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Study in the USA

Understanding student visa takers, who helped the US Embassy break records

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Study after the times of Covid

OpenDoors Report is probably the only data to fall back on the close enough numbers on the international student enrollment in the USA. This is supposed to be a record breaking year for the US Embassy. Some people also commented on how and why middle class is sending students to the USA, despite the history of visa difficulty for working visa population based on the Great Backlog. Yes, everything in this country is great.

A few Indian challenges

I would defer to what my ex-supervisor said. I was in two minds to go or no go to the USA when it was my turn. I had already spend fair deal of money back in the United States of India on education, burned through some savings and achieved two degrees and a post graduate diploma. And still struggling for a proper foothold in core engineering jobs viz electrical, mechanical, civil engineering. The entry criteria for all the public sector undertaking (PSU) jobs had changed to GATE, now you need to crack GATE to get into PSU, and that graduating from an accredited university does not guarantee getting through the GATE exam. No wonder it is so competitive and exclusive. There are a few who are successful, but if you did not want to incur any gap in employment and then joined workforce, then studying for GATE becomes a bit harder. The flexibility and freedom is on our side, but the time is never, the clock keeps ticking. I have known various yet unknown places in the country of India by attempting different types of examinations for entrance into public sector undertaking jobs, bank jobs, and so on. It is a journey on its own and takes a character far away from actual engineering. It would remind someone of the initial entrance examinations that we go through to get the Bachelors in engineering in the first place. It was interesting and funny to pose one such GATE electronics circuits problem to a senior scientist at the place I was working, he had a Masters in Engineering already and a working professional. But he got to answer it incorrectly. This proves how useful GATE as an examination is. My advisor, said even if he could not make it big in the land of the states of the Americas, he would still encourage me to go and have that experience.

The challenges for students is not in getting a degree from the USA. There are not many Americans who attend colleges. Like many practical minded population they understand that education can do so much but money trumps, and there are paths of lesser resistance available to them, like associates degree, vocational training and so on. The challenge may actually lie elsewhere. The current population estimate of India is very close to being number one in the world. Statistics is a nice way to look at this. An eye opening map for the global India is given by Xavi’s tweet.

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So if India is that big and populous, why is the demography not yielding its benefits, why is Tamil Nadu not Germany, why people want to go to Germany instead of Tamil Nadu? There is enough internal migration within India, the data for which is yet unknown.

How do we try to answer the student visa issued by US embassy in this context? Even with so many opportunities to study and work within India, the drive for the people to get educated, to migrate, to see, experience, learn and work with new and different cultures is only increasing. There is also a serious lack in the number of educational opportunities at par with the western standards. Despite having the most universities per country, beating out USA by a huge margin, India is yet to be known as a global educational hub, or one that gives education at par with the places that students flock to. So we have the quantity, and some quality, but overall still more kilometers to go.

Work Culture is one major understanding that comes through foreign work. Be it in another state or a country. Work is a beast, to be tamed. Work culture in India is different from Spain and is much different from the USA. To understand a different work culture and understand the shortcomings and benefits of being in home country is one benefit of immigration, this kind of economic immigration is facilitated by post study work permits in majority of the western world. This is a sample time period for the beneficiary and the employer, kind of like a date to understand each other and to see if this kind of relationship is sustainable in the long term. With good post study work permits such as that in Canada or in the USA for STEM degrees, a student visa holder is ability to get good Return on Investment in terms of cultural exchange and recover the student loan debt. It is not uncommon to have student debt in some countries like the USA, while may be surprise for yet another countries like Germany. Choosing a place of study, so as to transform into a post study worker to undertake such activities is incorporated into visa and study schemes in western world. At the same time, India does not have a culture of Internship, or a smooth transition from study to work. There is a GATE to be opened for a better future. This experience of endless entrance examinations leads to burn out and focusing on the means than the end. Coaching centers galore.

That brings in the relevance of Spadikam (1995) movie to this days.

So to answer the first question based on the tweet from US Embassy, who are all these student visa holders?

New students

There are fresh students in student visa in this pool. They fall into the category of people who want more experiences and cultural exchanges that we discussed before.

Change of status visas who needed to travel

There are some who are already in the USA in a different visa status, had to change to student status and then get a visa to re enter USA, the news does not say how many fresh F1 visas were issued vs how many are getting a renewal or a change of status and later a changed visa. This two pronged idea of status and visa may confuse a few people, the status is to be legally in the USA. The visa is only to enter the USA internationally. Several people lost jobs through out Covid times since 2019 onward, many lost jobs, many changed plans, many returned to India, many want to return to study or continue studies that was stopped earlier. This needs a visa if they were stuck in India and had to physically reach USA for continuation, completion and post study work.

Choices that we make, some we are forced to make

There are people who wanted to rejoin family, but do not see any pathways and visa and status that are viable other than a student visa. There are aged out children of H1B or other temporary visas, who reached age of 21 and need to hold their own visa status because they are legally not a dependent anymore. F1 visa is their only choice.

Should you come to the USA?

If you have valid reasons, and see benefits beyond the visa troubles and other limiting factors, do come. If you are on the fence, better to get matters sorted out before heading into the USA. If you have better options, better countries, that align with your interests, and ambitions closely, go with them. If you can’t make your own choices, someone or something else would make choices for you.

Movie Review

Bharat (2019) Movie Review

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I got to see Bharat (2019) in the Amazon Prime Video OTT. This movie is underrated per IMDB. I would put it at a much higher rating than above average, likely 8 or 9 out of 10.

Who would not like this movie? It is pure fiction and has a larger than life story with strong emotions covering the whole spectrum from sadness to happiness, death to life before and to life after, from patriotism to atrocity, from poverty to richness, from dependence to independence, from childhood to old age, from non violence to violence, from fantasy to reality, from existence to non-existence. I would count this as Salman‘s best movie ever, that I have seen.

