India, May 16 -- Iris Goldsztajn had everything going for her. As a student at UCLA, she landed four editorial internships in her chosen field. After graduating, she secured a position at her dream magazine, one she'd envisioned working for since she was 12 years old, per Business Insider.

But there was one catch: she was working on a student visa. As a French-born, UK-raised citizen, Goldsztajn needed an H-1b visa to stay in the United States long-term.

"My company applied for an H-1b visa for me (a type of work visa that works on a lottery system for many organizations, often including those in the media), and I just didn't win," she wrote in the Business Insider column.

Following the H-1b denial, she had to give up her job, her apar...