An Immigrant’s Journey and How It Applies to Any Aspect of Your Life
Moving ahead despite all the struggles along the way is sometimes the only way forward.
The year is 2015; I graduated from Penn State and landed my first job two days after graduation. I counted my stars cause that’s something a lot of international students can’t say. I first came to the US in 2011 from Saudi Arabia to pursue a degree in Industrial Engineering with all the hopes and dreams that come with moving to a new country. Little did I know how uncertain yet challenging the years would be. The people who know me, know I love a good challenge, so this was right up my alley.
Experiencing Life Without the Hassle of Immigration
From lifelong friends, late-night study sessions, countless networking events to being part of the largest student-run philanthropy (THON), my time at Penn State was incredible. Getting the first job was an extremely nerve-wracking process which happened to be in the same city as the university, so no big moving plans. I already settled well in this town, and things looked like they were working out. Having a STEM major under my belt meant I could work for an additional two years with the allotted standard one year totaling to 3 years of work authorization, so the first year, I didn’t want to worry much about what the future would hold and proceeded to focus on the job at hand. I was fortunate enough to have a great team and manager who would ramp up my skills, and one of the best parts of being a Business Analyst was the travel. I got to visit many places from coast to coast, performing project assessments, user training, and the occasional wine & steak during downtime.
The immigration process begins…
After my 1st year, came my turn to enter the coveted H1-b work visa lottery program. With two years to go, I only did have two chances to getting picked in it. Statistically, there was about a 30% chance of getting selected. Odds were not in my favor, but they’re pretty decent odds, much better than the Powerball lottery. However, now is when all the uncertainty of the future started to creep in. My company and I applied right in time, and so began the waiting process. After a couple of months, we found out I didn’t get picked in the lottery, which meant time to apply again next year. In the meantime, continue working, gaining valuable experience, and hope for job security because any change with the job must be reviewed by immigration authorities, which could send me packing back home. As another year passes, I traveled to more places, worked with many more wonderful customers, and continued self-improving. The year also did come with its fair share of sacrifices, like not attending my brother’s wedding back in India, which was disheartening. Still, I pulled through, thinking at the end that this will all be worth it.
Expecting the Unexpected
After my 2nd year comes my second and final shot at the lottery. We applied again and started the waiting process. In May of 2018, I received news that I did get into the lottery, which was such a relief and now I could focus on building my life in America. I adopted a kitten and began visualizing how the next couple of years would look like. At this point, case officers review the application and determine if the applicant is approved or denied for the visa. I was still not out of the woods; however, conventional wisdom mentioned that post lottery, the visa was essentially guaranteed, especially for tech workers. How I wish I didn’t take that advice. Because three months later, immigration authorities requested additional supporting documents to help my application get approved. Here is where the proverbial wrench came in. We took a month to gather all documents, provided them much more detail and shipped it over. The waiting period continues. By October, we learned that my application was indeed denied even after the additional documents were submitted.
The denial was provided to me in a 15-page document detailing why I wouldn’t get the visa. Essentially, I was denied because my job wasn’t a 100% match to what I studied in college. I used industrial engineering principles like lean six sigma methodology in my projects, specifically process improvement projects; however, that wasn’t enough. A future that I began visualizing earlier in the year fell apart like blocks of Jenga when a player pulls out the wrong block. Having only three months left on my current work authorization, I pivoted and started gearing for a life back home in India. With all the life lessons and valuable work experience, I had faith in myself to make it work. The upside here was I was going to see some of my family members after three years which was exciting.
During my last few months, a friend recommended I check out Canada’s immigration system and apply for it. Having dealt a massive blow, I felt defeated and didn’t want to put myself through another immigration system. However, I persisted. After learning the requirements, it seemed like I did have some chance. I began the application process — taking the English exam, getting my education assessments produced, and went ahead and applied. Canada’s economic immigration system is based on points and the higher the points, the higher the probability of getting selected. I knew it was a hail mary attempt as my score was in the low 400’s which wasn’t very competitive. Applying for the Canadian Permanent Residence (PR) application was one of the last things I did in the US and bode adieu to the place I called my home away from home.
Embracing the Unknown
I spent 2019 in India, first relishing the food I missed the past couple of years and reuniting with family I haven’t seen in over three years. I then proceeded to work for a start-up in the e-commerce tech space in a Project Manager & Business Analyst hybrid role. After working there for a few months and navigating the Indian tech space, I decided to work on a real estate family project. My family had a couple of rental apartments which were not in use so I took over that project, renovating and converting them to Airbnb’s. All the while, checking my Canadian application for PR. The chances of getting it started looking slim, and I realized pretty quickly that I wasn’t going to make it with the score I had, which meant looking at different avenues.
This was when I began applying for Canadian jobs from India. Since tech jobs were in high demand, I figured this would be a better approach. Here is where I started seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as I got an interview for a tech company, in British Columbia (my dream province) and ended up getting the offer. This meant an additional 600 points would be added to my score, thereby guaranteeing the PR approval. However, with things going sour before, I told myself I wouldn’t get too excited until it actually gets approved. Since the process can take over six months, I could obtain a work permit to begin working immediately. And so, one year after leaving the US, I found myself back in North America, only this time on the west coast and with a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee. It wasn’t rainbows and sunshine just yet — my first PR application was canceled due to some expired documents and I was somewhat back to square one. With the pandemic causing lockdowns, I was only able to re-apply in May of 2020. Cue the waiting period. A new place, new job, new country, and yet uncertain about my immigration plans. The process that once took six months was perhaps going to take longer with no specific timelines. As another year passes and being grateful for the job opportunity I had, I dived right into work. I was thankful for the incredible support system I had quickly gotten with my new peers.
Believing in yourself pays out dividends.
A journey that began in 2011, with its ups and downs, I’m ecstatic to say, in May of 2021, exactly a year after applying for Permanent Residence, I got approved! To say I was relieved is an understatement. I’m incredibly grateful for the support from people these past few years, along with the company I work for now.
As I sit here writing this in 2021, in immigration and in life, when one door closes, another one opens. Might I add a better one. Had I gotten the H1-b work visa in the US, I would still be a temporary resident with an uncertain future. Now, I genuinely have a place to call my second home. We have to be willing to have the courage not to give up and continue pursuing what matters most to us. Canada is still accepting people through the Express Entry program for immigrants looking for a new home.
The life skill I’ve gotten to hone during this period, which I believe would resonate with many immigrants, is patience. When years go by and your application is still in process, patience can go a long way. As for what’s in store for me next, it is still uncertain, as is the case with life, but I’ll be able to contemplate that while sipping on my coffee at home.
Final Thoughts
If there’s one takeaway from my journey is this — keep persisting, keep knocking on doors, and when one closes, there’s always another that opens, so no matter what, don’t give up. I wish you well on your journey.
