Highlights:
- Indian youth dies after eight years in US without visiting parents
- Multiple unsuccessful entries in the H-1B lottery
- Long work hours and visa-related stress preceded cardiac arrest
- Entrepreneur Vijay Thirumalai urges families to rethink the H-1B path
- Immigration delays and H-1B backlogs continue to affect Indian nationals
Sasikanth Reddy Donthireddy arrived in the United States in 2018 on an F-1 student visa. Like many Indian students pursuing higher education in the US, he sought long-term stability through the H-1B visa route.
To maintain legal status while waiting for H-1B selection, he completed two master’s degrees. Each academic program extended his lawful stay but also added financial and emotional pressure.
He entered the H-1B lottery multiple times. Selection is determined through a randomized system. Despite repeated attempts, he was not selected.
For nearly eight years, he did not visit his parents in India.
A fundraiser created to repatriate his body to India described the strain he endured. “The repeated disappointments and visa uncertainty caused him a lot of stress,” the appeal stated. It also noted that he worked long hours while continuing to pursue opportunities within the H-1B framework.
H-1B Visa: High Demand, Limited Certainty
The H-1B visa allows US employers to hire foreign professionals in specialty occupations. Indian nationals historically account for more than 70 percent of H-1B approvals.
However, the H-1B system operates through an annual lottery when applications exceed the cap. Selection is not guaranteed. Even successful applicants face long green card backlogs under employment-based categories such as EB-2 and EB-3.
The result is prolonged uncertainty. Many Indian professionals spend years on temporary status while waiting for permanent residency processing that can stretch decades due to per-country caps.
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal recently said the H-1B system had “deteriorated into a lottery” after the pandemic, describing how companies apply in bulk to offset uncertainty.
This structure has created a generation of Indian professionals navigating repeated H-1B filings, visa stamping delays, employer dependency, and prolonged green card queues.
Vijay Thirumalai’s Warning on the H-1B Path
Following Reddy’s death, Vijay Thirumalai posted a message that circulated widely online.
“Parents, pls, don’t send your kids to US if you are not able to buy them a GC thru EB5,” he wrote, referring to the employment-based investor visa. “Not worth the hassle.”
He described the F-1 route as “far too restrictive” and characterized the H-1B lottery as a “1/3 ratio.”
He also warned families about the financial strain involved. “DO NOT mortgage your house, savings, take loans to sponsor undergrad or post grad,” he wrote. “Not worth it.”
Thirumalai suggested that similar investments could be used to support entrepreneurial ventures in India, allowing families to remain geographically close and avoid H-1B uncertainty.
H-1B Backlogs and Emotional Impact on Families
For Indian nationals, the H-1B process often extends beyond employment approval. Delays in visa stamping, heightened scrutiny, and green card backlogs have prolonged family separation.
Many professionals remain unable to travel freely due to visa risks. Others delay major life decisions, including marriage, property purchase, and long-term financial planning, due to H-1B instability.
Behind every H-1B statistic is a family adjusting to years of distance. Parents age without regular visits. Milestones are marked through video calls. Travel plans are postponed due to stamping risks or job dependency.
Sasikanth Reddy Donthireddy’s death has brought attention to these structural pressures. His case reflects broader concerns surrounding H-1B uncertainty, prolonged temporary status, and the emotional cost of waiting for stability.
The debate over the H-1B visa system continues. For many Indian families, the central question remains whether the educational investment and immigration risk align with long-term security.
