#1 The beginnings: Student life and beyond

It's hard to picture the extent to which government agencies and policies can pull the strings of life, until you lead the immigrant existence. Immigration policies, some of them archaic and clunky, often end up impacting every aspect of an immigrant's life- from the roles one is employed in, travel plans and even something as mundane as renewing a driver's license. So, what is living life in this framework like? What is the good, what's the bad? We sit down with Arjun, a young tech professional and a friend from graduate school, to pull back the curtain on why he's here and what keeps him going, in the face of serious immigration-related challenges. References: For Green Card backlog- https://www.cato.org/blog/150-year-wait-indian-immigrants-advanced-degrees Current status of Green Card backlog - https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/visa-law0/visa-bulletin/2020/visa-bulletin-for-july-2020.html For opt and stem extension- https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students/training-opportunities-in-the-united-states Opt and stem extension application- https://www.uscis.gov/opt Opt and stem extension unemployment days - https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/sevis-help-hub/student-records/fm-student-employment/unemployment-counter H1B Cap - https://www.uscis.gov/working-united-states/temporary-workers/h-1b-specialty-occupations-dod-cooperative-research-and-development-project-workers-and-fashion-models H1B Lottery - https://www.murthy.com/2019/12/16/frequently-asked-questions-about-h1b-cap-and-electronic-registration-system/