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This also doesn't mention the horrible inflexibility of the H-1B once you have it. Once on an H-1B, you literally have ZERO days of unemployment between jobs. I

This also doesn't mention the horrible inflexibility of the H-1B once you have it. Once on an H-1B, you literally have ZERO days of unemployment between jobs. If you are fired, laid-off, or leave your job for any reason at all (say health reasons), you technically are out of status and can be deported at any minute. There is an unofficial grace period of about 30 days, which is really not enough to do any kind of a decent job search (and its unofficial, so technically you could be deported at any minute). So the only realistic avenue for H-1Bs is to find a job before leaving the current one - works for most people, but again, if you are laid-off or need to take time off for any reason, its simply not an option. Its a horrible system.

nul_byte 10y ago
I did not mention it, in my other comment, but that was another key aspect which put me off. When I was single I could have gone along with it reluctantly, as worst case I could come back home and sleep on a couch of a friend if needed, but now that I have a family dependent on me, no way.
Bromskloss 10y ago
Isn't that the idea, though, that if I go to America to work under an H-1B, I go home once the employment ends?
- raverbashing 10y ago
  Not necessarily H1-B is a dual intent visa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#H-1B_and_path_to_permanent_residency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#H-1B_and_path_to_per...
dominotw 10y ago
Not to mention, You have to go out of the country to get your visa stamped every 3 yrs. Its nerve-racking to say the least. The guy in front of me at the line in american consulate in Ottawa was begging "visa officer" saying 'I have a house. I need to go back and sell all of it and move my kids', not quite sure what exactly transpired but I got a feeling this was not an uncommon occurrence. I had friends you were stuck in Mexico for 3 months for some kind of 'verification' and consequently lost their jobs. What decent person would put up with this humiliation uless you are from a really horrid country that you don't want to go back to.
redmaverick 10y ago
This was the exact reason why I applied for a Canadian PR and moved to Canada. The PR process on "express entry" takes roughly 6 to 8 months. The only issue is that the job market and pay in Canada is not as hot (compared to the US market). This is a small price to pay for peace of mind and having the ability to start your own company without any kind of immigration hassle.
- ohstopitu 10y ago
  How were you able to have "express entry"? (my parents did it and it took my family about 5 years to receive the PR - we did it from Abu Dhabi) The software job market is Canada is kinda terrible (I am a recent graduate looking for a job - not to mention the salaries in Canada can't compete with those in US)
  - redmaverick 10y ago
    The express entry program was introduced only last year by the Canadian Govt. They promised to make a decision within 6 months. Previous to that, it did take years of waiting. The Canadian Job market is pretty tough.
    - njloof 10y ago
      There's a lot of startup activity in Montreal, and costs are cheaper than Vancouver or Toronto.
  - hackerboos 10y ago
    I got PR under the old FSW system in just over 12 months (applied in 2014). Never stepped foot in Canada before then. Now I can stay here forever. Citizenship after just 3 years.
- chrisper 10y ago
  Yes. This is one of the reasons I was considering going back to Europe (I have a European Passport). Yes, the pay is less, but I do not have to worry about all the immigration craziness in the US and do not have to be worried about being laid off and having to leave everything behind. Well worth that pay cut.
shortsightedsid 10y ago
Also your spouse cannot work as a dependent. They need to have their own H1-B or any of the other visas. Consider the probability of both spouses getting past the H1B lottery.

nul_byte 10y ago

I did not mention it, in my other comment, but that was another key aspect which put me off. When I was single I could have gone along with it reluctantly, as worst case I could come back home and sleep on a couch of a friend if needed, but now that I have a family dependent on me, no way.

Bromskloss 10y ago

Isn't that the idea, though, that if I go to America to work under an H-1B, I go home once the employment ends?

raverbashing 10y ago
Not necessarily H1-B is a dual intent visa https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#H-1B_and_path_to_permanent_residency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#H-1B_and_path_to_per...

dominotw 10y ago

Not to mention, You have to go out of the country to get your visa stamped every 3 yrs. Its nerve-racking to say the least. The guy in front of me at the line in american consulate in Ottawa was begging "visa officer" saying 'I have a house. I need to go back and sell all of it and move my kids', not quite sure what exactly transpired but I got a feeling this was not an uncommon occurrence. I had friends you were stuck in Mexico for 3 months for some kind of 'verification' and consequently lost their jobs. What decent person would put up with this humiliation uless you are from a really horrid country that you don't want to go back to.

redmaverick 10y ago

This was the exact reason why I applied for a Canadian PR and moved to Canada. The PR process on "express entry" takes roughly 6 to 8 months. The only issue is that the job market and pay in Canada is not as hot (compared to the US market). This is a small price to pay for peace of mind and having the ability to start your own company without any kind of immigration hassle.

ohstopitu 10y ago
How were you able to have "express entry"? (my parents did it and it took my family about 5 years to receive the PR - we did it from Abu Dhabi) The software job market is Canada is kinda terrible (I am a recent graduate looking for a job - not to mention the salaries in Canada can't compete with those in US)
- redmaverick 10y ago
  The express entry program was introduced only last year by the Canadian Govt. They promised to make a decision within 6 months. Previous to that, it did take years of waiting. The Canadian Job market is pretty tough.
  - njloof 10y ago
    There's a lot of startup activity in Montreal, and costs are cheaper than Vancouver or Toronto.
- hackerboos 10y ago
  I got PR under the old FSW system in just over 12 months (applied in 2014). Never stepped foot in Canada before then. Now I can stay here forever. Citizenship after just 3 years.
chrisper 10y ago
Yes. This is one of the reasons I was considering going back to Europe (I have a European Passport). Yes, the pay is less, but I do not have to worry about all the immigration craziness in the US and do not have to be worried about being laid off and having to leave everything behind. Well worth that pay cut.

shortsightedsid 10y ago

Also your spouse cannot work as a dependent. They need to have their own H1-B or any of the other visas. Consider the probability of both spouses getting past the H1B lottery.