Coping with Uncertainty: Navigating the New H1-B Visa Requirements

The recent changes to H1-B visa requirements in the U.S. have left many professionals feeling anxious, uncertain, and overwhelmed. Immigration processes often bring up deep fears about stability, belonging, and the future. As a psychologist and an immigrant myself, I understand this experience both personally and professionally.

I came to the U.S. from Peru as a student, pursuing advanced training in psychology. Like many immigrants, I navigated the complicated path of student visas, then H1-B, then eventually the green card process, and finally, citizenship. Each stage brought its own emotional toll. There were moments of intense hope, but also seasons of profound stress, waiting, and wondering if life as I had built it here would be suddenly disrupted.

One of the most difficult aspects of immigration is the lack of control. You can study, prepare, file paperwork, and follow every rule, yet so much depends on forces outside your control: policy changes, lotteries, wait times, and decisions made by people you never meet. That lack of certainty can impact mental health significantly, leading to heightened anxiety, depression, and feelings of helplessness.

Coping With Uncertainty: Psychological Tools

As a clinician, I’ve seen how important it is to equip ourselves with tools to manage the stress of uncertainty. Some strategies I often recommend include:

• Grounding practices: Mindfulness, deep breathing, or gentle movement help regulate the nervous system in moments of high stress.

• Focusing on what you can control: While the outcome of immigration processes is unpredictable, you can care for your health, relationships, and daily routines.

• Limiting overexposure to news/rumors: Constantly checking updates can increase stress. Setting boundaries around information helps protect your mental space.

• Therapy and support groups: Speaking openly about your fears in a supportive space reduces isolation and builds resilience.

  
  

The Role of Spirituality in Times of Uncertainty

Research has consistently shown that spirituality and religious beliefs play a central role in resilience when people face uncertainty, adversity, or lack of control.

• A 2023 cross-national study of care leavers from 11 countries found that spirituality was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, better mental and physical health, and greater resilience, even after controlling for demographics and adversity (Howard A.H.,et al., 2023).

• Among Latino immigrants, researchers found that religious coping—both private practices like prayer and community involvement in churches, buffered stress and reduced mental health symptoms during the acculturation process (Sanchez, M. et al., 2012).

• Broader studies on spiritual resilience show that spiritual belief and practice are strong protective factors, supporting adaptation to change, stress, and aging. They are consistently linked to well-being and emotional regulation (Manning, L . et al., 2019).

  
  

Finding Meaning and Strength Through Spirituality

Based on both research and lived experience, spirituality can support healing in several ways:

• Meaning: Providing frameworks that help make sense of hardship.

• Hope: Practices such as prayer, meditation, or ritual instill trust in the unfolding of life.

• Community: Faith communities offer connection and support when systems feel overwhelming.

• Nervous system support: Spiritual practices have been shown to calm stress responses and foster regulation.

  
  

The H1-B process, and immigration more broadly, can feel like walking an unpredictable path. As someone who has walked it myself, I know the mix of fear, resilience, and growth it brings. While policy changes may be out of our control, how we care for ourselves in these moments is within our reach. Psychological tools and spiritual practices together can create a foundation of resilience, helping us stay grounded while navigating uncertainty.

If you or someone you know is struggling with the stress of immigration and change, therapy can be a supportive space to process emotions, learn coping strategies, and find renewed strength. You don’t have to walk this journey alone.

References:

• Howard, A. H., Roberts, M., Mitchell, T., & Wilke, N. G. (2023). The Relationship Between Spirituality and Resilience and Well-being: A Study of 529 Care Leavers from 11 Nations. Adversity and Resilience Science. Advance online publication.

• Manning, L., Ferris, M., Narvaez Rosario, C., Prues, M., & Bouchard, L. (2019). Spiritual Resilience: Understanding the Protection and Promotion of Well-being in Later Life. Journal of Religion, Spirituality & Aging, 31(2), 168-186.

• Sanchez, M., Chiu, G., J… (et al.) (2012). The Influence of Religious Coping on the Acculturative Stress of Recent Latino Immigrants. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 14(5), 774-785.