Getting an american Visa.
-
You know, I'm not saying this is direct racism, but it make me feel really unwanted. I moved to some countries and never felt like now. I don't think that this level of control is good for us (the ones who want to work in the usa). Once I'll get there, I will not thinking, hey thanks for the oportunity, I would rathe think, hey, thanks for making my life harder. But I can understand your (americans) frustration. Btw, I don't think racism is rare in the us, it is a fact and it is due, in part, to the massive illegal immigration. Put yourself in my pants and try to feel it as I do. Ask yourself how hard it is to go living in an other continent alone, and not even feeling wanted there, what feeling could it create once you finnaly get on destination?
Racism involves race. I haven't a clue what yours is nor do you mine. Given that, its hard to see how anything I (or for that matter anyone else) has said could be taken to be "racist". Xenophobic (fear or dislike of foreigners) perhaps, but not racist. Xenophobia too is rather uncommon in the US. Most of us come from often recently (a few generations, living memory) arrived foreigners. As with any sovereign nation, we have an obligation to those citizens already here to control access to our land, resources and economy in order to insure our own citizens get first access. Uncontrolled immigration cheats both our citizens and the immigrants. I can't work in Canada without getting a work permit, and they can be more difficult for a U.S. citizen to obtain than an H1B visa is for a Uruguayan. That's just the way things wiork, and I take no personal offense that I would likely be refused. By the same token, you should not take personal offense that permission to work here requires some extra effort on your part.
-
Bill Gates has outlined the path for skilled workers to get jobs in North America (not necessarily USA). I assume you are a system architect. From what I understand (and I may be mistaken) he is encouraging immigration through Canada. You can then go to Vancouver British Columbia where Microsoft is building/(has built) a development facility. I hear Vancouver is nice, never been there, would like to go there some day. Hollywood is also outsourcing allot of their special effects and production work to Vancouver. Much of the special effects work requires programming. If you see Amanda Tapping there give her my regards. 2 cents.
MrPlankton
-
The US is one of the world's most friendly countries for workers or visitors. Typically how it works is if you find a company that is interested in hiring you (perhaps via the web), they may do a telephonic interview and may even fly you in on a visitor Visa for an in-person interview. If they decide to hire you, they will file a work visa for you (typically an H1B) and you can come and work on that Visa for up to 6 years. It's a dual-intent Visa, which means you can file for a Green Card (before your 6 years are up). The GC process may take several years, but once your application is accepted, till it's completed you can extend the Visa (even over 6 years). Hope this helps.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com link -
Shog9 wrote:
Most anyone here can tell you, they're a mess all around - for the employee, they're put at the mercy of an unscrupulous employer in a very unsatisfactory way
This is not true anymore. The rules have been changed so that a worker on an H1 Visa can transfer his H1 to another company (no quotas apply here). Things change when an employer files a green card application for the employee. Now the employee cannot change jobs till the GC process is done. He can technically, but that cancels the GC process and he has to start afresh. Typically you will find that full-time employees working for US companies are given regular pay (and sometimes above-regular pay). But people who work for non-US consulting firms that provide employees on contract to 3rd party companies are usually under paid. This is because they usually receive only 60-75% of the actual pay - the rest is taken by their parent employer - that's how they make profit. These are the people who most people have in mind when they think of unskilled, salary-reducing, heavy-accented foreign H1B based job stealers. :)
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com linkNishant Sivakumar wrote:
Typically you will find that full-time employees working for US companies are given regular pay (and sometimes above-regular pay).
