Why a former visa holder gave up on the American Dream

Insider

In September 2025, President Trump set in motion a change that would throw the H-1B visa application process into disarray. His proposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B petitions changed the immigration landscape for employers, employees, and visa hopefuls alike.  Vivienne Yang moved from Taiwan to New York City in 2018 and earned a master's degree in applied analytics from Columbia University. After being laid off from her ad-tech job in 2024, she had to leave behind the life she built in New York.  Since last September, Business Insider has been interviewing people who have borne the brunt of the chaos, including those who have applied for visas and are debating whether to stay in the US. Others have opted to tap out of the system altogether.

Transcript

00:00I've always had the American dream growing up.

00:03So when my visa got rejected, I was like,

00:08oh, what do I do with my cats in the apartment?

00:11I am from Taiwan.

00:13I went to the U.S. in 2018 to study data analytics

00:17at Columbia University.

00:19I graduated during COVID and I was very lucky

00:24to land a full-time job before New York went into lockdown.

00:27And my employer sponsored my H-1B work visa.

00:32I think one thing people don't understand about H-1B visa

00:36or just visas in general is how many constraints

00:41and restrictions they come with.

00:44You can only do jobs that are related to your study.

00:47You can only do jobs that are above the prevailing wage.

00:51I worked in the ad tech industry in New York

00:53for about five years.

00:55After the new administration took office,

00:59I definitely felt a lot more fear in the day-to-day life

01:05and a lot more uncertainty.

01:07There is a lot of panic and anxiety everywhere

01:11in the migrant and immigrant community.

01:14There definitely was a change in how the general public

01:20talks about immigration.

01:22I think working in the U.S. has fundamentally changed

01:26who I am as a person and changed my life.

01:29So I'm still very grateful for the experience.

01:33I am now a content creator, business English coach,

01:39and a freelance consultant, and I am also a published author.

01:43Now I can, you know, move on with my life without any regrets,

01:47because I know I have tried.

01:49I have a better understanding of what living abroad looks like

01:54and what American dream looks like in reality.

01:57Thank you, everyone.

01:58Thank you to the interview.

01:58We're in the future.

01:58I love you.

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Transcript

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