The End of the Indian Dream? Why “Study Here, Work Here, Stay Here” is Broken

The End of the Indian Dream? Why “Study Here, Work Here, Stay Here” is Broken

For decades, Indian families invested in an international education not just as a passport to knowledge, but as a ticket to a new life overseas. The dream was seductive in its simplicity: study abroad, secure a local job, and progress to permanent settlement. The United States embodied this story more than any other country, with the H-1B visa synonymous with the “American Dream”.

That story is now breaking apart. Donald Trump’s decision to impose a US$100,000 fee on each new H-1B visa makes the cost of transition from study to work prohibitive (The Guardian, 19 September 2025). Employers will hesitate to sponsor, students will think twice before applying, and the once-vaunted pathway from the American classroom to the American workplace is narrowing fast. The promise of “study here, work here, stay here” has fractured.