Help me get out of H1-B
Donation protected
Ever wonder why so many IT workers are Indians? Read on and you will be enlightened...
About me
Let me introduce myself... My name is Madan. I am a computer programmer working in New York. My family and I are Australian Citizens. But fate so happened that my wife and I were born in India. Which makes H1-B our problem, and maybe your problem too.
Because, the US Government won't let us get out of H1-B.
We have been in the United States on and off for over 10 years. During this entire time we have either been on H1-B or its cousin L1-B visa.
The government currently has a law that for all persons born in India (and to some extent China/Mexico/Phillipines) we have to wait between 20 to 70 years to get our green cards, if we were switching from H1-B. Yes you read that right. 70 years.
You can read about it on Forbes here :
Forbes - Some Immigrants wait decades for Green Card
I am here in America not because I ran away from a third world country, but because I love this country (I love Australia too, but hey, you can love two people at the same time right :-) )?
I love America's values and her way of life. I am here to contribute and to make this country a better place. I pay my taxes, follow the law and assimilate.
But I have to remain on H1B for the rest of my life.
My Australian born son, has never lived in India. Even though he has been a legal resident of the United States all his life, will automatically become an "undocumented" migrant when he turns 21, unless he gets his own H1-B - just because his parents are Indian born.
Waiting for a Green Card forever...
The government created a situation where Indian born people must wait upto 70 years to get a greencard. But everyone else gets their greencard in less than 2-4 years.
How is Country of Birth relevant to a greencard that is given based on your skills and job?
Every month, the government publishes a "Visa Bulletin" that - for simplicity's sake - says "check back next month".
It doesn't give a projected date so people are aware when they will get their green card. It simply moves the carrot a little further. This goes on forever.
How H1-B drives down wages and is bad for American workers
You see, the corporate world knows about this H1-B problem for Indian born people. They take advantage of us. We depend on our employers to get out of H1B and to get a greencard. It's a carrot that hangs in front of us, but it's one that we can never get to.
In the meantime, while on H1B :
- We cannot quit our jobs (quitting will immediately make us illegal immigrants)
- Nobody will hire us easily
- Switching jobs means our sponsor needs to restart our greencard process which might put us at the back of an already impossibly long queue
- Being on H1B carries a stigma
The Outsourcing Companies know this situation. They take advantage of us by driving down the wages knowing that we won't quit.
The American companies take advantage of this situation by hiring the Outsourers and cutting costs. They lay off American IT workers because Indian H1B IT workers are slaves to their sponsoring employers and will work for minimum wage.
This is why all the existing H1B visas are gobbled up by the Outsourcing Companies who flood the market with low wage Indian born workers who get stuck inbetween their employer and the law.
Thankfully, my company is a good company, I have only good things to say about them.
The Victims
We, the Indian born H1-B holders are not taking American jobs. We are mere victims just like the American IT workers. We are being taken advantage of, by the system and by the billionaires who run these companies.
They are the ones who pocket the money by taking advantage of H1B holders and the American IT workers.
But why do I need the money?
You see, the goverment is being racist to Indian born people. But they aren't so racist if I had 500K or more.
They will give me a green card immediately, if I had 500K to invest - to start a company.
The visa is called EB-5 visa, which will give a greencard to anyone who can come up with 500K or more.
EB5 Visa - USCIS.gov
However I am like you all, part of the 99%. I don't have 500K lying around. I have lot of great ideas, but I cannot start a company while I am on a H1B visa.
I promise you, if you give me the 500K, I will start a company and give 10 jobs to American workers laid off by H1B replacements. That's my promise.
And Finally...
Thank you for reading my story. And by doing that, the millions of other Indian Born H1B's story.
Even if you don't contribute, if you or someone you know is an American IT worker, you are affected by this.
Please spread the message that Indian born H1-B holders are mere victims just like the American IT Workers. We are being taken advantage of, by the system, by the outsourers and the billionaires who hire these outsourcers and their H1B employee slaves.
