Hari Prasad Renganathan

Bye bye America 🇺🇸

4.5 years ago, I landed in the US with 3 suitcases and a stupidly big dream.

Today, I’m leaving with… the same 3 suitcases.

But everything else inside me changed.

This country gave me
• My Master’s degree
• My first job
• My first startup
• My community
• My confidence

And still… I’m leaving.

Not because I want to.
But because of a lottery.

When my H1B didn’t get picked for the 3rd time, it broke me in ways I can’t explain.

You do everything right.
You work hard.
You build.
You contribute.
You pay taxes.
You stay out of trouble.

And a random draw decides your future.

Millions of people come to the US with a dream.
Some get lucky.
Some don’t.

I was one of the unlucky ones.

But here’s the twist life didn’t expect:

Endings create monsters. And I became one.

If the door doesn’t open, you don’t wait.
You build a new one.

So… new chapter.
New country.
New fight.

Hello London 🇬🇧
Let’s see what you’ve got.

America will always have a special place in my story.

But the story isn’t ending.
It’s leveling up.

Dear Employers,
Please DON'T HIRE International Students!
🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦

- They are not ambitious.
All they did was leave everything behind, move across the world, and start over for a better future.

- They aren’t good communicators.
They just happen to speak 2–3 languages fluently.

- They can’t multi-task.
Except for juggling coursework, exams, job hunting, networking, part-time jobs, and staying connected with family across time zones.

- They aren’t adaptable.
They only adjust to a new country, culture, education system, and work environment—nothing major.

- They lack resilience.
Handling visa stress, job rejections, and endless uncertainty? That’s nothing.


So yes, totally avoid them. Unless, of course, you want someone who’s hardworking, adaptable, and knows how to hustle 🙌

Everyone saw my “Bye bye America 🇺🇸” post.
Some of you even DM’d saying you cried reading it.

But there’s one part of that story I didn’t talk about.

The months before that email.
The months where every international student lives in a strange limbo
not here, not there, not anywhere.

You work hard.
You build things.
You try to stay hopeful.

But deep down, every plan you make has an asterisk:
“Depends on visa.”

That mental load is something most people never see.

The confusion.
The late-night Googling.
The fear of choosing the wrong next step.
The feeling that your entire future is a “maybe.”

Recently, I’ve been doing something I never did before:
I started learning about my options properly.

Not through forums.
Not through panic.
But through real guidance.

And one team I’ve been speaking with is Manifest Law
I appreciate how they break things down without jargon. When you’re already drowning in uncertainty, simplicity matters.

If you’re on O-1 / EB-1 / NIW paths or figuring out what your next chapter could look like, you might find that helpful too. Or you can book a free consultation with them here: https://lnkd.in/gBu_sJcm

Because here’s what I’ve learned:
Your dream shouldn’t collapse just because the process is confusing.

Whenever life pushes you out of one door…
you’re allowed to walk confidently into the next one.

Immigrants don’t quit.
We adapt.
We rebuild.
We rise.
#ManifestLawPartner

America doesn’t want me anymore 🇺🇸
But the UK does 🇬🇧

Leaving the US soon.
Not because I chose to…
but because the H-1B lottery chose for me.

When I got that “not selected” email a few months back,
I felt crushed.

3 years.
3 attempts.
3 rejections.

I thought I was done.
I thought this was the end of the road.

Today, I’m happier than ever.
I just got my UK Skilled Worker Visa approved.

And that’s when it hit me
life is a sine curve.

When you’re at the bottom…
the only direction left is up.

I’ve seen this pattern over and over:

❌ Rejected by multiple Tier-3 colleges →
✅ Got into Columbia University

❌ No interviews for 5 months →
✅ 3 offers in the same week

International student life is brutal.
It will test your patience, identity, and confidence.

I’ve been there.
I’ve cried, doubted myself, and thought of giving up.
But every time something fell apart,
something bigger came together.

If I can do it, you can too.
Dedicating to every international student fighting quiet battles nobody sees.
Your breakthrough is coming. Keep going 🙌

My first job in the US paid $16/hr.

In New York.

I had moved miles to come here.
I was super happy to get into an Ivy League.
I thought I was finally going to live my “American Dream.”

Only to realise… New York is expensive.

So I took the on-campus job I got
moving furniture around the campus.

Not the “fancy” TA/RA job everyone hoped for.
Just me, lifting chairs, shifting tables, sweating through winter mornings.

But I kept telling myself:
“At least I’m making $16/hr.”
Next semester I even got a promotion - $20/hr.

Was it glamorous? No.
Was it dreamy? No.
Was it worth it? Absolutely.

People say:
“A good degree, a great college, and good grades will get you a job.”
I disagree.

What actually gets you a job is:
-- Doing whatever it takes
-- Not being afraid of failing
-- And enjoying every messy step of the journey

I worked harder and smarter than I ever had.
I hustled.
I learned.
I built skills, mindset, and character.

Eventually, that kid who moved furniture landed an $80/hr contract
from just two hours of conversation.

Does this story sound familiar?
It should.
It’s the story of every international student.

To all the friends and relatives back home:

Yes, we were excited to get the iPhone.
Yes, we posted the fancy pictures.
Yes, it looked like we were “living the dream.”

But behind every photo is a lonely night, a tough semester, a visa scare, a money struggle, or a moment where we thought of giving up.

Dedicating this to every international student who fought quietly, adapted quickly, and kept going. 🫡

You’re stronger than you think.

Hot take after moving from New York to London 🇺🇸 --> 🇬🇧

Financially, London is a downgrade.
Lifestyle-wise, it might be an upgrade.

It’s been just 10 days in London,
but here’s my honest first impression after 4.5 years in New York:

====== Money & Tech ======
• US tech pays more. No debate.
• NYC expenses made sense for the paycheck.
• London costs the same or more, but pays less.

A $120 shoe in the US = £120 in London.
That’s ~33% extra for the same thing.

Rent is slightly cheaper than NYC (barely)
For entry-level folks, London is tough.
For senior folks, it can actually be easier to break in.

====== Why London still feels special ======
• NYC is 7.5 hours away
• India is 10.5 hours away
• Paris is 2.5 hours by train

You genuinely feel like you’re in the center of the world.

====== Finance & Trading ======
Now I get London’s magic.
You can follow Asian, European, and prep for US markets all in one day.

10-day thoughts:
London may not maximize income.
But it might maximize perspective.

“Sometimes you move countries not to earn more money,
but to earn a bigger life.”

NYC or London?
Which one would you choose and why? 👇