Placing the Tiger in the background and working in and around untouched domains

Coming from the hangover of the YRF Spy universe. Bharat, makes me think of this as a precursor to the Tiger. Almost completing the Tiger’s background story, which could have easily sat between pre-Tiger to Tiger. With similarly bold character of Katrina Kaif holding up and performing beyond expectations of a stereotypical Bollywood heroine. This also fits well with the Salman Khan’s zone of movies with the premise of India-Pakistan making this one also a true pan sub continent movie of Bajrangi Bhaijan. Complete with the Pathaan and upcoming Tiger Movies, this almost demands at least in people’s mind to give Salman movie fans to make these attempts a redeemer of whatever faults the human has and keeps the hope of negating the differences and unifying the broken hearts of both countries.

Bharat the redeemer

Coming back to Bharat the movie, at some Katrina’s character also knocks out the superhuman of the character making it very human. This must have been a truly humbling experience for the fans. As for the actors, they are just acting, it is for us, that it matters more.

Bharat and work

That scene of getting himself and his team a work visa was funny, unrealistic and stupid, nevertheless entertaining. Going through tough times of Partition of the sub-continent to formation of different countries, the effects of which were shown with good intent and effectiveness, Bharat stands out. Taking us through numerous jobs that the titular character undertakes and gives his best, it is a reminder for anyone who is willing to succeed, to also be willing to put in the effort. As we grow up we relate to different aspects of a movie. A working class person, someone in the working age, hopes to get to work and live a work life, accepts a VIP orAla Vaikunthapurramuloo or The Pursuit of Happyness at a much more realistic viewpoint. On a parallel, Katrina’s character also goes through work life, of immigration, public broadcasting and reality TV, a natural evolution resonating with the macroeconomics of the country of India.

Bharat and immigration

As a southerner, the effects of partition are not known much in the south, only history testbooks and interests in geopolitics would draw a curious mind towards this forgettable but important nation creating moment. I would have to use much imagination on top of the excellent writing of Kushwant Singh in his Train to Pakistan, to fill the gaps of humanness and the lack thereof. Bharat also goes through ambitions of the unemployed, how they wished to build their family first, reminding an average Mamootty fan of Pathemaari. Pathemaari was a serious take on poverty, helplessness, economic immigration and immigrant workers. Similar immigrant worker stories of which we heard and read in the recently concluded Qatar world cup 2022 as well. So many years have passed, but history repeats itself. Bharat particularly touches the immigrant’s nerve when it talks about hopes. Destroying someone’s hope is worser than death. In Kerala, a related proverb goes like, “Give an elephant, but never give hope”. Sometimes as immigrant and/or worker, we give hopes to ourselves, some of them may need a reclassification as a false-hope, to satisfy our ego and give ourselves a really hard footing. Don’t hopes drive us? Don’t we give ourselves hopes to live on and live by? Sometimes winning, sometimes losing and having a lifetime of experience to reflect upon.

Going through different jobs, posing different situations and the associated struggle and fun, it sits well with me as an economic immigrant working out of home country. The fun side of which reminds me of yet another great movie – The Forrest Gump. Salman portrayed an emotionally less aged character in the hit Bajrangi Bhaijan, whose innocence, just like Forrest Gump captured the heart, this one in and as Bharat combines the best of both worlds, and includes a whole universe of characters, emotions, situations and struggles, which is yet another surprise in a Bollywood movie, especially one normally expected out of Salman. Dealing with even pirates, on his own style, who would not want to be Bharat’s friend. It is his friend in bad times, that kept with him, and even this aspect of friendship was explored,in addition other relationships with siblings, parents and extended family with much importance in the movie.

Overall, Bharat was an interesting experience, of laws and lawlessness, ambitions and complacence. It is a wonder for someone who went through The Forrest Grump and Bajrangi Bhaijan to see that even within a standard Indian movie duration, Bharat could offer this much, and keeping a coherent narrative with effective visualization. Like other Salman movies, this one too, stands ground on hit movie songs. Bharat was a refreshing experience, and thence for once putting this particular movie well above my average ratings for an average Hindi Movie.

There was only one instant where I felt the movie could have improved. During Bharat’s near death experience in the underground work place, an otherwise stopped watch should have started working, to show us that this was unreal times, where his whole life flashes before him, and the watch should have stopped, when he recovers, indicating that we are back to normal where the watch never worked.

Bharat also pays good reference times for the legends Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Amitabh Bachchan.

Sidenotes

As someone who worked for a Pakistani Origin CEO, in a company which had significant footprint in Pakistan, USA and office in India. Going to a sponsored vacation trip with all Pakistani people in an unknown country, was a unique and memorable experience for me. Thanks to the USA for letting us do that.I would confidently claim that time has been proving over and over again of no much difference between humans, their needs and emotions. And people of all countries gel well when they are outside of their homes. So I would encourage everyone to get out of the comfort of home, and go and see the world. To shine lights on the darkest corners of our brain, to open up and bring in a true acceptance of the world we live in.We need to do more of that between these two beautiful countries and many other countries as well.

Footnotes

I could not end this without relating this movie to my own work life and visa experience as an economic immigration, though not as exciting and entertaining, it has its own ups and downs captured as related posts here.

Work in the USA

Work forever by chance

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H1B and green card process for backlogged countries can be compared to a few of the mythological stories. To reach there someone went through H1B which is a process.

H1B a temporary worker visa provided lasts 6 months. and during this time a company was sponsor the employee for a green card. Green Card in employment based category are divided into many. The employer sponsored ones are EB1B, EB2, EB3. Each of the preference numbers in the employment based green card has a country wise limit. So most populous countries in the planet hit their limit while a coworker born elsewhere could get green card faster. Since country of birth is not in a person’s hands. Unless your parent was Ravana who made the stars and planets align so his son Indrajith was born in the exact time and date and location that he wanted.

