Google job, H-1B rejection 4 times and then Green Card… the story of the Nepali boy who did not give up

America…where millions of people go with dreams. Some come there to study, some for a job, and some just in the hope that one day their life will change. But just getting there is not the biggest challenge. The real fight begins with the fight to save visa, job and identity. Especially for foreign professionals working in the tech industry, the H-1B visa system is considered no less than a lottery game.

The story of Nepal-born engineer Prateek Karki is also similar. This young man, who worked in the world’s biggest tech company like Google on an annual package of around $3 lakh, was completely broken from inside. The reason was four consecutive rejections in the H-1B visa lottery. But the story did not end here… because this struggle showed him a new path.

Why did this post go viral?

Pratik Karki, a tech professional living in San Francisco, shared an emotional post on X. At the beginning of the post he wrote, ‘Today we got the green card! This is the whole story, without any pretense…and a special thanks to my father. What happened next… within a few hours his story went viral on social media. Thousands of people became emotional after reading his post. Some called it a victory of the struggle, while others called it the most beautiful example of a father’s sacrifice.

Father left America…’ What was the family’s struggle?

Prateek told in his post that his father was once a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard and Berkeley University. He had a brilliant career in America. Life was considered set. After the separation of his parents, his father took a decision which changed his entire life. He left America and returned to Nepal to raise his two sons. Prateek wrote that returning to Nepal was the only way. He left his entire life and everything he built in America for us. His new life started by living in a small room in the attic of his grandparents’ house in Nepal. Perhaps from there the struggle started making him stronger.

How did a Nepali boy reach Google from a small room?

Time passed… and the same boy who had dreamed in the attic room, reached America. On the basis of hard work and talent, he got a job in a company like Google. Everything seemed perfect. Big salary… wonderful life… career in San Francisco… but then came the H-1B visa system. Rejected for the fourth time…how devastated was Pratik? Prateek told that he kept getting rejections in the H-1B visa lottery. Then one day that email came which shook him from within. He wrote that ‘Two years ago, I was rejected for the fourth time in the H1B lottery at Google.’ It wasn’t just a rejection. That was the fear… of losing everything. He was beginning to feel that now perhaps he would have to leave America. Will have to go away from his wife. The life that took years to build will end.

Was it madness to leave Google?

One night after the rejection, he was sitting at the kitchen table with his wife. Both were talking about the next step in life. Then his wife said something that changed everything. Prateek wrote that ‘He told me that we have enough savings that we can support ourselves, and after all this was my dream.’ That’s it… from here the story took a new turn. At the age of 27, Prateek took a decision which most people are afraid to take. He left Google. Leaving his job with an annual package of around $3 lakh, he entered a world of uncertainty. After this he wrote that ‘I left Google. At the age of 27, he rejected an annual package of around $3 lakh and walked out.

What happened after you left Google?

After leaving Google, Prateek started working with friends, mentors and startup founders in San Francisco. He was constantly exploring new ideas. During this time, he saw a big opportunity in the AI ​​sector. While working at Google, he had seen many AI projects fail. He understood that the biggest shortcoming in the AI ​​industry is the ‘human data layer’. It was from here that his company Anthromind was born. His company is working on creating a human data layer for “Frontier Labs and Enterprise AI Teams”.

How did you get the green card?

Along with starting the startup, Prateek also applied for O-1 visa. This is the same visa which is given to people with extraordinary talent. He prepared his profile himself. Google’s experience, hackathon judging and articles written… everything came in handy. Then one day that email came which I had been waiting for for years. He wrote, ‘My case has been approved! And after that the path for green card was also cleared. Now both Prateek and his wife have green cards.

At the end of his post, Prateek dedicated this achievement to his father. He wrote, ‘Baba, this is for you…Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your sacrifices and lessons learned from life.’ This line touched the hearts of most people on social media.

Is the H-1B system really blocking talent?

After Prateek Karki’s story went viral, a new debate has started on social media regarding America’s H-1B visa system. Many people say that thousands of talented engineers and tech professionals live in uncertainty for years just because of the “lottery system”. Some people called it the biggest example of not giving up and taking risks. Because sometimes the biggest turning point in life is when everything seems to be coming to an end.