Hello all....
This blog is a read for:
1. People who did not or could not apply for H1
2. People who applied for H1 and:
2.a) their application was not picked up
2.b) their application got selected
Many people in their initial phase of career crave for onsite opportunities. They give away lots of commitments, woo their managers and also get to level to threat of leaving the company for paving their way to US. They leave existing opportunities in hand and all they look for is an H1 visa to travel. Few months back, there was a crazy race among IT employees to have their H1 application filed. First a little on that....
I know people who gave commitments to stick to their projects (when they have been really looking for a change) to have their H1 appl filed. There were also some who continued in the company only to have their H1 appl filed, with a mindset that if they get it, they would continue or else, would plan for a hop. Why all this? Only because having it filed from a reputed company increases the already bleak chances to get the H1.. the stamp to stay long term in US.
Is the gamble all that worth? Well, if you consider the above two cases of bargain, I personally believe YES, to a certain extent. But one should not calculate the cost of this gamble... this luck game.. as mere staying in a project or a company for few more months. It should be calculated in terms of economics-famous term "Opportunity Cost". Cost in terms of what you lost in not making the shift.
This cost could be two-fold. Money.. eh... if one gets through, he would anyways make all the money he lost now. Shouldn't be a major concern if you are not compensating against a whopping ten-fold increment. Second part, opportunities in terms of role, technology, etc etc. Well here too I believe, if you are capable of making to it right now, you have high chances that you would be able to have it a few months later too.
So, until and unless, its something you really want and you are getting right now (and here's the crux... and also if you would not get it after those few months), you should not play this risk. Else its all worth it. [ I would not dig into self-respect issues here if someone has to bargain at the cost of it; however, it very well falls into the second category; you'd not get it back after few months.. so gotta leave it :) ]
Now, with the all costing absorbed and H1 appl filed, if you are among the major unlucky lot who did not make it, no regrets. US is not the only destination and H1 not the only way to get you there. Probably reading this till the end, can make you feel that this "unlucky" lot is the one who is actually "lucky". read on..... :))
Now after the long discussion on costing etc etc, let me come to the main topic.
Now the so called "lucky" lot has their H1 application selected. First thing, you are no longer in a position to change the company. Its widely-heard-of a norm that a candidate needs to fly to US under H1 atleast once under the company which had filed the H1 for it, unless some other company buys it from filing company. If this "widely-heard-of" norm is "a myth", I request all those knowledged people to confirm and then disseminate the information around.
However, I know some pals who had this set in their mind... "ooh... I have my H1. Now this company who has spend on it, would surely try to recover its costing. They would send me onsite asap." Dear pals, I beg to differ here a little. The company already has its cost recovered when you had stuck to the company for few more months. At company level, lets attribute the amount spent to "attrition reduction costs".
Now well, the company never operates on basis of recovering costs. They always work on the principle of leveraging more off it. That is what make them big today. Moreover, the company never intended to spend such major amount for the sake of attrition control. It has its own scheme of things, set of identified people whom they want to be at onsite and capture the US market. At high management level and for some critical resources in some projects, the company does feel the need to have H1 ready chaps. So, well, a company do wish to use your H1 luck for the benefit of the company, but do your managers think only that.
A manager here also knows two things which, alas, can work for your disadvantage:
1. Since you are holding H1, you would not quit the company unless you utilise it atleast once. (an OPPORTUNITY)
2. There are also high chances that you would quit the company as soon as you utilise your H1 for the first time, through this company. (a THREAT)
Now if your manager think in such a shrewd manner (well, shrewd is not the right word... if they don't think that, they better look out for other job roles... management is probably not the right job for them), here are the problems:
He would try to leverage on the fact that you are not going to quit unless you use your H1. He would not give you onsite. Worse, he might also not give you good local incentives, promotions.
And you are not going to quit either. You want to use your H1. After all it was your hard earned luck that you were selected. Every year, it would just get tougher. Its life time opportunity, etc etc.
So he might keep giving you empty promises that they are really trying hard to look out for a much better opportunity and because you believe that they are also interested in leveraging your H1, you keep quiet. Well, what else could you do. Nothing much right, since you cannot quit. You have your H1 at stake. lolz....
Now your H1 expires if not utilised in a year i guess. Well, don't worry. your manager is definitely going to send you onsite around expiration time, but not now. So with your H1 in hand, your opportunity cost has risen many folds. You have to stick to the same company for another 1 year without any onsite and other promotions. Are you ready to take that cost where you would have got onsite immediately because you would have left otherwise?
Heard of your colleagues who got onsite almost immediately after getting H1?? Well.. I don't deny that. You could get; majorly because of two things:
1. Manager just does not have option but to send you, as "you are critical" and not because "you think you are critical". Tough chances. Your manager has to think that way or you have to prove your luck again to fit into your company's scheme of things.
2. You don't give a damn to your H1 and would quit anyhow. Ohh well.. managers rarely get to see such "BAD" people in the team. "Whattt??? you don't want to use your H1 do you??? Did I hear it right???"
ohh well. because you know two things. reiterating again:
"US is not the only opportunity and H1 not the only way to reach there."
So pals, sincere advise to think on these lines too before depending too much on your H1 to pave your way to US. H1 is definitely a luck thing but you might have to be prepared to leave it as it could as well be damaging your chances. Know about "Neel stone". Its a stone believed to turn one's luck. It can either destroy you to rags or make you a king. Is H1 Neel?? If its gonna destroy you, are you not ready to shun it?
I love people who play the smart moves of threatening to be ones in category [2] above. They might not quit, but well. Their managers don't know it. They give all signals that they are ready to hop even at the cost of H1. possibly a piece of line to think on if you can smartly make your moves.
Good luck people. I have presented my mindset. There could be more to it which I am not yet exposed to. So I welcome your thoughts on this blog.
Cheers,
Wiki
