The Bengaluru woman said: ‘The visa system is a nightmare.’
A Bengaluru woman, who was initially undecided whether to stay in Silicon Valley or move abroad, has finally decided to stay in the US. The woman, Viba Mohan, took to X (formerly Twitter) to share four reasons that led her to stay in the US.
The first reason Mohan cited was the cultural atmosphere, particularly the “wild, relentless optimism” that prevails in the U.S. She wrote: “There are two things about the culture here that I love. First, the wild, relentless optimism. Everyone is excited about the possibilities and if you fail, you just try again! The second is the craftsmanship. It’s all about honing your craft and that atmosphere is contagious.”
Secondly, he highlighted safety, both in public spaces and in the workplace, as a crucial factor. “It’s a breath of fresh air to work without tiptoeing around a coworker who is obsessed with you and has no boundaries. And the freedom to go for a walk or a run without always having to look over your shoulder? Living in a safer place not only makes you feel calmer, but it also makes you more productive,” Mohan explained.
Mohan’s third reason revolved around the complexities of the visa process. She stated, “The visa process is a nightmare. I knew I wasn’t going to tie myself down to an H1B or spend a fortune on a master’s degree to come here. Getting the O1 and the freedom that comes with it made everything so much easier.”
Lastly, he compared the startup ecosystems of Bengaluru and San Francisco. “Bengaluru has some brilliant minds, no doubt! But the tech landscape? It’s often focused on fintech, last mile, e-commerce, the usual suspects. It’s changing, which is great, but the problems I’m most interested in are still being solved in SF,” Mohan observed.
She concluded by saying: “Bengaluru will always be where my heart is. I made the best friends there and learned a lot. But for what I want to do, America is the place to be right now.”
Mohan’s post, shared a few days ago, has garnered over 137,000 views. Netizens have shared their reactions:
“I agree with most of the points, I will also add infrastructure and civic sense,” wrote one user. “I stayed in the US for over 10 years and came back to India to start my own company. Both have pros and cons, so stay where you are happy. In India, the most important thing for me is that I was able to stay and support my mother. Also, I earn a lot more now than I did in the US, but as far as technology goes, the US was great,” said another.
“Wise decision! Freedom > Money > Quality of life, including infrastructure, climate, sun, water, nature > Friends and family > Health infrastructure,” commented a third.
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