**H-1B Dilemma: Stay for the Green Card or Leave for Better Career Growth?**
Hello everyone,
I’m facing the classic H-1B immigrant dilemma: prioritizing my green card or focusing on career progression.
I work as a software engineer at a mid-tier investment bank in New York City and have been here for three years. I received my H-1B in 2024, and my company has agreed to begin the green card process. Since I’m in the Rest of World category, it seems like it could still take another four years before I actually receive it.
In terms of where I am in the process, the company is just starting the prevailing wage determination, so I’m basically at step zero.
The issue is that while I enjoy my work, I’m not particularly excited about it. I would like to move to a better, faster-paced team or switch to another company to increase my compensation and accelerate my career growth. I currently earn around $130,000, and I feel like many of my peers are earning significantly more, which makes me feel like I’m falling behind.
I’d appreciate any thoughts on how to approach this decision. I want the stability of getting my green card, but I also don’t want to sacrifice several important years of career progression.