Narada’s H1B

In one of the Narada’ story. After much discussion about who is the greatest devotee and how a mortal life on the earth is seen from above. Vishnu makes Narada transport into the earth. In a city of the ages, he gets employment, gets married, has children and lives a happy life, until a flood comes and wipes off the entire town with all the people. And Narada remained, returning to Vishnu, he understood how life on the earth is temporary and how it is good and bad and during his time there, he never thought of Vishnu nor pray. Thus is the story of life for all the mortals. Which particularly connects with H1B work visa, or anyone living the life of employment.

Trishanku‘s Heaven and H1B

H1B with I-140 approved with 180 days passed, so that I -140 based priority date persists may be equated to Trishanku’s heaven. While you are eligible to work forever, there must be an employer. You transcend to the USA as a resident for all other purposes, buying house, doing job, living, pay taxes, access schools for children and so on, limited to work, but unlimited access to spend or invest. It is kind of a compromise formula for the backlogged Indian in Green Card who will never see the Green Card. Sorry to Trishanku if this comparison is incorrect. Apart from the 60 days of grace period on loss of employment and limited number of working hours per H1B Visa rules pertinent to the sponsoring company, the status offers benefits and sometimes these may outweigh other available opportunities.

Bali‘s unreachable mountain (ബാലികേറാമല)

In another mythological example, in Ramayana, Rama and Lakshmana go in search of Sita in the forest. In their they are trying to reach and speak to Sugreeva, who stays atop the Bali’s unreachable mountain. The greatness of the Bali is that even though Sugreeva stays on it, the name still goes to Bali. So with that blessing Sugreeva is sage from Bali. However, he is afraid of these two strangers approaching the mountain, and to Rama and Lakshmana it seemed that the more they walked towards the mountain, the mountain became farther to reach. While not a direct correlation.The approach to Green Card through H1B is sort of a mountain unreachable by Bali.

The real process of H1B to Green Card

After 2 years and 10 months in a company. They could not get my green card petition in. Because I was in OPT, STEM OPT and they sponsored H1B so why sponsor yet another petition?! Legally, they could do it in parallel. Practically, it depends on the manager who wants to judge and review the performance. Because of their incapability to support green card process, one may choose to go with another company.

In another company with 2 years and 9 months of experience, after much chagrin and futile argument, and absolutely unsociable behavior developed by this system’s effect and aftershock of layoff but the venue of which only came due to acceptance of expression, right to freedom of expression, blatant disregard to fear and consequences and some amount of pending misery. All added up to getting to remain true, honest and right to the self. A system cannot be that bad. Especially, when it boasts to come from a so called first world country and first world employer. However, after much stain. I 140 for EB3 green card petition gets approved and an H1B life is extended based on that for another 3 years. And no one discussed about the green card backlog in this category based on country of birth. The legal team did not consider my profile for any other, there is only one, EB1, category.

The technique apparently is that people who want to stay can stay. This is not slavery. There is a choice to break the contract of employment. There is no choice to build anything better. There is no way forward. There will be no support. There is no innovation. Do the job or don’t do it. A job in which somebody grabbed me by collar, somebody said I am taking all the money from salary to my home (country). And I would have to argue with green card or US citizen co workers knowingly fully well that if things go south, they could stay in the country of work in the usa, to find another employer. While I would have my counter started. A counter of 60 days. And here the work forever life begins with the end in mind. A life of 60 days. Some insects live only for days, some microbes for hours.

Interestingly, in a cookery show by Lakshmi Nair, she said during the multi step cooking, all this we are doing for some taste, and we keep food in mouth only for a few moment, lasting no longer than a minute. But tastes leave a lasting memory.

This is true for all tastes, the good and bad. And we go through several steps and processes just to arrive at a taste, a certain taste. If it fails, we try all over, if we have strength and patience. Or else we drop the idea. And declare that we are no good. Sometimes, yet some other time, there may be someone who likes the taste, though we may not, as the cook, as the experimenter, we have choices, to drop or to continue.

Work in the USA

Aftershock of H1B Layoff

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As if losing the job was not enough. There were other clocks that worked at their own pace. The Green Card process with my ex-company ended, PERM was not even processed. H1B ended giving me a grace period of 60 days. A human translation, is there is no more a future job that the company would be able to support. The company has further restrictions in hiring and offering PERM petition because of the layoffs. By law they have to offer jobs to qualified domestic citizens. So there is no more future in the company. And company would not entertain any questions on it.

I had the whole office work setup at home. Now, I was not permitted to return all that to office. So the brilliant guys there called my own ex-friends and ex-colleagues to come and collect stuff from my house. It was short of an emotional parting.

Several people had lost work so there is no special consideration for me. I am still wondering how Covid is a hogwash reason that could affect a hardware-software company.

I went back to the search sheet just like the ones created for finding universities, this time for jobs. Job search techniques, I refreshed with all the books in the public library. No library has any information about visa sponsoring employers. So that was purely luck based. Interviewers did not understand the exigency of the situation that I had only 60 days to make myself useful at their company, and they had to move through the interview process fast and keep me updated all the time.

I had to amp up on the networking side using LinkedIn and tried to make use of the connections built from day 1 in history. Where some where helpful in leading me to some opportunities, some where not helpful. What can they do, I am sure everyone helped in their own way. By luck and kindness of strangers I could get a proper referral and get into interview, and perform satisfactorily for them to offer me a job. Then, it was a wait for the H1B visa transfer(change of employer). I had to take time. I had the timer running and still trying to find any employer who could do that process faster, attend as many interviews and phone calls as possible. This was not easy. Meanwhile sold all the furniture, and spoke with lease office. Now that I did not have to outright sell the cars, because cars are needed for any life in the USA. If there is a job in the USA in near future, then selling the car may be costly compared to buying a car later. But there is still the uncertainty since I had no paper to show yet.

