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As H-1B rules tighten, Seattle's immigrant tech workers weigh leaving ...
Jessica Fu / The Seattle Times (TNS) In 2014, Abhishek Abhyankar moved from Pune, India, to Blacksburg, Virginia, for graduate school. After getting his master’s degree, he made his way to Seattle, where he got a job, settled down and started a new life. Today, he’s wondering if he’ll have to unravel it. Abhyankar, one of hundreds of thousands of people on H-1B status in the U.S., feels like his long-term future is growing tenuous. Employers in the Seattle area have long used H-1B visas, a major foreign worker program, to hire people in academia, medicine and technology, among other fields. However, the program has also become a target of the Trump administration's actions on immigration and the economy. Since taking office, the administration has enacted changes that make the program more difficult and expensive to navigate for employers and workers alike, including an announcement in September of a new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas issued to people abroad. Citing these shifts, immigrant tech workers have begun to contemplate the prospect of leaving the U.S. Many are weary of the challenges of living on H-1B status, such as travel restrictions, lack of permanence and a growing sense of vitriol against them. Others feel that economic opportunity is drying up as the local tech industry hemorrhages jobs. Some just miss home or find themselves drawn to other countries. Immigration data do not reflect an exodus of tech workers from the U.S. At least for now, the effects are mostly borne by individuals leaving. People like Bharath M., who recently decided to move from Seattle to Bangalore, India, next year. It’ll cost him 40% off his pay, but it’ll give him peace of mind, he said. Bharath asked to be identified by his first name only out of fear of reprisal for criticizing the immigration system. Since he moved to the U.S. in 2012, life on H-1B status hasn’t been easy. In 2015, his employer applied to sponsor him for a green card — a process that would convert his status from temporary to permanent. But because of country-based quotas, people born in India face decades-long waits for their applications to be approved, compared with a few years for most others. So, for years, Bharath clung to the hope that he’d eventually get a green card. A few months into the second Trump term, he gave up that hope. “This is the right time for us to make the move if we are serious about having some stability for our family,” he said. Constant anxiety over status The ...
Move Over Seattle! This Storybook Town Is The Pacific Northwest's Best ...
When it comes to the Pacific Northwest, dense evergreen forests, amazing cities, and lore of Sasquatch may come to mind. But the latest tourism data revealed a real shocker — a storybook town sandwiched between Seattle and Spokane is not the talk of the town, but the talk of the state. That's right — we're not saying Seattle is old news. We're just saying it has some competition. Boasting fairytale charm, majestic scenery, and purposeful European vibes, the little-known dreamscape of Leavenworth is seeing a surge in visitors. In fact, regional travelers are flocking here in numbers that rival even Canada, which says everything about just how special Leavenworth has become since we all know our neighbors to the North behold some of the most astounding nature destinations in North America. Be sure to check the latest Travel Alerts before your trip. Leavenworth: The Pacific Northwest's “European” Hideaway Oleg Mayorov / Shutterstock.com We've heard it time and time again: this place feels like Europe. I hate to break it to you, but just because there's a red-brick alley that was never paved over doesn't mean you can swap it out for Munich. Leavensworth, tucked away in the Cascade Mountains, roughly 2 hours from Seattle, is a true charmer that does truly ooze European vibes. To be exact, it's a hidden slice of Germany. This Bavarian-style village was intentionally redesigned in the 1960s to mirror alpine towns, complete with timber-framed architecture, flower boxes, beer halls, and mountain backdrops that feel straight out of Bavaria — no passport needed. Oleg Mayorov / Shutterstock.com Yep, you read that right — you can find beer and pretzels too. Just head over to München Haus. Lederhosen are not needed to fit in around here, but you won't be judged either if you happen to throw one in your carry-on — or opt to buy one as a souvenir after a round of pints gets you in the zone. Washington's Winter Wonder Is A Real-Life Summer Storybook We're not gonna lie to you — Leavenworth takes on a whole different persona come wintertime, when the streets are blanketed with snow and it's close to a German Christmas market as you'll find stateside. Take it from me, someone who capped off an epic Euro-trip last year in Munich. My neck still hurts from gawking at the staggering New Town Hall towering over all the beer-sipping, pretzel-munching patrons down below. Guilty as charged. Oleg Mayorov / Shutterstock.com Locals trek the mountain roads, even in ...
What makes this shift interesting in @TheARCTERMINAL is how ANIMA flips ...
BossMon II (@BossMon_02). 128 likes 103 replies. What makes this shift interesting in @TheARCTERMINAL is how ANIMA flips that entire experience. Instead of resetting every time it carries your context forward like a continuous thread. Your goals your habits and even your current struggles become part of the system. It starts to feel less like a tool and more like something that actually knows ...
After 7 H-1B rejections, Microsoft techie instead gets US Green Card ...
An Indian-origin software engineer at Microsoft has gone viral after sharing how she finally secured a US Green Card following seven consecutive rejections in the H-1B visa lottery between 2019 and 2025. In her post, she opened up about the emotional toll of repeated setbacks, describing it as a gradual loss of confidence rather than a single moment of failure. She later moved to Canada ...
