When I got my H1B visa, I was very happy. I thought this could be a start of a new life for me. A lot of my relatives and friends wished me well. I thought that my life in the USA was already paved. And then 6 months later, I am still on bench. No salary. No project. All the rosy talk that I got from the employer that I will be working right away when I arrive is nothing but bull.
Good thing, I was able to get into status just in time.
I know I am not the only one experiencing this right now. I am pretty sure that a lot of H1B workers are either unpaid and underpaid, have awful living conditions and scrambling to get a job.
Many of the H1B workers are not beginners and we have tons of experience under our belt. Although a few bad apples or maybe alot more, are putting up a bad rep for the others who really worked their way.
Here is what I learned so far from H1B Program especially for TECH workers:
- Some "employers" ask for a security deposit from H1B applicant just for their company to sponsor the applicants. Usually it ranges from $1000 to $5000, while some asked for $10000 or more.
- No projects when you arrived in the US. Don't believe the rosy picture they are trying to paint. They just want the money.
- No BENCH Pay. No project no pay policy is enforced in many "employers/consulting" companies.
- Loose evaluation and lack of fraud detection from USCIS. A lot of "H1B applicants" tend to put up fraudulent claims of employment history, educational background and special skills. Just CLICK HERE