My previous offer during studentship (F1 Visa) was a good reminder. I was offered to be interviewed and the office admin there collected all personal details to book flights and so on and then cancelled it at the last moment and did not book anything. There was no offer to bring in for interview then or later.

I could not go back to India and go back to F1 to continue PhD that easily because of lockdown. I could not get any visa appointment slots. I could not see any relevant jobs in the city I was in. I had to move. I was preparing everyday. I had watches several movies run in the TV during this time but do not remember even a single one. I tried to maintain contacts with a few people who were in my situation, checking on them what they may be doing. I felt I was responsible for one person I interviewed and was later offer a job, laid off only 4 months into the job. I felt bad. Why my manager or CEO did not feel bad for letting all of us go, I could not understand. We remove emotions from policy, then a temporary foreign worker whose work no more exists ceases to exist. No humans were harmed, in theory!

Luckily the papers came in just in time, just 10 days before the end of grace period of 60 days. That determined my continued stay in the USA, and continue the work by chance in the USA.

To this day even after 3 years of these happenings, I relive thiese major life lessons, as a memorable set of events. For the slightest of the reasons in my new job, such as computer not letting me log in. Swipe in card not working. Manager not scheduling 1:1. Manager asking me to come into office without giving details. I would pre emptively carry the necessary stuff ready to go. If a 15 min video call could change my life and work by chance in the USA. Then it could happen again. In my place, in Kerala, we say if jackfruit falls and rabbit dies, it is not necessary that for every fall of the jackfruit rabbit would die.

I could give my example as a hopeful story to some of my contacts who faced layoffs during that time in 2020 in Covid. Most of them are doing well today. All is well that ends well.

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Work in the USA

In the US, on your toes

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Life in H1B brings surprises and because the H1B is sponsored and beneficiary is you. Life is decided on somebody’s else’s mercy. The amount of say you have on the H1B is zero. Hiding it does not help. That makes one vulnerable. To make it normal, selling, and upselling and shameless self promotion is warranted.

Looking back at my notes, analysing the option to head to US also read that I would on my toes when I move to the USA. One of supervisors who referred me to the MS program, advised that I should go to the USA. Although he never got to reap the benefit of post study work, because of inability to land a proper job during the 2008 recession.

Knowing this why would I head to the USA. Because this is a famous country, loan is available and it is possible to repay in post study work. Post study work permit is also possible. That much was planned. H1B and further could not be planned. Because H1B is a lottery. If it is made available take it. Any opportunity is better than no opportunity. And since I had to work outside of my home city, because of the availability of the jobs elsewhere, some overnight trip long. USA may be a little bit farther at 30 hours, but fair deal. USD to INR conversion fills any shortcomings.

My supervisor also advised that I should be looking for job from day one. I was extremely pro active, And this was noticed by one professor. I told him the truth, I am exploring all of what is avaiable. I had read ” What color is your Parachute” during job search. And exactly as mentioned in the book, I landed in a Silicon Valley based startup and as luck may have it next to my university. So I did not have to take all the bad and good of the SF. It was a different small company setup. Like a house almost, with excellent people – except the few I mentioned earlier. And then there were changes with H1B, you need to step up the game to get the green card petition. Why because, H1B is only for 6 years and with an approved green card petition it could be extended. During this period, I had to hold fort and keep quiet, until it is completely approved. I had opportunity to move to SF, infact my manager(s) wanted me to move. I could not, they did not understand, HR did not give how much of salary change would happen, co-workers one by one tried to understand why I am not moving and why I should be moving.

They all had good intentions but had absolutely no clue about the legality implications of moving and H1B, which would bring another LCA, H1B, yet another PWD, PERM filing. That will effectively delay my reach to green card by 1 more year.

And what about my freedom to pursue a part time PhD. I was well on the way completing coursework, publishing papers, getting conference fundings and really having 100% of life filled. I was maximising and firing in all engines.

I had to scientifically present to them why I will not be moving, they accepted, held on to me and let me go.

It was pure shock. Layoff newbie. First time layoff. I had all the office hardware equipments at home ready for work from home due to Covid-19. I had the house table setup like an office, with experiment running and then through some random meeting that showed up on the calendar. I was told in a video that I was affected and am part of the lay off.

I had my 60 days clock start to find another job, or exit the country. Such is the H1B life.

All the progress in PERM filing was lost because it was not approved yet.

Everyone is disposable, my first full time american work boss had said. I remembered that. I could not say bye to anyone officially.

I had 4.5 years more of H1B. All that is useful with only an employer sponsorship. I had to find an employer. Meanwhile, getting ready to move. Selling all the stuff, because in my location that was the only job I could get as an international. I knew all my classmates had moved to other cities.

I could move to PhD. But change of status from H1B to F1 was atleast delayed by 1.5 years. If status is pending I could stay. But where is the money. So back to the first step. I had to make money. If I have a chance I should attempt for work rather than studentship. So priority was set. I was on the toes again.

I learned from all my campus dining jobs, that to get SSN I needed to get work in a non-veg serving area. Which is faster than getting it later using OPT. I could not get internship so I worked in Athletics, I could not get research assistantship so I worked as graduate assistant. I could not get a senior engineer role with my 4 years’ Indian experience, I could get electrical engineer job. I could not get research role, I could get a job, that will sponsor visa and take me as an international with work authorization. So I was mentally ready to take any job. When keeping the visa alive took precedence, any job would work. I could be on my toes.

Hence, I am very grateful to my universities for teaching life lessons. University of Calicut taught me how to survival in adversity, and uncertainty. IGNOU gave me confidence to achieve what I wanted. SUNY at Buffalo gave me perspective on how to work and survive.

