Help me make a decision
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Hi, I could use some help with a tough decision i gotta make. I'm working in India and my primary skill sets are VC++ (6.0) & MFC. I have around 4.5 yrs experience. Last week I got this offer from a consulting firm in New Jersey. Now, the way these firms work is that they get you into the US and then arrange some client interviews for you. Till the time you don't get an offer from a client they pay you 500$ a month. If you don't get an offer in (maybe) 2 - 3 months, they probably send you packing back to wherever they picked you from :(( If I do manage to get an offer from a client :) I'll easily be making around 4.5 times what I make over here. I'd be grateful, if you could help me with these questions. 1) Do you think I should take this offer? 2) Are there companies in East Coast of US that are hiring people with my skills? 3) What do you think are my chances of getting hired? Thanks, Mel
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Hi Rohit, Thanks for replying. I don't think it is a scam coz they aren't taking any money from me. I don't have to pay them a dime for processing my H1 or flight tickets. The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. Yes, it would be best to apply directly but I don't think companies in the US will spend money to sponsor an H1 for someone. Also I wud think there are lotsa unemployed programmers out there itself. Thanks again, Mel
melwyn wrote: The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. No! This is definitely a lie. I didn't have to give anyone any certificates when I got my H1B. The only place where you need the certificates is at the US embassy where you apply for the Visa and you take it there yourself when you attend the now-mandatory interview! Do NOT take this offer! Nish
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework [NW] (coming soon...) Summer Love and Some more Cricket [NW] (My first novel) Shog's review of SLASMC [NW] This post was made from Trivandrum city, India on a 0.0001 KB/s net connection
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Good advice, Rohit. There are a lot of companies taking advantage of foriegn workers - not just Indians - and luring them here this way. A stipend of $500 a month is just barely enough to starve on in the US, and even 5 times what most Indians make at home will not begin to pay the expenses required for living here. "Your village called -
They're missing their idiot."Roger Wright wrote: and even 5 times what most Indians make at home will not begin to pay the expenses required for living here. Many Indians now make upto 24K USD annually (specially in Bangalore, Bombay etc). Are you saying 120 K annual is not enough to avoid starvation, Rog? :-) Nish
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework [NW] (coming soon...) Summer Love and Some more Cricket [NW] (My first novel) Shog's review of SLASMC [NW] This post was made from Trivandrum city, India on a 0.0001 KB/s net connection
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Hi Rohit, Thanks for replying. I don't think it is a scam coz they aren't taking any money from me. I don't have to pay them a dime for processing my H1 or flight tickets. The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. Yes, it would be best to apply directly but I don't think companies in the US will spend money to sponsor an H1 for someone. Also I wud think there are lotsa unemployed programmers out there itself. Thanks again, Mel
melwyn wrote: The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. BIG NO.... The reason they keep your certificates b'cos you can't run away from them. One more they will ask after you land is to sign a bond... X| melwyn wrote: Also I wud think there are lotsa unemployed programmers out there itself. The market for IT folks is VERY TOUGH. Doesn't matter you are a US Citizen or Green Card holder or Canadian Citizen or H1B holder...