According to wage data in Labor Department records for Fiscal Year 2004: In spite of the requirement that H-1B workers be paid the prevailing wage, H-1B workers earn significantly less than their American counterparts. On average, applications for H-1B workers in computer occupations were for wages $13,000 less than Americans in the same occupation and state. Wages for H-1B workers in computer programming occupations are overwhelmingly concentrated at the bottom of the U.S. pay scale. Wages on Labor Condition Appluications for 85 percent of H-1B workers were for less than the median U.S. wage in the same occupations and state. I repeat: 85% of H-1B workers make less than the median wage. Applications for 47 percent of H-1B computer programming workers were for wages below even the prevailing wage claimed by their employers. Very few H-1B workers earned high wages by U.S. standards. Applications for only 4 percent of H-1B workers were among the top 25 percent of wages for U.S. workers in the same state and occupation. Many employers use their own salary surveys and wage surveys for entry-level workers, rather than more relevant and objective data sources, to make prevailing-wage claims when hiring H-1B workers. Nish may have been lucky and only worked for employers who hire only a few H1-Bs. Employers of large numbers of H-1B workers tend to pay those workers less than those who hire a few. Employers making applications for more than 100 H-1B workers had wages averaging $9,000 less than employers of one to 10 H-1B workers.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
-
The US is one of the world's most friendly countries for workers or visitors. Typically how it works is if you find a company that is interested in hiring you (perhaps via the web), they may do a telephonic interview and may even fly you in on a visitor Visa for an in-person interview. If they decide to hire you, they will file a work visa for you (typically an H1B) and you can come and work on that Visa for up to 6 years. It's a dual-intent Visa, which means you can file for a Green Card (before your 6 years are up). The GC process may take several years, but once your application is accepted, till it's completed you can extend the Visa (even over 6 years). Hope this helps.
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com linkWhile some corporations want to double the amount if H-1B Visas, some in Congress want to tighten the rules to help U.S. workers. The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007 was recently introduced to Congress by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The two lawmakers say the proposed bill would authorize the Department of Labor to hire 200 additional employees "to administer, oversee, investigate and enforce the H-1B program." The H-1B bill would also enable the Department of Labor to conduct random audits of companies that use H-1B visas and give the agency more authority to investigate H-1B applications. The Senators say their proposed legislation would give the Department of Labor the power to check applications for "clear indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact" and double the review period from 7 to 14 days. Companies would also be required to advertise job openings for 30 days on the Department of Labor's Web site before submitting applications to hire H-1B workers.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
-
While some corporations want to double the amount if H-1B Visas, some in Congress want to tighten the rules to help U.S. workers. The H-1B and L-1 Visa Fraud and Abuse Prevention Act of 2007 was recently introduced to Congress by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa). The two lawmakers say the proposed bill would authorize the Department of Labor to hire 200 additional employees "to administer, oversee, investigate and enforce the H-1B program." The H-1B bill would also enable the Department of Labor to conduct random audits of companies that use H-1B visas and give the agency more authority to investigate H-1B applications. The Senators say their proposed legislation would give the Department of Labor the power to check applications for "clear indicators of fraud or misrepresentation of material fact" and double the review period from 7 to 14 days. Companies would also be required to advertise job openings for 30 days on the Department of Labor's Web site before submitting applications to hire H-1B workers.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
Microsoft and Google are among the leaders in using and wanting to expand the supply of H1-B visas. It's amazing that with the prestige of those two companies, they can't hire all the local talent they could possibly use. Have to beat them off with a stick, even.
Doing my part to piss off the religious right.
-
I just sort of criticized illegal and massive immigration so I don't get your comment. I want to go to work, as you, as others, not less, who knows, maybe more. Instead of an advice on how to proceed, what I get are just patriotic comments like "The entrace to the us is a privilege" "obligation on our part", that's cool, it doesn't really help, and it sounds racist. I think it's all about what reality you live in. Anyway, thanks for your comment!
_Zorro_ wrote:
I just sort of criticized illegal and massive immigration
The US is suffering from both. Where I live fully 1/3 of the population is foreign born and that's not counting the illegals. Immigration pressure has increased to where it's difficult to turn these people into Americans. What makes you think you're so special that you're above the process?
_Zorro_ wrote:
it sounds racist.
As has been pointed out, you apparently don't understand "racist". No one in this thread has mentioned your race. No one even called you derogatory names based on your perceived ethnicity, which isn't race, in case you don't understand that. Your initial attitude is what put people off. Gee, you guys have a good thing going up there in the USA and I want a piece of it. You seem upset that we don't just let you show up on our doorstep and go to the head of the line. In answer to why you can't just fly in and look for a job. Once you do that, what's to keep you from just staying. A big part of our illegals come in on student and tourist visas and never go home. What's to keep you from doing that and bypass the process you seem to disdain?
Doing my part to piss off the religious right.
-
Microsoft and Google are among the leaders in using and wanting to expand the supply of H1-B visas. It's amazing that with the prestige of those two companies, they can't hire all the local talent they could possibly use. Have to beat them off with a stick, even.
Doing my part to piss off the religious right.
