Arvind Krishna and Their Immigration Story

Arvind Krishna's journey from Andhra Pradesh to IBM's corner office illustrates how America's employment-based immigration system can transform individual talent into extraordinary business value—and why today's broken pathways threaten similar success stories. The IBM CEO navigated the student-to-employment immigration pathway early in his career before playing a key role in IBM's $34 billion Red Hat acquisition in 2019 as SVP of Cloud & Cognitive Software, yet modern professionals following his path face wait times potentially reaching 70 years for permanent residency. For today's skilled immigrants seeking to build careers in America, working with expert immigration counsel has become essential to overcome systemic delays and bureaucratic failures that Krishna's generation faced in smaller measure.

Who Is Arvind Krishna? From Andhra Pradesh to Global Tech Leadership

Born on November 23, 1962, in West Godavari District, Andhra Pradesh, India, Arvind Krishna grew up in a Telugu-speaking family with deep military roots—his father, Major General Vinod Krishna, served in the Indian Army. This background instilled discipline and strategic thinking that would later define his corporate leadership style.

Krishna's academic trajectory opened doors to the American immigration system:

• 1985: Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur, one of India's premier engineering institutions
• 1991: Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• 1990: Joined IBM's Thomas J. Watson Research Center while completing his doctorate

Over three decades at IBM, Krishna became the principal architect of transformative technology strategies. As Senior Vice President of Cloud and Cognitive Software from 2017-2020, he built new markets in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and blockchain. His leadership of the historic Red Hat acquisition positioned IBM for cloud transformation, and IBM reported that its book of business for watsonx and generative AI had eclipsed one billion dollars by early 2024, with a growing pipeline.

In April 2020, Krishna became CEO, and by January 2021, he assumed the Chairman role—Krishna became the first person of Indian descent to lead IBM. He joined a distinguished cohort of Indian-American tech CEOs including Satya Nadella (Microsoft), Sundar Pichai (Alphabet), and Shantanu Narayen (Adobe).

Arvind Krishna's Immigration Journey: The Pathway from Student to CEO

While Krishna's specific visa timeline remains undocumented, his educational immigration pathway followed the standard progression that millions of skilled professionals have navigated. The journey typically unfolds across decades:

Phase 1: Educational Entry (Late 1980s)
Krishna likely entered the United States on an F-1 student visa to pursue his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois. This category allows international students to study full-time while working on campus up to 20 hours weekly during the academic year.

Phase 2: Employment Authorization (1990-1996)
Joining IBM in 1990 required transition to work authorization, most likely through:

• Optional Practical Training (OPT) during his doctoral studies
• H-1B specialty occupation visa after completing his degree

The H-1B provides temporary work authorization for up to six years (three-year initial period with one three-year extension), requiring employer sponsorship and proof of specialty occupation requiring bachelor's degree or higher.

Phase 3: Permanent Residency (Mid-1990s)
IBM would have sponsored Krishna for an employment-based green card, likely through the EB-2 category for professionals with advanced degrees. Given his Ph.D. and technical expertise, he may have qualified for EB-1 as an individual of extraordinary ability, avoiding the labor certification process.

Phase 4: Naturalization (Late 1990s-Early 2000s)
After five years as a permanent resident, Krishna would have been eligible for U.S. citizenship, completing his immigration journey.

This multi-decade process that enabled Krishna to build his career now faces severe obstacles. Today's professionals require expert guidance to manage employment-based green cards effectively, with specialized legal services crucial for avoiding bureaucratic pitfalls.

The H-1B Program and Tech Leadership: How Specialty Occupation Visas Built Silicon Valley

The H-1B visa program has become the primary gateway for skilled foreign talent entering American technology companies. Krishna's generation benefited from a system with shorter wait times and less competitive lottery processes than today's landscape.