About me
Let me introduce myself... My name is Madan. I am a computer programmer working in New York. My family and I are Australian Citizens. But fate so happened that my wife and I were born in India. Which makes H1-B our problem, and maybe your problem too.
Because, the US Government won't let us get out of H1-B.
We have been in the United States on and off for over 10 years. During this entire time we have either been on H1-B or its cousin L1-B visa.
The government currently has a law that for all persons born in India (and to some extent China/Mexico/Phillipines) we have to wait between 20 to 70 years to get our green cards, if we were switching from H1-B. Yes you read that right. 70 years.
You can read about it on Forbes here :
Forbes - Some Immigrants wait decades for Green Card
I am here in America not because I ran away from a third world country, but because I love this country (I love Australia too, but hey, you can love two people at the same time right :-) )?
I love America's values and her way of life. I am here to contribute and to make this country a better place. I pay my taxes, follow the law and assimilate.
But I have to remain on H1B for the rest of my life.
My Australian born son, has never lived in India. Even though he has been a legal resident of the United States all his life, will automatically become an "undocumented" migrant when he turns 21, unless he gets his own H1-B - just because his parents are Indian born.
Waiting for a Green Card forever...
The government created a situation where Indian born people must wait upto 70 years to get a greencard. But everyone else gets their greencard in less than 2-4 years.
How is Country of Birth relevant to a greencard that is given based on your skills and job?
Every month, the government publishes a "Visa Bulletin" that - for simplicity's sake - says "check back next month".
It doesn't give a projected date so people are aware when they will get their green card. It simply moves the carrot a little further. This goes on forever.
How H1-B drives down wages and is bad for American workers
You see, the corporate world knows about this H1-B problem for Indian born people. They take advantage of us. We depend on our employers to get out of H1B and to get a greencard. It's a carrot that hangs in front of us, but it's one that we can never get to.
In the meantime, while on H1B :
- We cannot quit our jobs (quitting will immediately make us illegal immigrants)
- Nobody will hire us easily
- Switching jobs means our sponsor needs to restart our greencard process which might put us at the back of an already impossibly long queue
- Being on H1B carries a stigma
The Outsourcing Companies know this situation. They take advantage of us by driving down the wages knowing that we won't quit.
The American companies take advantage of this situation by hiring the Outsourers and cutting costs. They lay off American IT workers because Indian H1B IT workers are slaves to their sponsoring employers and will work for minimum wage.
This is why all the existing H1B visas are gobbled up by the Outsourcing Companies who flood the market with low wage Indian born workers who get stuck inbetween their employer and the law.
Thankfully, my company is a good company, I have only good things to say about them.
The Victims
We, the Indian born H1-B holders are not taking American jobs. We are mere victims just like the American IT workers. We are being taken advantage of, by the system and by the billionaires who run these companies.
They are the ones who pocket the money by taking advantage of H1B holders and the American IT workers.
But why do I need the money?
You see, the goverment is being racist to Indian born people. But they aren't so racist if I had 500K or more.
They will give me a green card immediately, if I had 500K to invest - to start a company.
The visa is called EB-5 visa, which will give a greencard to anyone who can come up with 500K or more.
EB5 Visa - USCIS.gov
However I am like you all, part of the 99%. I don't have 500K lying around. I have lot of great ideas, but I cannot start a company while I am on a H1B visa.
I promise you, if you give me the 500K, I will start a company and give 10 jobs to American workers laid off by H1B replacements. That's my promise.
And Finally...
Thank you for reading my story. And by doing that, the millions of other Indian Born H1B's story.
Even if you don't contribute, if you or someone you know is an American IT worker, you are affected by this.
Please spread the message that Indian born H1-B holders are mere victims just like the American IT Workers. We are being taken advantage of, by the system, by the outsourers and the billionaires who hire these outsourcers and their H1B employee slaves.
Organizer
Madan KS
Organizer
New York, NY
