4 ms·

> you hire a H1B employee and they're gonna stick around for a few years. Even if the job sucks. Can you elaborate a bit more on this? H1b's are free to change

by hatred 10y ago

> you hire a H1B employee and they're gonna stick around for a few years. Even if the job sucks. Can you elaborate a bit more on this? H1b's are free to change jobs. There is nothing that prevents them from doing so.

vskarine 10y ago
Green card process prevents it. I changed jobs 3 times on H1B and my green card process reset every time. It's been 7 years and I am still waiting for green card, but if I just stayed with my first employer then I'd already have it years ago. Most ppl stick around to get green card and I've seen employers taking advantage of this.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
titomc 10y ago
I had to give in writing to my employer that If I get a promotion which changes my job role more than 50%, my entire process will be reset. So in EB2 the wait time is 7 years. I would have to wait 14 years if a get a promotion or a good raise even. If I change my employer & if I am lucky I can keep my position in the queue. Going by these draconian rules I will never settle at 60 !.I don't believe in luck,but hardwork. US H1B is based on pure luck and not in skills. Canada immigration system is point based and evaluates your skills not your luck. So goodbye US and hello Canada is my course of action.
geebee 10y ago
People exaggerate this in both directions. Some people do say, inaccurately, that H1B holders are unable to change jobs. Others say that nothing prevents them from doing so. Both are inaccurate, though the also both contain some truth. H1B holders have some limited job mobility. They typically must find a new corporate sponsor, and if they are also being sponsored for a green card, they will typically need to ensure that the new employer will also assume sponsorship. If they are hoping to get that green card, they would be wise to stick with stable employers. Although it used to be the case that an H1B holder would restart the waiting process with a new green card sponsor, that is no longer the case, so at least that is a mild improvement. The types of jobs an H1B can move to are also restricted. They can pretty much be an engineer/developer here, there, or even over there, but that's about it. Changing fields, dropping out to be a consultant, starting your own business (whether it's a tech company or a sandwich shop) is pretty much out of the question. The mobility that does exist helps, but overall, I think the restrictions are severe enough that H1Bs really can't be considered free and full participants in a labor market. The more cynical side of me sees this as entirely deliberate. A RAND study found that the American aversion to STEM graduate degrees is rational and market-driven. I feel that while dev jobs are ok, there's a lot to dislike about them - open offices, back visibility, scrum meetings that limit autonomy and are misused to apply deadline pressure, often soulless and unfulfilling work. I do think that people who are capable of becoming developers are also capable of finding work they prefer outside the field - provided they are free to do so. Part of the appeal of the H1B is that it creates a population of workers who are, well, not free to do so. Corporations talk about things like "at will employment", but they'll absolutely lobby government to undermine freedom if freedom doesn't suit them.
- ashwinaj 10y ago
  Thanks for listing it out. It's a shame that people in this dilemma tend towards hyperbole, even going to the extent of calling it slavery. There are hurdles no doubt, but life is unfair. Deal with it.
  - geebee 10y ago
    On a personal level, it is very important to deal with the unfairness in live, because as you've pointed out, unfairness is inevitable. However, "life isn't fair" isn't a good mantra for forming public policy, either. One way to deal with unfairness is to fight against it rather than just accepting it.
    - ashwinaj 10y ago
      Sure, but what fight are we talking about? We can't vote and we have zero influence. The general sentiment on immigration is negative and has been negative since the recession of 2008. The US Congress can't even pass a budget, good luck in passing immigration reform. Sometimes it's important to accept ground realities and making the best of what you have, rather than having an idealistic pipe dream.
  - st3v3r 10y ago
    "Deal with it" is perhaps the worst possible thing to say in any situation.
    - ashwinaj 10y ago
      As opposed to confronting reality and not being in denial? We have a difference of opinion. I'd rather be told the truth than have someone showing sympathy which is of no use whatsoever.
st3v3r 10y ago
They are "free" to change jobs in the way that one is "free" to disparage a judge during their trial. The fact that there are many, many hurdles to doing this, not the least is finding a company that is willing to pick up sponsorship of that visa, makes that "free", not really free.

