Rajesh Sawhney didn’t mince phrases. In a pointy warning geared toward Indian dad and mom, the veteran angel investor and founding father of startup accelerator GSF challenged a long-held perception: {that a} US grasp’s diploma ensures a profitable tech profession. “This hack works no extra,” he declared, spotlighting a route typically taken by IIT graduates — pursuing an MS within the US to land a $200,000 job. That shortcut, he stated, is now damaged.
In a publish on X (previously Twitter), Sawhney wrote, “There are not any jobs in USA, Canada and UK for Worldwide college students. Honeymoon is over, dad and mom ought to suppose twice earlier than spending crores on the costly schooling. Engg college students particularly IITians had a simple hack, do masters within the US and get a $200K beginning tech job. This hack works no extra.”
His remarks come amid the US authorities’s tightening grip on immigration insurance policies, notably these involving H-1B and pupil visas — a transfer that’s having ripple results throughout India’s tutorial and tech communities.
The H-1B visa, a gateway for 1000’s of Indian tech professionals, is below intensified scrutiny. In 2025, registrations dipped to round 344,000 — the bottom in 4 years. Tighter choice guidelines and a crackdown on fraud have led to elevated documentation necessities, longer wait occasions, and steeper prices.
In the meantime, Indian college students — who make up about 30% of worldwide enrollees within the US — are grappling with contemporary hurdles. F-1 visa interview slots are backed up by months in key hubs like Hyderabad. And proposals to roll again the Elective Sensible Coaching (OPT) program are threatening the restricted job alternatives that stay post-graduation.
Taken collectively, these developments sign a seismic shift. For a lot of Indian households weighing the price of a world diploma, Sawhney’s cautionary publish would possibly function a wake-up name: the previous playbook now not applies.
