'Painful experience... had to return to India from UK': Indian graduate shares struggles post finishing education abroad, 'no visa, laid off'

In a Reddit post titled “My painful experience till now as I had return to India from the UK,” a user spicy_97 recounted a tumultuous journey that began with high hopes of securing a future in the United Kingdom. After finishing a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from a Tier 3 Indian college in 2020, this 23-year-old fled a stalled job market and lingering COVID-19 frustrations for a master’s program in the UK.

A few months into life abroad, they found part-time work and eventually landed a corporate role in London. Yet reality hit hard when the company refused visa sponsorship for anything below senior management, and then laid them off.

“I survived for five months on that money,” spicy_97 wrote, citing the struggles of high costs and dwindling savings. By age 26, health complications compounded their challenges. Upon returning to India, they discovered they had type 1 diabetes: “Hence now I am on insulin shots and I started looking for jobs in India once my health was stable but no luck.”

The return was both unexpected and disheartening—yet they learned a few lessons. “I am not blaming the UK. Every country has its own advantages and disadvantages, so do your own due diligence,” spicy_97 noted, clarifying that their post was meant to share a personal story, not point fingers. They continued, “Yes I know UK has great work life balance and clean air but what’s the point of living there when you are struggling and have no savings.”

Reacting to spicy_97’s predicament, one commenter wrote, “Every Indian thinks that they will become rich and settled once they land in western countries. It’s actually the beginning of a larger battle for survival and health deterioration.”

Another noted a similar story of someone leaving the UK for a better opportunity back in India, suggesting that “Once you have 3-5 years of experience, you can always apply for jobs in UK and come back.”

Yet some were less sympathetic, with one remarking, “Look I sympathise with you but a lot of these things are your fault, and this post sounds like you are blaming everyone but yourself.” Others saw it as “the reality of many international students abroad.”

Despite the setbacks, spicy_97 is determined to rebuild in India by honing skills in Salesforce, Power BI, and Excel. “I just know only two people with mediocre skills who got visa sponsored job in the UK. Remaining are very talented,” they conceded, emphasizing that strategic networking and a strong profile make all the difference. Alongside quiet job searches, they dabble in content creation: “I am not a full time content creator. I Don’t even have more than 200 followers on Instagram.”

Ultimately, spicy_97 hopes to gain niche expertise and then explore another chance abroad. But for now, the focus is on finding opportunities closer to home. “India is the land of opportunities,” they wrote, “One should go to the UK when you have a high-paying job.”