Tim Craig wrote:
It's amazing that with the prestige of those two companies, they can't hire all the local talent they could possibly use
Of course they can, but they have to pay them a living wage. Local talent isn't going to be grateful for $75K a year and minimal benefits, but a lot of bright young Indians would think themselves blessed to get that salary, even with 2 - 5 years of solid experience.
Jon Smith & Wesson: The original point and click interface
-
:laugh: I suppose babelfish.altavista.com has its limitations...
-- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
How about Google Translation? Google rules the web.
Vasudevan Deepak Kumar Personal Homepage
Tech Gossips
A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them. --Leonard Louis Levinson -
How about Google Translation? Google rules the web.
Vasudevan Deepak Kumar Personal Homepage
Tech Gossips
A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them. --Leonard Louis LevinsonOld habits die hard... :)
-- Kein Mitleid Für Die Mehrheit
-
H1B visa is like that. It's generally applied for you by the company that hires you. And you do meet them before... You go in for interview and all, and if they extend you and offer after it and you accept it, they'll apply the visa for you. From what I remember, you can switch jobs after you're in, but you must get another job that's similar to the one the H1B was originally issued for within a certain time frame to keep the H1B visa. There are other visa's that you can apply for.
A Wong wrote:
you do meet them before...
Mostly telephonic interviews or through their offshore representative organizations right? What are the other procedures? Job Fairs or similar?
Vasudevan Deepak Kumar Personal Homepage
Tech Gossips
A pessimist sees only the dark side of the clouds, and mopes; a philosopher sees both sides, and shrugs; an optimist doesn't see the clouds at all - he's walking on them. --Leonard Louis Levinson -
_Zorro_ wrote:
I just sort of criticized illegal and massive immigration
The US is suffering from both. Where I live fully 1/3 of the population is foreign born and that's not counting the illegals. Immigration pressure has increased to where it's difficult to turn these people into Americans. What makes you think you're so special that you're above the process?
_Zorro_ wrote:
it sounds racist.
As has been pointed out, you apparently don't understand "racist". No one in this thread has mentioned your race. No one even called you derogatory names based on your perceived ethnicity, which isn't race, in case you don't understand that. Your initial attitude is what put people off. Gee, you guys have a good thing going up there in the USA and I want a piece of it. You seem upset that we don't just let you show up on our doorstep and go to the head of the line. In answer to why you can't just fly in and look for a job. Once you do that, what's to keep you from just staying. A big part of our illegals come in on student and tourist visas and never go home. What's to keep you from doing that and bypass the process you seem to disdain?
Doing my part to piss off the religious right.
Tim Craig wrote:
The US is suffering from both. Where I live fully 1/3 of the population is foreign born and that's not counting the illegals. Immigration pressure has increased to where it's difficult to turn these people into Americans. What makes you think you're so special that you're above the process?
I don't think I'm special at all, I just don't like to be treaten as an Immigrant that only wants to get there to stay in the streets or whatever, but maybe it is the way you found to fight immigration, treat everyone the same. I just see a lot of patriotics bit****g me but I suppose this is normal.
Tim Craig wrote:
Your initial attitude is what put people off. Gee, you guys have a good thing going up there in the USA and I want a piece of it. You seem upset that we don't just let you show up on our doorstep and go to the head of the line.
Yes, I agree, my tone was not the best, and the answers followed it. I regret to have written based on my anger seeing the answers instead of thinking why they almost all were in the same return tone. Anyway, as I said before, I looked for it. Thanks
-
Shog9 wrote:
Most anyone here can tell you, they're a mess all around - for the employee, they're put at the mercy of an unscrupulous employer in a very unsatisfactory way
This is not true anymore. The rules have been changed so that a worker on an H1 Visa can transfer his H1 to another company (no quotas apply here). Things change when an employer files a green card application for the employee. Now the employee cannot change jobs till the GC process is done. He can technically, but that cancels the GC process and he has to start afresh. Typically you will find that full-time employees working for US companies are given regular pay (and sometimes above-regular pay). But people who work for non-US consulting firms that provide employees on contract to 3rd party companies are usually under paid. This is because they usually receive only 60-75% of the actual pay - the rest is taken by their parent employer - that's how they make profit. These are the people who most people have in mind when they think of unskilled, salary-reducing, heavy-accented foreign H1B based job stealers. :)
Regards, Nish
Nish’s thoughts on MFC, C++/CLI and .NET (my blog)
My latest book : C++/CLI in Action / Amazon.com linkNishant Sivakumar wrote:
This is not true anymore. The rules have been changed so that a worker on an H1 Visa can transfer his H1 to another company (no quotas apply here).
