Understanding the H-1B Realities: A Simulation Built from Real Immigrant Stories

Episode notes

What if the H-1B visa experience - the lottery, the waiting, the uncertainty about whether to buy a sofa or commit to a relationship - could be experienced in a game? Journalist and game developer Alison Yang did exactly that. Yang talks to Immigration Nerds host, Lauren Clarke, about her upcoming simulation game h1b.life , which drops players into the daily reality of navigating the U.S. immigration system, managing money, legal costs, social support, and mental health, all while outcomes can still spin on a slot machine you don’t control. Resource Links: HOST: LAUREN CLARKE NEWS NERD: ROB TAYLOR PRODUCER: ADAM BELMAR

• Forbes 250: Inside America's Most Successful Living Immigrants List56 / 100
• Who’s Watching the Pool? The J-1 Visa and America's Lifeguard Problem
• Family Speaks Every Language
• Ready for Kickoff? FIFA 2026 Update
• Ireland's Immigration Conundrum