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:

https://h1b.life/

https://www.wired.com/story/made-in-china-a-new-game-turns-the-h-1b-visa-system-into-a-surreal-simulation/

HOST: LAUREN CLARKE

NEWS NERD: ROB TAYLOR

PRODUCER: ADAM BELMAR