Current H-1B Reality

The annual quota restricts H-1B visas to:

• 65,000 regular cap positions
• 20,000 additional slots for U.S. advanced degree holders

USCIS runs online registration in March for the 65,000 regular cap and 20,000 U.S. advanced-degree cap; when registrations exceed the cap, USCIS conducts a lottery, creating immediate bottlenecks. Survey data revealed 57% of companies experienced project delays specifically because of H-1B visa unavailability, while 43% moved hiring to international offices as a direct result.

One company explained: "We recently opened an office in India for software developers. We were forced to do this because we simply could not find qualified people in the U.S. who met our specific technical needs."

The Economic Cost of Restrictions

Immigration limitations harm the very competitiveness they claim to protect:

• 74% of surveyed companies agreed "Current U.S. immigration laws for skilled professionals harm American competitiveness"
• Depending on complexity, legal and government fees plus PERM advertising can total tens of thousands of dollars
• Employers must pay at least the DOL prevailing wage or the actual wage, whichever is higher

For companies managing multiple visa cases, Alma's Business Immigration Platform provides real-time dashboards, compliance tracking, and transparent per-case pricing that eliminates surprises in what one survey respondent called an "unpredictable and expensive" process.

Employment-Based Green Cards: The EB-2 and EB-1 Pathways Krishna Likely Navigated

Employment-based green cards provide the permanent residency that allows foreign nationals to build long-term careers without the restrictions of temporary visas. Krishna's advanced degree from the University of Illinois positioned him for the EB-2 category, though his research achievements may have qualified him for EB-1.

EB-2: Advanced Degree Professionals

The EB-2 category serves professionals holding master's degrees or higher (or bachelor's plus five years progressive experience). Most EB-2 petitions require PERM labor certification—a complex process where employers prove no qualified U.S. workers are available for the position.

However, the EB-2 National Interest Waiver (NIW) eliminates the labor certification requirement for professionals whose work benefits the United States. This self-petition option has become increasingly valuable as backlogs extend.

EB-1: Extraordinary Ability

EB-1A petitions serve individuals with extraordinary ability in sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics. Krishna's 15 patents and extensive technical publications would have supported an EB-1 petition, providing faster processing without labor certification.

Additional EB-1 categories include:

• EB-1B: Outstanding researchers and professors
• EB-1C: Multinational executives and managers

The India Backlog Crisis

While Krishna navigated the system before severe backlogs developed, today's Indian nationals face unprecedented wait times. Over 80% of the employment-based green card backlog consists of Indian applicants, with some in EB-3 potentially waiting 70 years.

The per-country cap limits any nation to 7% of the annual 140,000 employment-based green cards. Although a 7% per-country cap applies, unused visas in some categories can spill over to others, partially easing but not eliminating backlogs for high-demand countries like India and China. At the end of 2021, 1.4 million immigrants on temporary visas were waiting for green cards, with over 200,000 projected to die before receiving permanent residency.

For professionals seeking EB-2 NIW or EB-1A petitions, Alma's $10,000 flat-rate service includes comprehensive documentation support, RFE response, and one free refile—critical protections when bureaucratic errors can derail applications after years of waiting.

From Academia to Industry: The F-1 to H-1B Pipeline That Powers American Innovation

Krishna's educational immigration through the F-1 student visa exemplifies a pipeline that has become critical to American technology leadership. Yet this pathway now faces severe threats that could prevent the next generation of immigrant tech leaders.

The Educational Advantage

U.S. universities attract exceptional international talent, with stunning concentration in STEM fields:

• In 2011, 65% of electrical engineering Ph.D.s from U.S. universities went to foreign nationals
• 50% of computer science Ph.D.s and 47% of master's degrees went to international students in 2011
• Among Indian immigrant adults in the U.S., about 80% hold at least a bachelor's degree

This educational pipeline creates a unique advantage—international students trained in American universities understand U.S. business culture, have established professional networks, and possess cutting-edge skills in emerging technologies.

