Indian-origin businessman Vijay Thirumalai has created a stir online after his reaction to the death of 30-year-old Indian national Sasikanth Reddy Donthireddy in the US.Speaking toUsing this tragedy to highlight what he sees as systemic obstacles to immigration, Thirumalai made an explicit appeal to Indian parents.
“Parents, please, do not send your children to the US if you are not able to buy a GC for them through EB5, it is not worth it,” he wrote.He criticized the temporary visa paths, calling the F-1 path “very restrictive” and calling the H1B lottery a “1/3 ratio.” Even for those who eventually get the H1B-EB2/EB3 route, a green card is still “100 years away,” he said.If a family cannot afford an EB5 investment visa, he advised avoiding financial stress.
“Don’t mortgage your home, your savings, or take out loans to sponsor college or post-grad,” he wrote, calling it “just not worth it.” Instead, the businessman proposed starting a business in India using the money which he claimed would keep the child and family “happier” in the long term.
The EB-5 visa provides permanent residency to qualified investors who commit $800,000 to projects in designated target employment areas.
In contrast, the F-1 visa, which Reddy obtained, is a non-immigrant student visa that allows full-time study at accredited US institutions, with limited employment opportunities such as Optional Practical Training (OPT).Thirumalai is the founder and CEO of Goldwater Global, a platform that claims to help Indians expand their lives and businesses abroad. His post highlights the tragic life events of many Indian citizens who are overworked to meet their visa guidelines and neglect their mental and social health for the same. A fundraising campaign to return Reddy’s body to India has shed more light on his suffering. “Repeated disappointments and visa uncertainty have caused him a lot of stress, especially in the past few months,” the appeal noted.She added that he continued to work long hours “without giving up” and entered the H1B lottery “several times” without success. Reddy reportedly complained of chest pains in the early hours of February 16. “He was taken to hospital but could not be saved,” the appeal read.Thanks to community support, the fundraiser exceeded its goal of $50,307, easing the financial burden on his parents and possibly helping them bring his body home for final rites.
