Hi,
This weekend I had the opportunity of spending entire days with computer professionals from India - on H-1B non immigrant work visas and another of Green Card (permanent resident) now.
Since I too have been interested in H-1B visa and had even downloaded its forms etc and studied them -- very clear but so many clauses - each category has its charms - where do you fit or want to fit. I had been wondering what it feels like to have an H-1B visa sponsored by a contractor.
One of these guys was from Mumbai and had come from Mumbai a few months ago. He is a Gujarati bron in a village near Rajkot near Dwarka- the only Indian I have met here who is from Western India (except my acquaintances , friends and relatives ) . Others are all from South India - either Chennai or Bengalore.
Thakfully other room mates were on their wild SUV trip. This
guy stays in my techie landlord's other house.
I had known that these H-1B visa holding computer guys have to work a lot - even go on weekends sometimes. Other times they log on to work even from home through internet - doing software programming. And they are sick of reading - so don't read any books at all. They have to keep abreast of all changes taking places in software -so keep reading about upgrades which take place every few days . And that is for one software. They have to keep up wiyh lots of softwares.
What I did not know was how they work thru the contractor and how vulnerable they feel in their jobs and visa status. Do they feel like slaves or like masters? Ofcourse, they all say that getting an H-1B visa is like winnig a lottery - do whatever you can to get one and remain in US and we are all here to make money.
My doubts were : do they prefer to work thru
contractors -who take a cut -- or thru US companies who sponsor them. How do they get paid. How do they get jobs - by own efforts or the contractor gets them.
Ofcourse, I had heard tit bits off and on from them but since my case was different (in school education, to work for a non profit , Harvard master's graduate already inside US) I wanted to know the fundamental rules. ALL of them had come from India on H-1B visas except Mr Edison who graduated here in tech field. None of them are from IITs or even top tech colleges. A few are not even college graduates by US standards since India has three year bachelor degrees and US has four year ones.
Every day I talked with this Gujarati guy (Gujaratis are known for their business acumen - and he was from Vile Parle in Mumbai - the stronghold of Gujarati businessmen there. I had taken my MBA entrance interview there at Narsee Monjee Inst. of Mgt Studies - run
by local neighborhood community - US style --thru which I got admitted to Hindu Institute of Management , Sonipat - an affiliate of NMIMS). So his views on business practices seem useful. His siblings are all in business. And he is no geek either.
Slowly he explained that he works thru a contractor (in Virginia - adjacent to Washington DC - just likeUP & Haryna are adjacent to Delhi) who lets him work at his present site in Maryland near our home (again adjacent to DC) . But the job has come thru a third company (another contractor) located in Florida. So his current employer in Maryland pays to the Florida based contractor who takes his portion and send its over to Virginia based contractor who has sponsored his visa. This contractor pays him his fixed wages of $20 per hour -as mentioned in the H-1B visa document and approved by US Deptt of Labor.
Earlier he was working
for Warner Brothers in Los Angeles 3000 miles from here(again thru this contractor in Virginia) and what they paid to that Virginia guy is a secret. They might be paying upto $80 per hour - but my friend would only get his reguar pay (just like any other employee in a law firm or management consultancy or an auto mechanic shop). Thats fair and square . You do work for the contractor and you get paid a regular salary.
Question: When you are free to leave your current H-1B visa sponsor after working with her for over two months ( 2 months "pay stubbs" needed) why are you still sticking with her/him?
Answer: (Given by another guy - now on Green Card - here since 2000 - now home and family in US- both are married with children). US companies are not considerate of Indians. Once they fire you or the project is over - within 30 days they would send a note to the INS (Imigration deptt) and would stop your sponsorship
of the visa. Also, they are too slow in helping Indians get Green Card - even when they become eligible. Indian contractors, on the other hand, realize these problems faced by Indians -- so they are very responsive.
The Virginia contractor has tow guest houses for his Indian employees (who generaly work all over US) but when they are on the "bench" - no projects are available temporarily -- these H-1B guys stay in these guesthouses - and the contractor pays for their food and stay etc. They get no pay during the time they are on bench - though they are supposed to get some bare minimum - but it gets adjusted in their expenses for room and board perhaps.
He had gone to meet his contractor this weekened in Virginia - to ask for payment - but he felt so insecure that he just couldn't bring up the topic. He nonetheless managed to convince him to shift him back to Los Angeles where the climate is warm (He is
from Mumbai - quite a warm place all year round) and he has close Gujarati friends with their families there. He too wants to bring his wife and daughter over - so these two families can have company. In that case also my case is different - I am not married nor enamored with the idea of raising all an Indian family.
Almost all the H-1B techie guys I have met are very particular about their meals - which most cook themselves and seldom try out any western dish. My Indian dish ( i cook only one - Sambhar Rice) is on the other hand - completely westernised - instead of Dal or pulses use the local lentils and green peas - cheaper and local. Thus, just like Marwaris of the past - in other states - they stick to Indian culture.
However, even their traditionalism is revolutionary - by Indian standards. The South Indians are ready to marry a North Indian girl, cook North Indian food, talk in Hindi or watch Hindi
movies (though dubbed in English - for the benefit of one guy who has never travelled outside his home state TN and thus knows no Hindi - so we converse in English when he is around. My landlord knows broken Hindi - so again English speaking). The Mumbaitite is ready to gel in - and not show his haughty big city attitude.
More later
Umesh
PS: All of them are fond of walking and being healthy , sleeping on time and conscious of nutritional values of what they eat -- unlike most Indians in India -perhaps except South Indians whose dishes perhaps are more nutritious . Most of these H-1Bs are South Indians. I haven't met a single fellow from Delhi or any place above Mumbai - in this field. The sole person from Jaipur in this field I met in New York City in Jan 2005 at my cousin's place -was working in..... you guessed it - South India - Bangalore.
After
watching the movie "Bride and Prejudice" whichridiculed H-1B and Green Card hoders for their lack of sphistication - those who lcaked polish and rather geeky - have changed their attitude and dressing styles etc. Ofcourse the Mumbaite or Bangalorean is already there
Umesh Sharma
5121 Lackawanna ST
College Park, MD 20740
1-202-215-4328 [Cell Phone]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
Send instant messages to your online friends http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list assam@assamnet.org http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