by hatred 10y ago

vskarine 10y ago

Green card process prevents it. I changed jobs 3 times on H1B and my green card process reset every time. It's been 7 years and I am still waiting for green card, but if I just stayed with my first employer then I'd already have it years ago. Most ppl stick around to get green card and I've seen employers taking advantage of this.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

titomc 10y ago

I had to give in writing to my employer that If I get a promotion which changes my job role more than 50%, my entire process will be reset. So in EB2 the wait time is 7 years. I would have to wait 14 years if a get a promotion or a good raise even. If I change my employer & if I am lucky I can keep my position in the queue. Going by these draconian rules I will never settle at 60 !.I don't believe in luck,but hardwork. US H1B is based on pure luck and not in skills. Canada immigration system is point based and evaluates your skills not your luck. So goodbye US and hello Canada is my course of action.

geebee 10y ago

People exaggerate this in both directions. Some people do say, inaccurately, that H1B holders are unable to change jobs. Others say that nothing prevents them from doing so. Both are inaccurate, though the also both contain some truth. H1B holders have some limited job mobility. They typically must find a new corporate sponsor, and if they are also being sponsored for a green card, they will typically need to ensure that the new employer will also assume sponsorship. If they are hoping to get that green card, they would be wise to stick with stable employers. Although it used to be the case that an H1B holder would restart the waiting process with a new green card sponsor, that is no longer the case, so at least that is a mild improvement. The types of jobs an H1B can move to are also restricted. They can pretty much be an engineer/developer here, there, or even over there, but that's about it. Changing fields, dropping out to be a consultant, starting your own business (whether it's a tech company or a sandwich shop) is pretty much out of the question. The mobility that does exist helps, but overall, I think the restrictions are severe enough that H1Bs really can't be considered free and full participants in a labor market. The more cynical side of me sees this as entirely deliberate. A RAND study found that the American aversion to STEM graduate degrees is rational and market-driven. I feel that while dev jobs are ok, there's a lot to dislike about them - open offices, back visibility, scrum meetings that limit autonomy and are misused to apply deadline pressure, often soulless and unfulfilling work. I do think that people who are capable of becoming developers are also capable of finding work they prefer outside the field - provided they are free to do so. Part of the appeal of the H1B is that it creates a population of workers who are, well, not free to do so. Corporations talk about things like "at will employment", but they'll absolutely lobby government to undermine freedom if freedom doesn't suit them.

ashwinaj 10y ago
Thanks for listing it out. It's a shame that people in this dilemma tend towards hyperbole, even going to the extent of calling it slavery. There are hurdles no doubt, but life is unfair. Deal with it.
- geebee 10y ago
  On a personal level, it is very important to deal with the unfairness in live, because as you've pointed out, unfairness is inevitable. However, "life isn't fair" isn't a good mantra for forming public policy, either. One way to deal with unfairness is to fight against it rather than just accepting it.
  - ashwinaj 10y ago
    Sure, but what fight are we talking about? We can't vote and we have zero influence. The general sentiment on immigration is negative and has been negative since the recession of 2008. The US Congress can't even pass a budget, good luck in passing immigration reform. Sometimes it's important to accept ground realities and making the best of what you have, rather than having an idealistic pipe dream.
- st3v3r 10y ago
  "Deal with it" is perhaps the worst possible thing to say in any situation.
  - ashwinaj 10y ago
    As opposed to confronting reality and not being in denial? We have a difference of opinion. I'd rather be told the truth than have someone showing sympathy which is of no use whatsoever.

st3v3r 10y ago

They are "free" to change jobs in the way that one is "free" to disparage a judge during their trial. The fact that there are many, many hurdles to doing this, not the least is finding a company that is willing to pick up sponsorship of that visa, makes that "free", not really free.