That's good to hear. I do recall you had to deal with a fair amount of crap on your first US job, so i tend to think about that when discussing H1B-heavy employers.
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
But people who work for non-US consulting firms that provide employees on contract to 3rd party companies are usually under paid. This is because they usually receive only 60-75% of the actual pay - the rest is taken by their parent employer - that's how they make profit. These are the people who most people have in mind when they think of unskilled, salary-reducing, heavy-accented foreign H1B based job stealers.
Sadly, that's what i've been dealing with for the past couple of years. My group has been fighting tooth-and-nail to hang on to skilled, experienced local employees and consultants, but Corporate doesn't see the benefit when they can get two-for-one (one on-shore, one off-shore) or even three-for-one (one on, two off) from the big consulting companies for around the same price. Nevermind that they're replacing racing tires with boat anchors. :sigh:
-
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
This is not true anymore. The rules have been changed so that a worker on an H1 Visa can transfer his H1 to another company (no quotas apply here).
That's good to hear. I do recall you had to deal with a fair amount of crap on your first US job, so i tend to think about that when discussing H1B-heavy employers.
Nishant Sivakumar wrote:
But people who work for non-US consulting firms that provide employees on contract to 3rd party companies are usually under paid. This is because they usually receive only 60-75% of the actual pay - the rest is taken by their parent employer - that's how they make profit. These are the people who most people have in mind when they think of unskilled, salary-reducing, heavy-accented foreign H1B based job stealers.
Sadly, that's what i've been dealing with for the past couple of years. My group has been fighting tooth-and-nail to hang on to skilled, experienced local employees and consultants, but Corporate doesn't see the benefit when they can get two-for-one (one on-shore, one off-shore) or even three-for-one (one on, two off) from the big consulting companies for around the same price. Nevermind that they're replacing racing tires with boat anchors. :sigh:
Well, this is not the fault of immigration but globalization. Every single intelligent company would first think on the money and then on the moral side of the decision. I'm sure if you had (maybe you have) a company you would rather hire 2 people for the price of 1. Assuming that they have the same knowledge. And outsourcing brings a lot less problems than managing local employees with all their rights and blabla (if there is some management on the other side). Globalization my friend.
-
Well, this is not the fault of immigration but globalization. Every single intelligent company would first think on the money and then on the moral side of the decision. I'm sure if you had (maybe you have) a company you would rather hire 2 people for the price of 1. Assuming that they have the same knowledge. And outsourcing brings a lot less problems than managing local employees with all their rights and blabla (if there is some management on the other side). Globalization my friend.
_Zorro_ wrote:
Assuming that they have the same knowledge.
Unfortunately, that has turned out to be a very faulty assumption. Co-workers and managers have say over who gets hired - and we have a vested interest in making sure that it's someone who won't make more work for us. Upper management does not, and so instead of doing the job i was hired for, i spend more and more of my days teaching CS-101 to people who didn't care enough to pay attention the first time around.
-
_Zorro_ wrote:
Assuming that they have the same knowledge.
Unfortunately, that has turned out to be a very faulty assumption. Co-workers and managers have say over who gets hired - and we have a vested interest in making sure that it's someone who won't make more work for us. Upper management does not, and so instead of doing the job i was hired for, i spend more and more of my days teaching CS-101 to people who didn't care enough to pay attention the first time around.
Well, that's an other story and it depends entirely on your company's selection process. I can assure you that you can find people all arround the world even in poor countries that would let a lot of you guys like clowns. Not trying to offense anyone in particular here. (And no, i'm not that guy :))
-
Well, that's an other story and it depends entirely on your company's selection process. I can assure you that you can find people all arround the world even in poor countries that would let a lot of you guys like clowns. Not trying to offense anyone in particular here. (And no, i'm not that guy :))
Oh, don't get me wrong - i'm not claiming that all immigrants are uneducated, or the H1B program produces only cheap, underskilled workers. I'm just saying that it provides a convenient way of obtaining those that are for unscrupulous companies that might otherwise be hampered in doing so. As onerous as you might see the process, there are restrictions on domestic hiring practices as well, and the program seems often to be used to side-step legal and market pressures that might otherwise apply. But, that is neither here nor there. Ideally, you'd want to avoid working for a company with that attitude anyway.