This as-told-to essay draws from a conversation with Vivienne Yang, a 31-year-old Taiwanese national who lost her job and had to depart the US due to visa rules, leaving her apartment and two cats behind. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I began dreaming of America back in third grade.

A combination of feeling out of place in the Taiwanese school system and an obsession with US pop culture such as Taylor Swift, Twilight, and Americas Next Top Model sparked the interest.

In 2018, at age 23, I relocated to New York for a masters degree in applied analytics at Columbia University and then secured a position in Manhattans ad-tech sector.

Over the following five years I held two consecutive full-time roles, each paying around 100000 dollars, until a layoff hit in 2024.

Laid off during a vacation

It was October and I was on day two of a ten-day trip to Japan with my partner when the news arrived.

I was relaxing in our Airbnb after sightseeing in Osaka when a colleague messaged via Instagram to report that my Slack and email accounts had vanished.

No one from HR reached out because my US phone number did not function abroad.

I tried to enjoy the rest of the trip while handling immigration paperwork, spending mornings on calls with lawyers and afternoons exploring with my partner.

The reality sank in two days later and I broke down crying at a shrine in Kyoto, praying I could return to the US.

The company extended my employment briefly so I could reenter the country.

Leaving everything behind in New York

I had created a full life there. My friends, my two cats, and years of savings that bought a one-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn were all part of it.

During the grace period I switched from H-1B to a B-2 tourist visa to extend my stay and later renewed it for a full year. My lawyer advised against mentioning home ownership to avoid signaling immigrant intent.

Job hunting proved tough. I spent several months searching and completed more than 20 interviews without success.

Then in September the new administration introduced a 100000-dollar fee for fresh H-1B applicants. Although it did not apply directly to me, employers grew more reluctant to sponsor foreign talent.

After a while I stopped targeting corporate roles. I had always enjoyed acting and gained admission to a New York program set to begin in March.

In December 2025 I flew back to Taiwan to seek a student visa. I cried all the way to JFK and throughout the flight, sensing it might be permanent.

My instincts proved correct when the visa was denied over immigration intent. I asked my American partner to move into the apartment and care for the cats, Dexter and Deborah, while I planned my return.

I instructed him not to ship my belongings because I remained determined to come back.

Eventually I accepted that the current political and economic climate made an immediate return unrealistic.

Finding relief in Taiwan

Back in Taiwan I no longer feel constant concern for personal safety.

It feels odd not to stress over visa status. I can accept random work without calculating which visa it requires.

One major worry during my final year in New York was lacking health insurance and fearing medical costs.

In Taiwan, particularly in the northeastern town of Yilan where I now live, I can visit a clinic for under ten dollars.

Adjusting to family life again has been unusual.

I share a three-bedroom apartment with my parents, sister, and grandmother, following household rules about storage and clothing layers.

I sleep on a portable bed in the storage room without air conditioning because space is limited. It feels like a step down.

No immediate plans to return

I have no desire to navigate visa hurdles soon, so relocation is not on the horizon.

My partner intends to bring the cats in October.

I am now focused on content creation and teaching English public speaking. Savings cover the mortgage on the Brooklyn apartment.

Despite everything, I hold no regrets about moving to the US.

Without that chapter I would still wonder what might have been. Having lived it, I now understand my goals and myself clearly.