Work in the USA

Bonded Spouse, by chance

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H1B comes with the wonderful option of bringing your family in to the USA. According to the USCIS Family is only spouse and children. Parents, Grandparents, Brothers, Sisters, Uncles, Aunts do not count. Suddenly your family has shrunk. If you like to learn about one country that officially recognizes a family in its fullness, see my previous post.

H1B stand alone is heaven, you are always on the toes, ready to pack and move, share accommodation, sell and buy decisions everything depends on one person and is easy to make.

Options Check

With marriage it is supposed to be more full/complete and happy. However, would there be anything more punishing than not letting the spouse work by providing a work permit on H4. H4 EAD is only available with I-140 approved. However, without reaching I-140 approval, that spouse is going to be a sitting duck at home. It is ok for some people to spend time in learning, studying, taking care of home and rest of the dependents. However, that is not the aim of anyone on H1B who is already highly skilled specialty occupation qualified, and by middle class norms we can safely assume the spouse also would be eligible for such a category provided there was an equally competent H1B sponsoring employer in the location in the field of interest.

Option A : Follow Passion and further your career

Now, what if the spouse comes with a degree that is restricted by licensing, example dentistry. Then the spouse has to clear all the requirements for international dental program. Which has a very small intake compared to the general public of the USA. What if spouse cleared all the exams, attended all the interviews and still did not get selected? Try again. What if on retry too there was no option available and no admits given to pursue there career further.

Option B: Try something else

Try something, anything, like Google Maps aunt says take any lane and keep going forward, beat depression and hang on. Engage in something random. Binge on TV, food and music. And think, wishfully of an upcoming future that is bright and shiny.

Option C: Study something else for the sake of visa and future job

This is the appropriate middle class action for any H4 who is half decent in studies and ethically, morally middle class and want to support the family. So in hunt of this path, H4 is let in and given admit but cannot get funding, cannot work in research in certain healthcare. Then you need F1. For F1 visa you can change status or do consular processing. For change of status wait for a long time and then join the course. Ready for more wait times . Read more employment gaps. Or consular processing to F1, which the USA will accept because they bring in the money and spend in the USA, compared to an employee, who apparently takes money away.

In fact, I had a bad experience with a co-worker, to whom during my small talk and networking effort, I conveyed my country and work visa status, for which he said that I am taking all the salary home, as if he does not. At sometime, I had to communicate this to the HR and stop talking with the co-worker altogether.

Option D: I will not talk about this because that is actually not an option.

Optionless choice, by chance

The impact of restrictions on the H4 has impact on the H1B. Afterall it is more often that H1B is depended on H4 for taking care of all the non-work work. See Immigrant Talks YouTube video where Omkar says how to put it to the employer, the manager how this is affecting the work. However, I did not know this at that time. So my default answer for “How is it going” was “Bad”. And coworkers would not understand why I am saying that. When I say I became bonded labor and my spouse is even more restricted, as if I am a slave and she is slave of slave. Nobody understood this. When American co workers discussed their stupid red vs blue politics, I would interject and ask if they wanted foreign influence, I being a foreigner would be able to influence their decisions! I signed up for a job that for the first time in my life, on paper called me officially alien, at the time of part time paid research through the state university of new york research foundation (SUNYRF). Now, since I have been alien I was ok with that status. I would even tell coworkers that I am officially alien and there is no need for space travel to moon and mars to see one. So what would I expect out of Alien’s wife. This is probably not the best title to give a newly wed partner. But if jokes are in, let’s put everything in to make a soup. And as alien’s with appetite for humor we could digest it at home, with some bitterness. My Indian origin H1B batchmate coworker would say to this “We would not understand the some of the American coworker’s joke, and they would not understand ours”.

This type of dependent visa is available in some other countries of the GCC. With more restrictive rules. However, the way it is implemented does not suit the values of the USA. However, more than once they have gone back in their own ethics. American Revolution, I studied in my kerala state syllabus school, was based on “No taxation without representation“. However, for the H1B, especially on a backlog, there is a long time, a very long time of taxation only and absolutely no representation, if there is a lifetime backlog. There is no shame in taking taxes for the services, and people have to pay taxes in the H1 or any alien visa. This is by rule. This is excellent. I would want this if I was running the country. But then it is a U turn on the very foundation, of the USA. This is intellectually alienating ideology as well.

Work in the USA

Let’s write down the H1B Life Opportunities and Limitations, SWOT

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H1B a temporary work visa in the USA has some rights written by the the Government here https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/visa-information-resources/temporary-workers.html

And there are opportunities and limitations. So let’s do a SWOT. This will be SWOT for the beneficiary. Not for the company, employer, USA or anyone else. Because , you know, well, USA life is centered around self. If you want to know an example of country officially built around family see my previous post.

Stengths

H1B is a temporary strength to work in the USA for the employer who sponsors the work visa. It comes with strength to build network in the USA and claim US based worker tag anywhere you go. You get affiliation for conducting further networking. If you do not want to get bogged down by the responsibility of being permanent resident of another country, temporary is a way to. Because it is temporary, it flexes according to the market. If you ride the market, then you are victorious. As a temporary work permit USCIS has put in checks in place to help the workers using this visa. Some common checks and balances are, you can work 40 hours in this visa. There could be concurrent H1B visas. There is a cap exempt(not for profit) and H1B cap subject (for profit) category.

If you are in H1B cap subject category it could help mentally prepare to ask for more remuneration, because it is for profit. There is no shame in asking for more money and it sounds ethically and morally correct because of the visa sub category.

H1B Cap subject visa is subject to lottery. If you win the lottery, consider yourself lucky. If you are lucky you can ask for more money. So it is a great confidence builder in faith, your stars and luck compared to some other category where profile is selected based on merit or profile score like Canadian express entry system. You will generally be lucky and can follow astrology to the core. If you feel life is not fair and every should have equal luck then H1B is for you. You are a person standing for equality, liberty and fraternity and equal chance. There could have been times in career where you needed only a chance to prove yourself. H1B visa a chance to ask for the chance to prove.

