After 5 Fails, 7L Paid, H-1B Collapse After Approval

An Indian tech professional recently shared a troubling experience after an H-1B visa petition reportedly collapsed because of consultancy-related mistakes. The story, shared on Reddit, has once again raised concerns about questionable practices followed by some visa consultancies.

According to the Reddit post, the tech worker had spent several years trying to secure an H-1B visa opportunity while working in the IT industry. Multiple employers had reportedly filed H-1B registrations for him nearly five times, but none were selected in the lottery process.

After repeated failures, the worker allegedly made one final attempt through a consultancy. The Reddit user claimed to have paid nearly ₹7 lakh for the entire process in hopes of finally securing the visa opportunity.

This time, the H-1B lottery selection reportedly came through successfully, and the petition was officially filed. However, the excitement did not last long as the petition was later denied by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

According to the post, the rejection was linked to issues involving the consultancy’s filing process and payment handling. The denial notice reportedly stated that the consultancy claimed eligibility for reduced filing fees intended only for smaller employers.

However, USCIS records allegedly showed that the company had more than 80 approved H-1B petitions over the previous three years. Because of this, the company reportedly did not qualify for the reduced fee category mentioned in the filing.

The Reddit user further claimed that USCIS later requested the remaining payment amount along with additional supporting documents. However, according to the worker, the payment was returned unpaid and the necessary evidence was never properly submitted by the consultancy.

Nearly two years later, the worker said they are still not receiving clear answers regarding the issue. According to the post, the consultancy continues to repeat that it is “working on it” without providing any meaningful update or resolution.

The incident has now become another warning for Indian professionals pursuing H-1B opportunities in the United States. Many social media users pointed out that desperate candidates can sometimes become vulnerable to exploitative consultancy practices promising faster visa success.

The story has also triggered wider discussions online about the need for greater awareness and verification before trusting third-party agencies with expensive immigration and visa-related processes.