"Whidbey"..."Orcas"...Roadmap
This signature was created by "Code Project Quoter". -
Roger Wright wrote: and even 5 times what most Indians make at home will not begin to pay the expenses required for living here. Many Indians now make upto 24K USD annually (specially in Bangalore, Bombay etc). Are you saying 120 K annual is not enough to avoid starvation, Rog? :-) Nish
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework [NW] (coming soon...) Summer Love and Some more Cricket [NW] (My first novel) Shog's review of SLASMC [NW] This post was made from Trivandrum city, India on a 0.0001 KB/s net connection
No, I said quite clearly that $500 isn't enough to avoid starvation. There are some places, too, where you would be hard pressed to do much more than get by on $120K, as well, if you have a family to consider. And I would venture that most Indians don't make anywhere near $24K.;P "Your village called -
They're missing their idiot." -
No, I said quite clearly that $500 isn't enough to avoid starvation. There are some places, too, where you would be hard pressed to do much more than get by on $120K, as well, if you have a family to consider. And I would venture that most Indians don't make anywhere near $24K.;P "Your village called -
They're missing their idiot."Roger Wright wrote: And I would venture that most Indians don't make anywhere near $24K. Yup, true. The majority makes around USD 5K - 6K annualy. Roger Wright wrote: There are some places, too, where you would be hard pressed to do much more than get by on $120K, as well, if you have a family to consider Most Indian softweare engineers in the US marry softweare engineers and thus their wives usually have jobs too. Nish
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework [NW] (coming soon...) Summer Love and Some more Cricket [NW] (My first novel) Shog's review of SLASMC [NW] This post was made from Trivandrum city, India on a 0.0001 KB/s net connection
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Roger Wright wrote: And I would venture that most Indians don't make anywhere near $24K. Yup, true. The majority makes around USD 5K - 6K annualy. Roger Wright wrote: There are some places, too, where you would be hard pressed to do much more than get by on $120K, as well, if you have a family to consider Most Indian softweare engineers in the US marry softweare engineers and thus their wives usually have jobs too. Nish
Extending MFC Applications with the .NET Framework [NW] (coming soon...) Summer Love and Some more Cricket [NW] (My first novel) Shog's review of SLASMC [NW] This post was made from Trivandrum city, India on a 0.0001 KB/s net connection
Nishant S wrote: Most Indian softweare engineers in the US marry softweare engineers So that's where all the decent women have gone!!! Damn you foreigners! Cancel all the visas, ship the interlopers back, shun the invaders!!!:mad: "Your village called -
They're missing their idiot." -
Megan Forbes wrote: the fact that you see it as bad doesn't necessarily make it so. Absolutely... I just thought I'd mention the story... Megan Forbes also wrote: with 22 people (mostly Aussies) Why am I not surprised at that! :-D ;) AND Megan Forbes wrote: If it is exploitation then it's undeniably evil. Yep.. and in this instance I got the impression that it was not exactly what they expected or had been promised when they signed up. Shaun ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaun Austin: .NET Specialist. Spreading the word of .NET to the world... well the UK... well my tiny corner of it!! :-D
shaunAustin wrote: Megan Forbes also wrote: with 22 people (mostly Aussies) Why am I not surprised at that! Cheeky bugger! :) Rob Manderson http://www.mindprobes.net "I killed him dead cuz he was stepping on my turf, cutting me out of my bling the same way my ho cuts cookies, officer" "Alright then, move along" - Ian Darling, The Lounge, Oct 10 2003
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shaunAustin wrote: Megan Forbes also wrote: with 22 people (mostly Aussies) Why am I not surprised at that! Cheeky bugger! :) Rob Manderson http://www.mindprobes.net "I killed him dead cuz he was stepping on my turf, cutting me out of my bling the same way my ho cuts cookies, officer" "Alright then, move along" - Ian Darling, The Lounge, Oct 10 2003
:-D ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Shaun Austin: .NET Specialist. Spreading the word of .NET to the world... well the UK... well my tiny corner of it!! :-D
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Nishant S wrote: Most Indian softweare engineers in the US marry softweare engineers So that's where all the decent women have gone!!! Damn you foreigners! Cancel all the visas, ship the interlopers back, shun the invaders!!!:mad: "Your village called -
They're missing their idiot." -
melwyn wrote: The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. BIG NO.... The reason they keep your certificates b'cos you can't run away from them. One more they will ask after you land is to sign a bond... X| melwyn wrote: Also I wud think there are lotsa unemployed programmers out there itself. The market for IT folks is VERY TOUGH. Doesn't matter you are a US Citizen or Green Card holder or Canadian Citizen or H1B holder...