H1B Cap exempt category is for people believe in their merit and do no believe in luck and money. You will generally for such companies who pay very low salaries and struggle to live a life that demands money. USA is a socialist-capitalist country. You can only be on either side once you are a citizen. A US citizen either has no money , lives in tents, begs on the street and depends on the Government for benefits. Or there is the other category of US Citizen who puts money in stock markets through personal purchase, retirement plan or so on, thinks that USA has to be great globally but not so great locally, will go to any means, even logically, and morally unsound political decisions, to safeguard, have basement in their houses to save themselves from imminent danger. I really do not know the use of basements in the houses. Is that supposed to simulate a cave or what? H1B Cap exempt caters to the people who do not believe in the riches and money, but want can pursue name, fame, inventions, speak and discover. In general social terms, these are people who could not get a good paying job or do not want it.

Weakness

H1B is only temporary. Anything long term thoughts and plans are only valid for 60 days. That is the time by which another H1B transfer can be made with conditions after conditions after conditions. So instead of going through a lot of if, else conditions in the uscis rule book, keep it simple at 60 days.

Conditions: Any plans limit to 60 days. Anything more, needs contingency planning. Initial H1B is limited to 3 years, extendable to another 3 years to maximum of 6 years. Within 6 years if there is a pending I-140 approved then the temporary work status (I-94: H1B status) and visa (H1-B visa) can be extended indefinitely as long as you are employed. In a country where layoffs happen everyday left, right and center, not my words, NPR said this. Then, you truly live the quintessential American Dream, get a temporary job and work using temporary work visa. It is a match made in the books of USCIS.

H1Bs suffer mentally, emotionally and socially. They are foreigners and temporary. So image living off of tents, eating in paper plates in campground. Blah! No. H1Bs do great once they see opportunity.

Difficulty in getting the visa, renewing visa and other related Government documents like license persist through H1B career. There is stress of layoffs, job performance, and dependent visa holders. H1B dependent visa holders without I-140 cannot work or pursue anything. So they are bonded to bonded laborer. This does not fall under the category of slavery per ILO.

Opportunities

H1B is temporary. There is opportunity everywhere. It is only up for grabs. A permanent resident, would prefer to stick with an employer, do not move bases and settle in a location basking the good and bad glories of that particular location. My once colleague said that H1B advantage is the mobility. H1B can find correct employment at correct wage, because it has to go through labor conditional approval (LCA) and H1B petition which justifies the work authorization, in turn it prevents employer fraud, and gives a direct comparison to the wages posted by the department. Except the recent Caifornia state mandate for wage declaration, to get a fair analysis of the wage offered to the market use Wage search Wizard. So if you are on H1B you are guaranteed to have worked with every legal aspects to be correct. This gives more opportunity to explore companies that need a foreign temporary worker, though they will post the job as permanent, it has not much meaning in the grand scale of things.

H1Bs are the creme-de-la-crema greatest of the greatest wage earners. They can spend lavishly and afford anything and everything legally permitted under this visa category.

Threat

H1B is temporary. All the good and bad lasts only temporary. Life is temporary. It is more temporary for the H1Bs. H1Bs without I-140 can exit the country of USA. There are around 190 countries in the world. In that time if you had thoughts of permanency, it will be questioned everyday. It takes some special mindset to avoid thinking about next best visa, next best country, getting green card. What will happen to house, car, children’s education, return to work after stamping, extending to other visa statuses, stopping everything that was started in 60 days. And so on. These are common threats for anyone who would lose a job in the USA? Wrong. Exiting the country and selling everything is not same as staying with comfort of roof over head and stressfully hunting for job. And if the job comes, in another state you need to take it or lose the work visa status. Talk about the thrills of living the life of H1B. This the greatest mystery thriller in the small world of the USA.

Work in the USA

Specialty Occupation Lottery (H1B) : The SOL of American Work Life for Indian

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H1B Lottery is a work authorization lottery deployed by USCIS for the employers seeking to take in employees who are skilled in specialty occupation. Why would you want H1B? Isn’t it enough that you experienced the F1 student visa life and whatever optional post study work life it offered. If you are that attached to your home country and the USA sucks big time, why waste any moment?

I had batchmates who did volunteering in OPT, people who waited for the appropriate opportunity be it volunteer research to build profile for suitable research positions/ PhD. People who wanted to start company, people who wanted to work, people who never applied to OPT, because they had hereditary business waiting for their newly acquired skills to be used. Everyone has a choice. You have a choice if you have everything. If you are normal then you have not much. This is much true for the US Citizen students as well. One lab mate said he had a loan for $19000 while he had full time PhD Scholarship and tuition paid for. I had only Master’s in the verge of completion with double the amount in debt. Who is better off? Only the options and choices available or made available will tell.

What if I wanted to go to another employer down the line, I need H1B. What if my needs changed and I am married and need to progress in the USA for furthering my career. Go back to home country, why stay here. Not my choice. Because OPT is optional, but it is really not optional for people coming with loan. H1B is lottery, it is not something that is earned. However brilliant you are, H1B is lottery based. If you are brilliant prove it by getting extraordinary ability O1 Visa. But if you are brilliant, you didn’t have to go through the F1-H1B route to get work authorization in the USA. Didn’t I start with the premise for the normal?

I should not avoid saying that not so normal per India. Like a student forced to work to meet expenses, is a big abnormality compared with Indian student’s in degree programs. So I worked in many small jobs in the university all within the specified student visa limitations, because no violation will see the OPT-STEM OPT go through. And by luck/lottery H1B in the near wishlist.

Seeing the H1B picked up for all three of us in the company in the same year 2018 was great. Some of us had previously lost chances, and in that I was lucky to have my 1st H1B lottery get picked. Not my talent, so can’t take the credit. I could say the employer was equally lucky. And in general we were lucky to have each other, until some worms got out the cans slowly.

