For many, a degree from an Ivy League university and a career with global tech giants like Facebook and Google might sound like a perfect ticket to stability in the United States. For Indian-born Surbhi Madan, however, the story is more complicated. Despite 12 years in the US and nearly a decade at Google, she says the uncertainty of her H-1B visa status continues to shape her life in unexpected ways.
The 30-year-old senior software engineer recently shared her story with Business Insider, offering a candid glimpse into the hidden insecurities behind a glittering résumé.
From Brown University to Big Tech
Madan moved to the US in 2013 to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Brown University, inspired by her elder brother’s academic journey. After interning at Google’s New York office, she secured a full-time role before graduation in 2017. Her first stroke of luck came when she won the H-1B visa lottery on her initial attempt.
“I feel like I got really lucky when I compare it to the situation for recent graduates now,” she told Business Insider.
Her career path has since been enviable: a stint with Facebook’s feed-ranking team, followed by leadership roles in Google Maps infrastructure and AI integrations. But behind the professional success lies a quieter, more fragile narrative.
The Weight of Uncertainty
Despite working in the US for over a decade, Madan admits that her life often feels temporary. Everyday decisions—from apartment leases to community volunteering—are filtered through the lens of her visa status.
“I refrain from volunteering because it means contacting my immigration lawyer to make sure it’s safe,” she explained. Even driving mistakes or tax filing errors, she fears, could jeopardize her stay.
A comment by a border officer once drove the point home: when she said she “lived” in the US, the officer corrected her, saying, “You don’t live here; you work here.” The moment, she said, stayed with her.
Life Plans on Hold
The constraints of the H-1B system affect not only her career mobility but also her personal milestones. Madan has contemplated freezing her eggs but worried about whether she could access them if she lost her work authorization. “I can’t imagine having a person depend on me while I’m on a temporary status tied to having a job,” she admitted.
Her ambitions beyond coding also face roadblocks. With a passion for teaching and mentoring women in tech, Madan has thought about transitioning into education, but her visa does not permit alternative career paths outside her sponsoring employer.
For many immigrants in similar positions, Surbhi's experience underscores the paradox of the American dream: the country welcomes global talent but ties their future to the unpredictability of a lottery system.
“I sit down once a year and ask myself if this is still worth it. So far, the answer has been yes,” Surbhi said.
Her story adds to the growing debate about whether the US immigration system can keep pace with the realities of the modern workforce—especially when even top tech talent with world-class education faces long-term uncertainty.
Another Risk in the Process
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu recently highlighted another risk: the financial burden of overseas education. In a post on X, he shared the case of a student who borrowed ₹70 lakh (about $80,000) at a steep 12% interest rate to study at a relatively unknown US university, only to struggle repaying the loan amid poor job prospects. Vembu urged students and families to think twice before taking on such heavy debt, warning that “we should not trap young people in debt in the name of education.”
The 30-year-old senior software engineer recently shared her story with Business Insider, offering a candid glimpse into the hidden insecurities behind a glittering résumé.
From Brown University to Big Tech
Madan moved to the US in 2013 to pursue her bachelor’s degree at Brown University, inspired by her elder brother’s academic journey. After interning at Google’s New York office, she secured a full-time role before graduation in 2017. Her first stroke of luck came when she won the H-1B visa lottery on her initial attempt.
“I feel like I got really lucky when I compare it to the situation for recent graduates now,” she told Business Insider.
Her career path has since been enviable: a stint with Facebook’s feed-ranking team, followed by leadership roles in Google Maps infrastructure and AI integrations. But behind the professional success lies a quieter, more fragile narrative.
The Weight of Uncertainty
Despite working in the US for over a decade, Madan admits that her life often feels temporary. Everyday decisions—from apartment leases to community volunteering—are filtered through the lens of her visa status.
“I refrain from volunteering because it means contacting my immigration lawyer to make sure it’s safe,” she explained. Even driving mistakes or tax filing errors, she fears, could jeopardize her stay.
A comment by a border officer once drove the point home: when she said she “lived” in the US, the officer corrected her, saying, “You don’t live here; you work here.” The moment, she said, stayed with her.
Life Plans on Hold
The constraints of the H-1B system affect not only her career mobility but also her personal milestones. Madan has contemplated freezing her eggs but worried about whether she could access them if she lost her work authorization. “I can’t imagine having a person depend on me while I’m on a temporary status tied to having a job,” she admitted.
Her ambitions beyond coding also face roadblocks. With a passion for teaching and mentoring women in tech, Madan has thought about transitioning into education, but her visa does not permit alternative career paths outside her sponsoring employer.
For many immigrants in similar positions, Surbhi's experience underscores the paradox of the American dream: the country welcomes global talent but ties their future to the unpredictability of a lottery system.
“I sit down once a year and ask myself if this is still worth it. So far, the answer has been yes,” Surbhi said.
Her story adds to the growing debate about whether the US immigration system can keep pace with the realities of the modern workforce—especially when even top tech talent with world-class education faces long-term uncertainty.
Another Risk in the Process
A recent distress call: a student has taken about ₹70L ($80K) debt at 12% to get a master's degree in a small college in the US.
— Sridhar Vembu (@svembu) August 4, 2025
The problem: the job scene in IT is bad, especially so for foreign students and payments on the loan are starting soon.
I don't know what we could…
Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu recently highlighted another risk: the financial burden of overseas education. In a post on X, he shared the case of a student who borrowed ₹70 lakh (about $80,000) at a steep 12% interest rate to study at a relatively unknown US university, only to struggle repaying the loan amid poor job prospects. Vembu urged students and families to think twice before taking on such heavy debt, warning that “we should not trap young people in debt in the name of education.”
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