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> Being financially secure and not caring about a promotion is the biggest superpower you can have at a tech company. And not being in the country on an H1B…

> Being financially secure and not caring about a promotion is the biggest superpower you can have at a tech company. And not being in the country on an H1B… This is not a rant against H1B Visa holders. It’s a condemnation of the system that makes their ability to stay in the country contingent on their job. I saw it first hand at AWS. When Amazon started Amazoning when I was working there, I knew what was up and wasn’t stressed, didn’t jump through the hoops to stay off PIP and when they gave me the choice of getting 4 months severance and “leave immediately”. I took the money and ran and got another job in 3 weeks. My coworkers who were there on H1B, were definitely afraid, even if they did have more than enough money to hypothetically tide them over. I knew I could get a job, a contract, start independent consulting or do something before my money ran out. That wasn’t an option for them. For those who don’t know how the PIP process works at Amazon… - if you choose to “leave immediately” instead of working through the PIP, you got one month of base pay for every year and partial year you worked there. - if you failed the PIP (and you will), you got 1/3 of the original amount. - of course you can appeal. But if you fail (and you will). You get 1/2 of the 1/3.

darth_avocado 2y ago
When Elon cracked the whip in Twitter, everyone on H1B interviewed and eventually left. At the end, most people left at Twitter were US citizens and a few H1Bs. Yes they may not have the ability to just quit on a whim, but they certainly have the ability to quit. And that’s what people do.
- scarface_74 2y ago
  Sure they can quit on their own volition. But they couldn’t do like I could when I saw the writing on the wall when I was about to get Amazoned Options for me: 1. F** it. I will just quit and start working on building up my own independent cloud consulting business (I worked in Professional Services) 2. Stick around until the official PIP comes and get a 3+ month severance and survive until my next vesting period. One of my former coworkers suggested this. He was a director at an F500 company and said he could at least get me a very well paying contract until he could get a position created for me once I got PIPd. He wanted me specifically. 3. The option I chose was to work for another consulting company that didn't offer sponsorships - I asked for another coworker who was looking.
potatochup 2y ago
You think H1-Bs are bad? Trying being on an L1 :)
- aprdm 2y ago
  Why is L1 any worse ?
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - potatochup 2y ago
    Unless I'm mistaken, you can transfer employers on an H1-B, and you have 90 days to find a new job if you get laid off. On an L1 you are immediately out of status when your employment is terminated, with no option of transfer
- scarface_74 2y ago
  I don’t feel as bad for L1 Visa holders. They came over specifically because they were already working for a specific company and that’s no different than being deployed in the military overseas and then having to leave once you leave the military. From what I read, it’s also much easier to get and L1 Visas aren’t subject to the same caps and red tape. I personally wouldn’t even move across the country beholden to a single company https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38474212 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38474212 I would be very hesitant to create roots in another country - like buying house - dependent on one company and not having a back up plan and the expectation that it was temporary and a way to save a lot of money
  - potatochup 2y ago
    I voluntarily went on an L1 so my spouse could work. H1b spouses cannot work.
    - scarface_74 2y ago
      Do you consider a “temporary deployment” (using my military analogy) or do you want to permanently be in the US? From the context of my previous comments, I hope you don’t read that as anti- immigration question
TMWNN 2y ago
> And not being in the country on an H1B… > This is not a rant against H1B Visa holders. It’s a condemnation of the system that makes their ability to stay in the country contingent on their job. They are always free to go back to their home countries. Neither the US, nor their employer, is obligated to guarantee them anything more than the circumstances and conditions that the visa holders agreed to in the first place. The circumstances and conditions that the holders agreed to because they decided, voluntarily, that they would be better off in the US than in their home countries.
- scarface_74 2y ago
  And companies take advantage of the situation. If they paid taxes and have the money to stay here without government assistance - besides unemployment that is paid into by their employer - who is it hurting to give them more than 60 days to find another job??
  - nradov 2y ago
    H-1B visa holders are generally not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. https://www.chugh.com/news/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefits-during-covid-19?/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefits-during-covid-19 https://www.chugh.com/news/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefit...
    - scarface_74 2y ago
      That’s even a better argument for extending the time they have to find another job.

darth_avocado 2y ago

When Elon cracked the whip in Twitter, everyone on H1B interviewed and eventually left. At the end, most people left at Twitter were US citizens and a few H1Bs. Yes they may not have the ability to just quit on a whim, but they certainly have the ability to quit. And that’s what people do.

scarface_74 2y ago
Sure they can quit on their own volition. But they couldn’t do like I could when I saw the writing on the wall when I was about to get Amazoned Options for me: 1. F** it. I will just quit and start working on building up my own independent cloud consulting business (I worked in Professional Services) 2. Stick around until the official PIP comes and get a 3+ month severance and survive until my next vesting period. One of my former coworkers suggested this. He was a director at an F500 company and said he could at least get me a very well paying contract until he could get a position created for me once I got PIPd. He wanted me specifically. 3. The option I chose was to work for another consulting company that didn't offer sponsorships - I asked for another coworker who was looking.

potatochup 2y ago

You think H1-Bs are bad? Trying being on an L1 :)

aprdm 2y ago
Why is L1 any worse ?
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- potatochup 2y ago
  Unless I'm mistaken, you can transfer employers on an H1-B, and you have 90 days to find a new job if you get laid off. On an L1 you are immediately out of status when your employment is terminated, with no option of transfer
scarface_74 2y ago
I don’t feel as bad for L1 Visa holders. They came over specifically because they were already working for a specific company and that’s no different than being deployed in the military overseas and then having to leave once you leave the military. From what I read, it’s also much easier to get and L1 Visas aren’t subject to the same caps and red tape. I personally wouldn’t even move across the country beholden to a single company https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38474212 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38474212 I would be very hesitant to create roots in another country - like buying house - dependent on one company and not having a back up plan and the expectation that it was temporary and a way to save a lot of money
- potatochup 2y ago
  I voluntarily went on an L1 so my spouse could work. H1b spouses cannot work.
  - scarface_74 2y ago
    Do you consider a “temporary deployment” (using my military analogy) or do you want to permanently be in the US? From the context of my previous comments, I hope you don’t read that as anti- immigration question

TMWNN 2y ago

> And not being in the country on an H1B… > This is not a rant against H1B Visa holders. It’s a condemnation of the system that makes their ability to stay in the country contingent on their job. They are always free to go back to their home countries. Neither the US, nor their employer, is obligated to guarantee them anything more than the circumstances and conditions that the visa holders agreed to in the first place. The circumstances and conditions that the holders agreed to because they decided, voluntarily, that they would be better off in the US than in their home countries.

scarface_74 2y ago
And companies take advantage of the situation. If they paid taxes and have the money to stay here without government assistance - besides unemployment that is paid into by their employer - who is it hurting to give them more than 60 days to find another job??
- nradov 2y ago
  H-1B visa holders are generally not eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. https://www.chugh.com/news/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefits-during-covid-19?/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefits-during-covid-19 https://www.chugh.com/news/h1-b-workers-unemployment-benefit...
  - scarface_74 2y ago
    That’s even a better argument for extending the time they have to find another job.