"Whidbey"..."Orcas"...Roadmap
This signature was created by "Code Project Quoter".Yes, you are right. The reason they asked for my original certificates is so that I don't run away from them. If I recall correctly now, they never said they required it for H1 processing. I assumed that. They also told me that they will return me my original certificates once I land in the US (don't know how far this is true). Kant wrote: One more they will ask after you land is to sign a bond That's a good point. I need to check with them if I have to sign a bond. I wonder what the bond would say though. Thanks, Mel
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Marc Clifton wrote: You can't live on $500/mo here in New England. Living costs are easily around $2000/mo. If they're paying your rent, electricity and such, all you have to pay for is food and transportation, I think you could make it on $500. I know personally after rent, bills, and food costs, I still have some spending cash for entertainment and such. <---signature---> Your kid gets into Duke. You pay the tuition. That tuition goes into my checking account. My money in my checking account goes into beer, porn, and other such fun. Thank you :)
Kenneth Childs wrote: all you have to pay for is food and transportation, I think I will have to shell out for utilities (electricity, gas, water) also. Is $500/month enough for all that? What about insurance? I've heard that in US its mandatory to have health/dental insurance. Who normally pays for this? employer or employee? Thanks, Mel
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melwyn wrote: Last week I got this offer from a consulting firm in New Jersey. Now, the way these firms work is that they get you into the US and then arrange some client interviews for you. Till the time you don't get an offer from a client they pay you 500$ a month. If you don't get an offer in (maybe) 2 - 3 months, they probably send you packing back to wherever they picked you from I don't think the company is really a consulting firm. This whole deal reeks of a scam to me and I'd not give it a second of thought. Reputable agencies that are in the business of finding people to fill positions, typically operate using a finder fee premise. They will be paid a fee by the company that hires you, when that company hires you. You do not have to pay anything. I wouldn't go near a firm that operates any other way than this. Chris Meech It's much easier to get rich telling people what they want to hear. Chistopher Duncan But for a man, barbecuing eggplant and portobello mushrooms is a sure way to have people question your sexual orientation. Kuro5hin
Chris Meech wrote: I don't think the company is really a consulting firm. Yes, they're often (atleast over here) called as Body-shopping firms. Chris Meech wrote: They will be paid a fee by the company that hires you, when that company hires you. Yes, I'm sure they will be getting a finder fee from the company that hires me on contract. That's one of the ways they make their money, apart from taking a cut from my salary. Thanks, Mel
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Be very careful. $500 in much of NJ will barely get you through the week, let alone a month. Why can't they arrange preliminary interviews with their clients before you get to the US?
"The beat goes on.. da-da-dum dadum dum"
BW
brianwelsch wrote: Why can't they arrange preliminary interviews with their clients before you get to the US? My guess would be that companies in the US couldn't be bothered with conducting an interview with a bloke who's in another part of the world. But yes it would be great if I could have the interview over here itself. Thanks, Mel
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Not sure what you are making there, but New Jersey (and surrounding areas) is not a cheap place to live. If they are only going to pay you $500 a month til you find something, you better bring some money with you. You couldn't live on $500 a month in Tennessee (where I am) and the cost of living is between 1.5 and 2 times higher in New Jersey.
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Mel - Dont do it , could get you deported ! First of all this is an illegal scam. It is illegal to pay a H1 visa holder less than the local prevailing wages, even if you are on the bench. This is a clear case of H1 visa abuse. If you tell me the name of the company, I will report this abuse myself.
