3 ms·
You aren't tied to an employer with a H1B. Your H1B is for one specific employer, but you can transfer the H1B to another employer fairly easily, given about 2
by pbiggar 13y ago
You aren't tied to an employer with a H1B. Your H1B is for one specific employer, but you can transfer the H1B to another employer fairly easily, given about 2 weeks notice.
I've negotiated fairly strongly for my past H1B jobs: again, the strong job market allows this. If the market was weak, then there would be a danger that an employer would have control over whether I could stay resident, and this would provide them with strong leverage. I would be surprised if this was an intended part of the H1B program though: I've certainly never seen anything indicate that it is.
The sort of thing happening to the workers in the article is a form of indentured servitude, which is widely regarded as slavery. I don't believe it is ethical to hold this sort of power over an individual, and IMO, those employers should face jail time. I find it hard to believe a this would be designed into the H2B program.
- engrenage 13y agoYour bargaining position will get progressively weaker as the time remaining on your visa runs down.
- pbiggar 13y agoWhy would it do that? Once the visa runs out, you're out, and the employer can't really help with that. If you're on a H1B visa, you really need to figure out a plan to a Green Card ASAP, unless you're not planning to stay long term.
- engrenage 13y agoThe less time you have left, the less valuable you are to a new employer. Hiring someone who can work for 6 years makes sense. Hiring someone who must leave in 18 months is much more of a risk. Therefore you are at an increasing disadvantage in any negotiation where your best alternative to agreement is to seek alternative employment, e.g. Salary increases, change of project. You're right about the green card, however even if you can get the employer support you need, it takes years and further restricts your employment options in the meantime.
- pbiggar 13y agoNice point, that does make a lot of sense.
- tomjen3 13y agoAren't any applications for Green Card reset when you move on to a new employer?
- pbiggar 13y agoIt's not quite as simple as that, but there is a short window (~2 months I think) where you can't change jobs or move country without resetting your application. After that, you can move jobs but your new employer has to agree to transfer the green card process too.