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Laid Off, Now What?

bharathpbhat.github.io

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Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#261

Post by jp0d »

oDot wrote: post #7

The current state of job interviews is terrible. Just the fact that studying for a few weeks affects their outcome should raise eyebrows everywhere. And don't get me started on lack of job-related questions, false negatives and having to guess what interviewers want to hear

It does seem like a US-centric thing. I've faced several interviews here in Australia and the teams care more about how the candidate will fit into the team. Most them sort of assume that what's written in the resume is correct. So the interview process is basically just trying to validate those claims. Also, it's really important to get your references right. But it depends a lot on the companies. Some of them have take home projects and white board problem solving sessions. We don't have anything like the H1B here. Either you're a permanent resident or an Aussie citizen. The only difference being the ability to vote and jury duty. Sure, some of the govt jobs are out of reach for permanent residents. The work visa holders are generally transferred by a company from another country.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#262

Post by bradlys »

lowiqengineer wrote: post #14

Unfortunately interviews are easy for him as an IIT and Stanford elite, so this advice is mostly just obvious.

> Unfortunately interviews are easy for him as an IIT and Stanford elite, so this advice is mostly just obvious.

The other aspect of this is that this person probably enjoys this to some extent. The likelihood someone goes through all those hoops, lands on their feet, and absolutely hates it all the while is probably a bit uncommon. I'd imagine the OP enjoys trying to solve some of these problems.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#263

Post by icedchai »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #51
nickysielicki wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I fully support immigration reform and expedited citizenship for skilled workers. I empathize with you. I have a lot of friends from school who have to deal with this, and it sucks. On the other hand, the H1B system isn’t supposed to import fungible labor. These visa are supposed to be for highly specialized labor — highly specialized to the point that the openings are rare. It’s hard to fault an abused program for b…

The nature of the H1B being tied to a single place of employment is ludicrous though. It enables a power dynamic where these workers are basically indentured servants. This dynamic is a detriment to both these workers and their native counterparts. Once an H1B is offered it should remain in place for some set time period, with procedures in place to address fraud either in the case of the company or employee.

Yes, it disgusts me how some of our fellow engineers are controlled and manipulated due to their visa status. Meanwhile, non-H1B engineers can speak out about anything, and become uncooperative when asked do something perceived as idiotic, immoral, or even possibly illegal. I've seen other folks go ballistic on conference calls and emails due to one ridiculous thing or another. When you basically have a knife hanging over your head... potential deportation, disruption of your life and your family's... it is very different. You can't take those risks.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#264

Post by unnouinceput »

I don't get it. Is that hard to apply for citizenship in US once you're there and working/paying taxes, all legal?

Because if there is some legal crap that basically once you get H1B you can't apply for citizenship then this needs to be changed.

Otherwise there is absolutely no excuse to become a US naturalized citizen. You went there, spend a decade and then you complain you have 60 days and then you're out. What about 600 days before that? That's just laziness.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#265

Post by jee1shi »

unnouinceput wrote: post #264

I don't get it. Is that hard to apply for citizenship in US once you're there and working/paying taxes, all legal? Because if there is some legal crap that basically once you get H1B you can't apply for citizenship then this needs to be changed. Otherwise there is absolutely no excuse to become a US naturalized citizen. You went there, spend a decade and then you complain you have 60 days and then you're out. What ab…

The system is very difficult to navigate: https://www.businessinsider.com.au/how-i-became-us-citizen-t...

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#266

Post by svrma »

unnouinceput wrote: post #264

I don't get it. Is that hard to apply for citizenship in US once you're there and working/paying taxes, all legal? Because if there is some legal crap that basically once you get H1B you can't apply for citizenship then this needs to be changed. Otherwise there is absolutely no excuse to become a US naturalized citizen. You went there, spend a decade and then you complain you have 60 days and then you're out. What ab…

Please consider doing basic research before being very critical. The wait time for Indian and Chinese born H1B immigrants to get a Green Card (permanent residency) is almost two decades. Hence, it is indeed not possible for the author (India born) to have a Green Card/Citizenship in a span of a decade as a H1B holder.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#267

Post by vinnrex »

unnouinceput wrote: post #264

I don't get it. Is that hard to apply for citizenship in US once you're there and working/paying taxes, all legal? Because if there is some legal crap that basically once you get H1B you can't apply for citizenship then this needs to be changed. Otherwise there is absolutely no excuse to become a US naturalized citizen. You went there, spend a decade and then you complain you have 60 days and then you're out. What ab…

Yes. The immigration system in the US is complicated. There's a diversity quota based on the nation you were born in and there's a lottery involved. The other way is the Employment-Based Green Card.

For a person like the OP who is of Indian origin, they are unable to go through the diversity based lottery and have to go through the employment based one. Depending on the subcategory you apply in, your wait times could be as long as 10 years.

On a personal note, my opinion is that the US immigration also places too much importance on the nation of origin. In my case for example, I've spent over 20 years of my life in Canada and am a Canadian Citizen, but if I wanted to immigrate to the US, my nation of origin (where I was born) would be the deciding factor on what category I could apply to.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#268

Post by krishnanvs »

unnouinceput wrote: post #264

I don't get it. Is that hard to apply for citizenship in US once you're there and working/paying taxes, all legal? Because if there is some legal crap that basically once you get H1B you can't apply for citizenship then this needs to be changed. Otherwise there is absolutely no excuse to become a US naturalized citizen. You went there, spend a decade and then you complain you have 60 days and then you're out. What ab…

Based on the name I am assuming that Op is from India. For Indians it is not laziness but the fact that the current waiting time to get a greencard, which is basically permanent residency and the right to stay in the US for over 60 days after you loose a job, is over 100 years right now - yup over a century, not 10 or 15 years which was the case till 2015.

This is primarily due to a large number of Indians applying for greencards and the rule that only a certain number of people per country can be awarded one. My friends and colleagues from India who have spend their entire adult lives in the USA and now reaching their early thirties have still not yet gotten their residency - let alone citizenship.

It was one of the major reasons for me, as an Indian, to leave the US and come back to India - there was no way to get permanent residency within a reasonable timeframe.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#269

Post by mavelikara »

kinkrtyavimoodh wrote: post #49
jrochkind1 wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the Democrats are "pro-immigration", they haven't actually succesfully done much to show it. Generally, not limited to H1B. this country has become very anti-immigration generally, and I hate it. There isn't really such a thing as a "tech union" in the USA. I don't think very many tech H1B holders are working in areas with any unions. (And if they were wouldn't many union members be H1B holders themselves?) Actual…

DACA was an executive order by a Democratic president.

How is DACA helping people on H-1B? It explicitly _excludes_ legal immigrant children who are waiting in greencard backlogs.

Re: Laid Off, Now What?

#270

Post by returningfory2 »

JonLim wrote: post #158
returningfory2 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Does the 60 day timeline include the amount of time you need to be approved for the visa, as well? No. You must start a new job within 60 days. Due to H-1B portability rules, you can start a new job as soon as your employer has filed paperwork with USCIS. The H-1B processing time doesn't count. I recently started a new FAANG job on H-1B, and because I received an RFE it actually took nearly 3 months after starting…

Oof, that's a long wait. If you don't mind me asking, is it because of the whole H1B status with the current administration, or of additional hoops you had to jump through for the RFE, or something else?

I received the RFE before I started, the 3 month wait time was just to prepare the RFE, send it, and then wait for USCIS to adjudicate it.
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