We had fun trips, free food and what not during my time in my first American FTE engineering job. This was a Silicon Valley based startup. The best dream come true for any US student to workforce transition. Everything was great. Getting to know new industry, mind you the job started with my OPT, and then converted to H1B.

Meanwhile in one of the trips near somewhere in California, I was traveling with my coworkers and I see the trees were empty of monkeys. I expressed this out loud and then one of them in the 4 seater car said ” Because we are a civilized country”. Strike 1. Was that stereotypical?

When there is beautiful forest, in my place atleast there would be wildlife. I come Kerala, which also hosts the biggest land animal “Elephant”, monkeys are more common.

And further down the memorylane. A few months later I remember the same guy say to me, the first electrical engineer of the company and my coworker who joined only a few months before me, that we were very desperate at that time to get a job at the time of interviewing. Strike 2. True. I was desperate, because in OPT you cannot have more than 90 days of unemployment. I was. I did not like saying it loud, though. And still dislike that statement to this date. But I asked root, for some kind of consolation. And he said, yes you were desperate but so where they. Who would join that company when there were so many well established names in the industry. So both were equally desperate. In other words you could say that it was a mutual match.

And so to move to yet another company and to further career you need the luck of the lottery and later understand that there is huge amount of information on H1B rules, lottery, quota, H1B for profit and not for profit rules, wage rules and so on. But one thing stood out. You should ask the company to file for green card. Regardless of the minor incursions of demotivating collegial experience, it was time to look at the next big thing. You get the green card approved and then you are free to move your location, job, be eligible for many more jobs and have much more choice than that H1B would give. So started the journey of the PERM. Permanent Labor Certification, is not that permanent. And temporary foreign worker (H1B) however much think wishfully end up being permanently temporary due to country of birth. Even then, the quantum of solace is in the deeply seated notion that life beyond in this visa is based upon that lottery that the company won for me. The company owns the work visa, I just happen to be name on it. Some luck by chance.

Why H1B is important for the USA?

Watch this video from Forbes

Stuart Anderson, executive director of the National Foundation for American Policy, joins “Forbes Talks” to discuss the changes coming for international workers, H-1B visas, and employment due to Congressional actions.

Work in the USA

KGF1 (Known Good F1) Visa

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The known good F1 visa as I knew it was issued to any good student (read average or normal) with good university admit with everything good (normal). The good is normal. And probably why USA has people ask “How are you?” and get the answer normally as “good”. Good is normal. Good is good. How good is good? It is as good as it is known. So it is a known good. The unknown good, well is unknown. (Ref: Kakkakuiyil comedy ഒളിച്ചു വെച്ചാ പിന്നെ… https://youtu.be/VFPBZIh4vic)

So a student comes to the USA and gets F1 and studies Masters, in engineering, of course, others – are they normal? There could be other normals like the STEM based courses, anything non STEM is abnormal. For example: Dentistry DDS/DMD course in the USA is not a STEM Degree. So it is not Science, Technology, Engineering or Management. (Ref: Special 26 https://www.reddit.com/r/DesiMemeTemplates/comments/fhj3o4/asli_kaam_toh_yeh_kar_rahe_hain_special_26/)

So yeah!, Well back to the story. Studies are completed and then, no you cannot complete F1 based education just like that?! Why? We need to plan the timing to get the Optional Practical Training (OPT). Why is this optional, because some of the courses may not have practical component? Or you did not enrol in the lab component of a course? It is optional because you have the freedom?

None of the above. It is optional, if you want you apply for it. It is optional for the USCIS /DHS as well. If they feel like they can approve it. If not they can keep asking more questions or outright deny it.

OPT can be applied +/- so many days from graduation. Only if you graduate OPT is valid, if you fail then meh! So wait until graduation and then apply for OPT, but without OPT you cannot start job. But on an average OPT is awarded if school is good, DSO is well learned and you time it right then OPT will come, you will have a job based on OPT.

Where is the average data? There is no data. It is blind faith. Have faith, and you will be alright. So I attend all the available information sessions from university and elsewhere for OPT, OPT application, then realise that there is a CIP code, which will be printed on I-20, which was issued so that visa eligibility is proven, and then realise that the STEM OPT depends on the STEM Degree List published somewhere in the internet. Wait! No one said this in the beginning, well you never asked.

OK So How about I went though all the career fair, career services sessions, linkedin, networking, beefed up my already exceptional resume and crack application, jump ATS, at this time your resume NEO is in the ATS matrix, and then into oblivion. What happened to all the 1000s of resumes I submitted?! No time to waste, keep applying, pulling contacts, building networks and requesting referrals, and add to it the special charisma borrowed from Telugu and Tamil Mass Masala movies to attract hiring managers to get a foot in the door and interview and then present technical and soft skills and then wait for the results and gently nudge them, while applying for still many more jobs and then finally getting the OPT Employment Authorization Document (EAD) without the USPS missing it, without any correction to the EAD card and then if you already have SSN through some campus jobs all set to take on the challenge of Corporate America. For 12 months you are in the “Optional” Training. This is not optional for you, the loans are waiting repayment and then the mental promise is that it be repaid in time maximum withing the 3 years of OPT+STEM OPT Extension.

Oh! see that shiny PhD research position, wait the loan needs to be repaid. How about buying some apples, they are costly, lets stick with the student life and shared accommodation until loan is repaid and then you could have a lavish serving of $5 bag of apples. So it is that time of the life to toil to earn to repay the debts. In this pursuit KGF1 visa will work for 1 year. Be volunteer or employed. I have to be employed. Landed in a job. Worked well. Make a name so that there are atleast 3 good references from the job, and make them vouch the profile to be put in the lottery for the work visa (H1B). There are H1B lottery happening every year once with OPT and STEM OPT a total of 3 years will give atleast 2 chances for the lottery. If you joined in Fall and graduate and get to for profit employer job before Fall then you could potentially be eligible for that year + next 2 years for the lottery. However, life does not work like that. Employer would evaluate the work and then start the talk of sponsoring only if employee initiates the conversation and then somehow make them enter the profile into the lottery by March end of the year where the lottery happens in October of the same year. About 85000 H1B lottery visas are available. And there is a sub division for Master’s and Bachelor’s degree holders. Rules do change, so this data is from 2017-2018.

