Kamal Ghorui
A 2021 post by Indian-origin entrepreneur Ankur Nagpal is at the center of a major controversy as an investigative report flagged his post as visa abuse. Nagpal wrote that if anyone was trying to immigrate to the US on an O-1 visa and needs some references, they can reach out to Nagpal and he would happily sign their letters even if he did not know them as it costs him nothing but the US will get more skilled immigrants. In 2023, he added to the same post and wrote that it was a great idea, as many people benefited from him on their visa journey. The report accused him of being a part of a visa gaming system. It also pointed out that the social media post was not taken down and Nagpal, meanwhile, went on to become richer and richer as he set up several companies.
What is O-1 visa?
An individual with extraordinary ability, of national or international acclaim, can apply for this visa to work in the area of their ability. Applicants include six to 10 recommendation letters from independent experts and people with whom the visa seeker has worked. These are the letters that Nagpal said he would provide even if he did not know the applicant personally. In the comment section of that 2021 post, many people wrote that they also do the same and provide recommendation letters for O-1 visa applicants. The investigative report said Nagpal also taught people how to “game” the O-1 visa system as he made a video course on it. This is not a secret. Nagpal has widely spoken about his O-1 visa story and his course.
What is Ankur Nagpal’s O-1 visa story?
Ankur Nagpal was born in India and brought up in Oman. He came to the US at the age of 17 on an F-1 visa. He graduated but it was hard to get a visa and so he started his own consulting company to sponsor his own OPT. He got a STEM extension also from his own company. But after that expired, he had no avenue to stay in the US and he said he contemplated a Green Card marriage as well.Then he found the cheapest community college so that he could get another student visa for a degree that he did not require. He then accepted a job which he did not want, only to get a pathway to apply for O-1 visa. He said this visa was life-changing and he immediately applied for his EB-1 Green Card and started another company when he was just 24. By the time he sold the company for a 9-figure sum, he had become a US citizen. With a net worth of over $100 million, Nagpal is now the founder of Carry and Silli Money. He sold his platform, Teachable, for $250M. In an interview, he said how he was burned out starting so many companies from scratch. But he realized that he was good at starting companies and hence returned to entrepreneurship after a short break.