The Retention Challenge

Despite educating these exceptional individuals, America struggles to retain them. Canada and the U.S. both attract large numbers of Indian students; notably, the U.S. hosted a record 268,923 Indian students in 2022/23. During the first half of 2022, Chinese F-1 issuances fell by more than 50% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

The F-1 to H-1B transition faces multiple friction points:

• H-1B lottery uncertainty—selection rates vary widely; FY2024's initial selection was ~15% amid 780,000+ registrations, while FY2025's beneficiary-centric process yielded ~24%
• Limited OPT work authorization periods (12 months standard, 24-month STEM extension)
• Cap-gap complications when F-1 status expires before H-1B begins
• Employer reluctance to sponsor due to costs and uncertainty

For recent graduates navigating this transition, Alma offers STEM OPT services for $250 (STEM OPT EAD Initial or Extension) and H-1B lottery registration for $500—transparent pricing that helps both candidates and employers plan effectively.

The American Dream in Tech: What Arvind Krishna's Story Reveals About Immigrant Innovation

Krishna's rise to IBM's C-suite represents more than individual achievement—it demonstrates the outsized economic value that skilled immigration creates for American competitiveness.

Immigrant Entrepreneurship Impact

The data on immigrant-founded companies reveals transformative economic contributions:

• 33% of venture-backed companies that became publicly traded from 2006-2012 had at least one immigrant founder
• These companies created $900 billion in market capitalization as of 2013
• Employment generated: approximately 600,000 jobs worldwide, with the majority in the United States

Top immigrant-founded companies include household names:

• Google ($295 billion valuation, co-founded by Sergey Brin from Russia)
• Intel ($124 billion, co-founded by Andy Grove from Hungary)
• eBay ($69 billion, founded by Pierre Omidyar from France)

21% of immigrant founders came from India, making it the leading source country, followed by Taiwan (10%), Israel (10%), and the United Kingdom (8%).

AI Leadership and Strategic Technologies

The immigrant advantage proves even more pronounced in cutting-edge sectors. One analysis estimates 65% of top AI companies were founded or co-founded by immigrants, rising to 77% when including second-generation immigrants. Meanwhile, 70% of graduates in AI-related fields and 71% in computer and information sciences are international students.

This creates a strategic vulnerability: the United States educates the talent that will shape transformative technologies but struggles to retain them due to immigration barriers. As one analysis concluded, "The future of U.S. tech competitiveness hinges on retaining international talent."

Job Creation vs. Displacement

Contrary to claims that immigrants "take jobs" from Americans, research finds that each additional 100 approved H-1B workers is associated with about 183 additional jobs for U.S.-born workers. Immigrants launch firms at 1.8 times the rate of native-born individuals, creating employment opportunities rather than displacing existing workers.

Fortune 500 companies founded by immigrants and their children generated $8.1 trillion in revenue

Modern Pathways for Tech Professionals: Following in Krishna's Footsteps Today

While Krishna's F-1 to H-1B to green card pathway remains viable, today's professionals face more competition, longer wait times, and greater uncertainty. Alternative visa categories provide options that didn't exist during Krishna's immigration journey.

O-1: Extraordinary Ability Visa

The O-1A visa offers advantages over H-1B for exceptional professionals:

• No annual quota or lottery
• Three-year initial validity with unlimited one-year extensions
• Entrepreneur-friendly (can work for own company)
• Faster processing with premium processing available
• Path to EB-1A green card with similar criteria

Criteria include sustained national or international acclaim demonstrated through:

• Major awards or prizes
• Membership in exclusive professional associations
• Published material about the individual's work
• Original contributions of major significance
• High salary or remuneration
• Participation as a judge of others' work

Alma's O-1 visa services ($8,000 for new petitions, $3,000 for extensions) include comprehensive evidence compilation, expert letter coordination, and petition strategy—critical support for building a compelling case.

EB-2 NIW: Self-Sponsored Green Card

The EB-2 National Interest Waiver allows professionals to self-petition for permanent residency without employer sponsorship or labor certification. This category has gained popularity among entrepreneurs, researchers, and technical professionals whose work benefits the United States.