Hi Vivek, One of the things they told me is that it would take around 3-4 weeks to get my SSN. So, I think they would probably use that to circumvent the legality of paying me full wages even when on bench. I need to find out with them if once I get my SSN will they pay me the full promised $50K/year. Thanks for your reply, Mel
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Well I had a look at their clients on their website. It lists some financial companies like JPmorgan chase, SmithBarney, MerillLynch & PrudentialFinancial. But ofcourse I have no idea of knowing, if they really are their clients. By the way, what is the VC++ work involved in this domain? Is it GUI stuff? Thanks for your reply, Mel
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Hi Rohit, Thanks for replying. I don't think it is a scam coz they aren't taking any money from me. I don't have to pay them a dime for processing my H1 or flight tickets. The only thing i have to give them is my original educational certificates, which they say they require for processing my H1. Yes, it would be best to apply directly but I don't think companies in the US will spend money to sponsor an H1 for someone. Also I wud think there are lotsa unemployed programmers out there itself. Thanks again, Mel
I don't understand why you are so adamant on using the services of this firm. It seems that you desire to go to the US has clouded your senses. Everyone here is telling you it's a scam, and you refuse to listen. Who are you trying to convince? Listen to Nish, Kant and Vivek. They've either been to the US or are still there, and they know how this thing works, OK? By all means, keep trying to go to the US and other countries where you'll be paid a huge salary. But try some other means. It might take some more time, but at least you'll get what you are told you'll get. By the way, I have a bridge to sell you. It'll cost you only one buck. All you need to do is tell me your credit card number, and deposit all your academic certificates, voter's ID card, driving licence, and all other papers with me. I promise to return them as soon as I complete the transfer of said bridge to you. Regards, Rohit Sinha Browsy
Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. - Mother Teresa
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Kenneth Childs wrote: all you have to pay for is food and transportation, I think I will have to shell out for utilities (electricity, gas, water) also. Is $500/month enough for all that? What about insurance? I've heard that in US its mandatory to have health/dental insurance. Who normally pays for this? employer or employee? Thanks, Mel
Um, all that together, depending on how much stuff you leave turned on and everything, could cost up near 250. That *might* be enough. You definately want to ask them about cost of living where they're going to be and all. <---signature---> Your kid gets into Duke. You pay the tuition. That tuition goes into my checking account. My money in my checking account goes into beer, porn, and other such fun. Thank you :)
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I don't understand why you are so adamant on using the services of this firm. It seems that you desire to go to the US has clouded your senses. Everyone here is telling you it's a scam, and you refuse to listen. Who are you trying to convince? Listen to Nish, Kant and Vivek. They've either been to the US or are still there, and they know how this thing works, OK? By all means, keep trying to go to the US and other countries where you'll be paid a huge salary. But try some other means. It might take some more time, but at least you'll get what you are told you'll get. By the way, I have a bridge to sell you. It'll cost you only one buck. All you need to do is tell me your credit card number, and deposit all your academic certificates, voter's ID card, driving licence, and all other papers with me. I promise to return them as soon as I complete the transfer of said bridge to you. Regards, Rohit Sinha Browsy
Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. - Mother Teresa
Hi Rohit, Thank you for your reply. I have decided not to take up the offer, but not because I doubt the credibility of the firm, but because I am skeptical of my chances of getting a good job considering the downturn in the US economy and all. Hordes of indians went to the US through firms like this couple of years ago and no one gave it a second thought. At that time since there was a general boom in the industry everyone who went would generally spend very less time on bench. So, it worked out pretty well for everyone. Today however the situation is different due to the economic realities. As far as it being a scam, well it can only be a scam if they were to take some money from me. They aren't asking me to pay for H1 or flight ticket costs. The only thing they ask for is degree certificates which they keep for surety purposes. Yes, I know there are some firms that don't ask for this also. One of the reasons why they do this is that, before during the boom time, many software engineers in india used to accept offers from 3-4 different firms. Now all the firms have invested time and money to apply for the engineer's H1 but only one is going to get him. So basically to protect their investment the firms ask for original certificates. Yes, I know this in no way can guarantee that the engineer cannot apply through a different firm, but it usually is a good deterrent. Also I have been told of all the risks by the firm itself(which is anyway not a big secret, since people in india generally know how these firms operate since they were pretty popular some years ago), so I can't see the "scam" part of it. The firm was founded in 1998 by a Wharton educated entrepreneur. I don't think they could be running a scam for so long!! The only possible illegal part is they paying $500/month on bench, which someone on this board mentioned as illegal as per LCA etc. But that's the way most of these firms operate...only a few of them pay full on bench. Ofcourse the firm will be trying their best also to get me off bench, since they aren't earning any money out of me when I'm on bench and they have already invested in my H1 visa etc. I look at this entire thing as a mutually benefitial relationship, the only prolem is the uncertainity of not knowing how long one will remain on bench. Thanks and Regards, Mel ps: Your bridge offer sounds tempting ;)