The 'auto-reject' nightmare: Indian graduates in US face visa-driven job market fears

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The crisp parchment of a newly minted diploma should symbolize triumph, a gateway to the American dream. For thousands of international students graduating from US colleges, however, it's increasingly becoming a source of gnawing anxiety.

The promise of a fulfilling career, once a beacon, now flickers in the face of a stark reality: the dreaded "auto-reject." This invisible barrier, erected by employers wary of visa sponsorship, is forcing many to confront a heart-wrenching decision: stay and struggle, or return home.

In a recent report, Bloomberg mentioned about Anomitro Paul from Drexel University, who grew up in India and was now stonewalled by the 'auto-reject' in his job hunt.

At one point during his search, Paul had applied to more than 400 jobs and received just 15 responses. “It's been tough,” Paul, 23, said in an interview. “A lot of companies auto-reject you the moment you say you need sponsorship.”

According to the non-profit Institute of International Education, nearly 9,00,000 international students are currently enrolled in American universities.

According to Bloomberg, the unemployment rate among those aged 20 to 24 is near a four-year high at more than twice the national average.

The “auto-reject” phenomenon is rooted in the complexities and costs associated with visa sponsorship. Employers, particularly smaller companies and startups, often shy away from the labyrinthine H-1B visa process, fearing both the financial burden and the inherent uncertainty. This leaves foreign graduates, even those with sought-after skills, at a distinct disadvantage.

The initial bridge, for many, is the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program, allowing international graduates to work in the US for a limited time post-graduation. Graduates from American universities are allowed to work in the country for three years if their degree qualifies as science, technology, engineering or math, and one year otherwise. During that period, they can try to transition to a visa like the H-1B, but that involves a costly sponsorship process that many companies refuse to go through.

Even when they do, it subjects them to a lottery that currently has a one-in-four success rate. Nearly a third of international students leave the US within a year of getting their degree, and fewer than 60% are still in the country five years after graduation, according to workforce intelligence firm Revelio Labs.

The emotional toll is profound. These graduates, often among the brightest and most ambitious, grapple with a sense of displacement. Years of investment in US education, cultural assimilation, and building social networks seem to hang precariously in the balance. The constant fear of an uncertain future casts a long shadow, disrupting their peace of mind and dimming their hopes.

Companies like Amazon, Google and Meta are among the main corporate users of the H-1B program, which offers a pathway to a green card. Over the past decade, there have been more than 600,000 H-1B holders in the US at a time, and as of 2023 they earned a median salary of $118,000.

(With inputs from Bloomberg)