The three-prong test requires demonstrating:

1. Proposed endeavor has substantial merit and national importance
2. You are well-positioned to advance the proposed endeavor
3. It would benefit the United States to waive the job offer and labor certification requirements

For Indian nationals facing decades-long EB-2 PERM backlogs, the NIW provides earlier priority dates and self-determination—you maintain your green card application even if you change employers.

Startup Founder Challenges

Unlike Krishna's straightforward corporate employment, entrepreneurs face unique obstacles. As one founder described, an immigration attorney advised him to disband his startup company because "the immigration service would never approve an H-1B visa for him and his friends as founders of their own company."

79% of founders believed "The process for a foreign-born entrepreneur to enter and remain in the U.S. to start a business is too difficult," while 90% believed a startup visa category would benefit the U.S. economy.

Current founder options include:

• O-1A visa for founders with extraordinary achievement
• E-2 treaty investor visa (limited to treaty countries)
• L-1A intracompany transfer for established foreign companies
• EB-2 NIW based on the startup's national importance
• EB-5 investment visa ($800,000-$1,050,000 investment minimum)

Alma's Startup Immigration Plan provides specialized support for founders and early-stage companies, with discounts for portfolio companies from partner VCs including Y Combinator and Techstars.

Navigating Your Own Immigration Journey: Practical Steps Inspired by Krishna's Path

Krishna's success resulted from strategic planning, employer support, and persistence through a multi-decade process. Today's professionals can apply similar principles while leveraging modern legal services to avoid the bureaucratic failures that now plague the system.

Step 1: Assess Your Visa Options

Different categories suit different profiles:

• Recent graduates: F-1 OPT → H-1B lottery → EB-2/EB-3 green card
• Experienced professionals: Direct H-1B or O-1 → EB-1/EB-2 green card
• Entrepreneurs: O-1, E-2, or L-1A → EB-1 or EB-2 NIW green card
• Executives: L-1A intracompany transfer → EB-1C green card
• Researchers: O-1 or J-1 → EB-1B or EB-2 NIW green card

A free consultation with experienced immigration counsel helps identify optimal pathways based on your background, timeline, and goals.

Step 2: Build Your Immigration Profile

Strong cases require documentation developed over time:

• Publications, patents, and original contributions
• Awards, prizes, and recognition from professional organizations
• Media coverage and evidence of impact
• Letters from experts in your field
• Evidence of high salary or compensation
• Speaking engagements and conference presentations

Start collecting evidence early—applications submitted years later will rely on achievements you document today.

Step 3: Understand Timeline Realities

Realistic expectations prevent costly mistakes:

• H-1B cap-subject: Application in March, start date October 1 (if selected)
• O-1 petition: 2-3 months standard processing, 15 days with premium processing
• EB-2 NIW: 6-18 months for I-140 approval, then wait for priority date (potentially decades for Indian nationals)
• EB-1: 6-12 months average processing
• Adjustment of Status: 8-24 months after priority date becomes current

Alma's guaranteed two-week document processing turnaround ensures delays come from government processing, not attorney preparation.

Step 4: Choose the Right Legal Partner

Immigration outcomes depend on attorney expertise and case management. Evaluation criteria should include:

• Success rates for your specific visa category
• Experience with your industry and professional profile
• Transparent pricing without hidden administrative fees
• Technology platforms for case tracking and document management
• Response time and communication quality
• Knowledge of recent policy changes and precedent decisions

With a 99%+ approval rate and technology-enabled case management, Alma combines legal excellence with the transparency and speed that today's professionals require.

Step 5: Plan for Contingencies

The case of Lakshminarayana Ganti—whose green card application check was lost by DHS, causing him to lose eligibility after waiting 10 years—illustrates why backup plans matter:

• Maintain valid status at all times (never let visas expire)
• Keep copies of all submissions and receipt notices
• Monitor priority dates monthly for retrogression
• Maintain H-1B eligibility even while pursuing green card
• Consider concurrent O-1 and EB-1 strategies
• Document everything (certified mail, tracking numbers, screenshots)

One attorney noted that bureaucratic failures are "commonplace in U.S. immigration bureaucracy," making proactive case management essential.