After impressing the employer and getting the lottery of H1B by chance you get maximum 6 years of work period and after which either an immigration petition has to be filed or you have to leave the country, wait for 1 year and then re-enter the lottery pool.

Hold On! This is going too fast. You said you wanted to study and repay loan and then what? Well the future beyond was /is unchartered. Only a 3 year post study stay is semi-guaranteed.

Life moves on with filing the ‘training report’ for OPT. The job that I got was based on my 2nd job in India, not due to the Master’s degree. Master’s degree gave the work authorization through OPT that I applied. Remember it was optional. Is life optional? What if this option had a lottery component?

Study in the USA

F1 Visa, to the USA and further studentship

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I am starting this series on visa in the usa. Most of it is personal experience and a review of life in the ages of various visa. I begin with student (F-1) visa in the usa. For official information click here. For my non-sense continue below.

My work experience in India has been exciting and self driven. Why? because my marks were not great in not the best engineering college in India. I knew life is different already being on the engineering path, a job may be possible, compared to a BA in politics. Or was I wrong. What does Indian media help a student focus on as possible career options. Popular news revolves around Cricket, Cinema and Politics. If you do not fit the popularity mode, then it is the middle class mentality. This for one is the most practical mode of action for anyone in the higher secondary to follow. Follow the herd and make yourself heard. If you were extraordinary you would not be reading this. So let’s assume in good faith that we are all the middle class looking for average success and measured by Indian standards. Trouble! There is no Indian standard. The culture and opportunity changes every 500km in India, add to the changes – languages, slangs, music, traditions and food. To the confusion we have our own ill conceived idealogies in that age where we are not really sure of what we want to do. If that is you, then an easy formula is to follow the money. To follow money, follow job. To follow job, follow studies. This is a simple formula. And many end up being more or less tending towards average. And hence the largest democracy of the world is still India. And there is no country half close to it.

Once we have established that in India we tend to be average and try to follow the herd, so that we are accepted socially and emotionally, we pursue this as the newfound passion. So what happened to the innovations and curiosity, well that is for activities outside of the scope of ‘job’. That we will do, with out without money. That is not accounted for. And that is best left unaccounted.

When I was studying violin at Kalabhavan, there was a KSRTC driver who was my classmate, he was sitting for the 5th grade of ABRSM just like me, he passed while I failed! That is the best example of follow passion outside of work. And if you are not from Kerala, be assured that KSRTC employees are some of the best educated people in the planet, somoe of them may have MA, MPhil or higher.

Coming back to the job search followed by Indian graduation, I had excellent job opportunities, but they were all temporary. If you have a permanent job in PSU or Government then you are Royalty. For others, we have to find our local maxima. My entry with off campus recruitement into IT company was short lived because of my finding of better opportunity. I remember filling out very many applications for PSU entry level jobs, where I listed every job due to “better opportunities”. Having satisfied my freedom and power to resign and move freely in my own country, did it own me first or did I own it, or did we adopt and grow with each other?! I could even quit to pursue higher studies in India. Now all that is thanks to the freedom and opportunities available in the India.

After all this came a wave a education fairs in various cities to study abroad in known and unknown countries big and small UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Estonia, USA . How do you choose a country. Let’s get free stuff first. Germany wanted atleast 70% for Bachelors, which I did not, I cannot go back to university after 2 years of experience to improve Bachelor’s score. So let that be. Then came a chance to go to Sweden, and that chance went away at the same pace with which I got admit, because no one was willing to give a 28 Lakhs loan for studying in the Sweden. Ok. So what next? Everyone talked about the USA.

Is it good?

It may be depending on the university and courses that you take

Is it bad?

It is expensive and far and cold and there is crime and different culture or lack thereof. It is monotonous and for rich people. Not for average people who will take loan.

Is it expensive?

It is as expensive as Sweden.

Is it recognized good quality education?

At that time UGC would recognize a 2 year Masters from abroad, while 1 year is not recognized. So I could do 2 year Masters and if I am unsuccessful then I could come back to India and become a teacher in the university, if I did not find any other job. A Master’s was only requirement in many colleges at that time, PhD was not required or unheard of.

Will I get loan?

Yes, I can get loan.

Will I be able to repay it?

Yes, people repay in 1.5 – 2 years according to the loan officer. And there is no collateral and there is no red tape and there is help in every step of loan process and there is post study work permit. If I submit all paperwork correctly after triple checking I could get 12 months + 24 months = 3 years of total post study work permit. This was a far cry from what my classmates who went to UK faced, and what Sweden was offering as 6 months post study work permit. If there is absolutely no scholarship and I get baseline pay, even then repayment is possible.

So started preparing and applying for university admission, spending lot of hard earned savings, taking a big dip in savings and finally got an admit. And voila! It was in a university where director of IIT hyderabad, whom I met in a company organized conference went for Master’s in Electrical Engineering. Excellent.

So I accepted the challenge. Gather more info on how to find job. My recommender suggested start job search from day 1. Get Visa appointment, get visa stamped. And that becomes my first ever visa on my first passport. A passport that was created when I was previously jobless after graduating from Bachelor of Technology. How useful was that jobless time period? Only time will prove. For now it saved all the time of the world. And with the newly stamped F-1 Visa, I embarked on a different journey to try my luck, fate, on higher studies, in pursuit of happiness.

Little did I know about H1B