‘After 14 years of dealing with the endless US immigration stress’: H-1B Redditor says he moved to Switzerland and life is incredible
A tech lead of a company shared his experience of being an H-1B in the US for years and then finally putting an end to this altogether by relocating to Switzerland. What triggered him was the US immigration stress and Green Card backlog, the man said, adding that he lived in the US for 14 years. Relocation to Switzerland has been incredible, he said.“I’m a Tech Lead at a mid-sized company where I’ve architected a few of our core products. Since we have an office in Switzerland, I reached out to leadership to see if I could transfer there on a B permit. The company agreed, handled the process, and I’m officially here!” the Redditor said.“Moving away from the constant anxiety of the US immigration system has been a massive breath of fresh air. Life quality so far is incredible.”“If you’re feeling trapped in the endless GC backlog and your company has international offices, I strongly suggest exploring internal transfers to Europe or elsewhere. The US lost out on my tax dollars, dollars I’m now more than happy to pay to Switzerland instead,” the Redditor said.The experience sheds light on alternatives that H-1Bs can explore as the Donald Trump administration is making it difficult for even job visa holders to remain in the country.What is B permit in Switzerland?The Redditor explained that getting a B permit is not easy, as the annual cap for non-EU is around 4.5k. But since his company is well known, it was easier for him. His wife also got a job in Switzerland, he said. B permit in Switzerland is for foreign nationals planning to stay for over a year. It can be renewed annually.The Redditor explained that there could be a 10-20% salary cut from the US to Switzerland. “…but to be frank, I’d sacrifice that all day for the peace of mind, better infrastructure, and not to mention the natural beauty over here,” the Redditor added.
