, making enterprise decisions".

“My stress levels are much lower than in the US startup," he said while adding that “I deeply miss the US lifestyle. It was my childhood dream to settle there permanently."

In the post, he cited his doubts over the decision to return and said: “Now I keep thinking: If I had just endured one more year…If I had waited for the I-140 approval and 180 days… Maybe I could have switched jobs and stayed."

“Did I walk away from a golden opportunity? Or did I save myself from something that was breaking me? I feel peaceful in India — but unfinished inside. Looking for honest opinions, especially from people who’ve been through the immigration grind," he asked.

In reply to his post, many have supported his decision to return home saying mental peace and health outweigh everything else

One user wrote, “It’s a nightmare here for H1B folks right now. Count your lucky stars."

Another commented, “You didn’t make a wrong decision. You made the best decision with the info and priorities you had at that time. If you’re peaceful today, that already tells you something. Missing the US is normal. We miss versions of ourselves too."

“Mental peace and health are really important for long-term well-being, so I think you made the right choice," said a third while a fourth added, “Man, you’re happy! That’s more than your idealistic dream of your stressful life in the US."

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