Nobody talks about this part in the campus placement celebrations, the LinkedIn posts about landing a job offer, or the WhatsApp group updates back home. But every year, thousands of Indian students who did everything right — studied hard, got good grades, landed a job offer walk away from the H-1B lottery without a visa. And then what? This is the conversation that needs to happen more openly. Because the H-1B lottery is exactly that a lottery. Your qualifications don't matter as much as your luck in a randomised draw. In recent years, the selection rate has hovered around 25–30% even after the registration cap. That means roughly 7 out of 10 Indian students with valid job offers and employer sponsorship still don't get picked. If you're reading this before your US journey begins, this is worth knowing. If you're reading this after a rejection, know that your options are more real than anyone is telling you right now. First, Let's Acknowledge What a Rejection Act...