I got my H1B successfully stamped in Sept 2015 from India through a small Indian consultancy. I am working in a reputed firm from past 11 years, where notice period is two months. The new employer told me to resign my company, in Dec sometime so that I will be free by Jan … I resigned and thought I will be attending interviews from January 2016 and will fly in Feb. But irony is, I have not got any interview calls till now, my new employer says he is marketing my resume but the job market in US is dull this time and it may take some more time. I am already idle from last 1.5 months and I am freaking out now, as I left my good job in India.
I would like to know, is this the real situation now? Is job market dull now and therefore less oppurtunities ? Should I wait for some more time ( like 1 or 2 months) to get a job in US? Or should I leave the US dream and start searching job in India itself? I greatly appreciate your kind advices.
I don’t think the market is dull here. Jan-Feb is the month when new budgets kick-in for many companies, and they start new hiring.
It is possible that your H-1 employer doesn’t have enough direct clients where they can place you. Lot of companies prefer to work through their approved list of vendors and small consulting company may find it comparatively harder to crack through.
What Saurabh said below is correct.
You may also try to start applying and marketing your resume from India itself.
Get Vonage or some IP phone so that you have a US number. Then mention that in your CV and stay up during the US hours to take calls and give interviews.
Send your resume to all good employers, if not a full time, they can always contact you for contract positions.
Saurabh - I have a question here. Same situation might arise with a lot of us who are in the boat to try for a H1B and then a project in USA.
Different employers have different policies. Some will make you quit your stable Indian job and then make you wait till you get a PO in US and only then you fly to US and start working as soon as you land there.
Others say, get a US number and apply and once PO comes, then resign, try buying off the notice period so that you can be in the US in 2 weeks time from the PO date, so that you can start working immediately.
What would be your suggestion. What should be the best approach?
Whole game is of the client letter I believe. Employers want you to enter US only with a legit and valid Client letter.
There would be employers who would want the employee to enter US and then market him/her to potential clients. This is the best approach as long as employer is willing to pay the salary while employee searches for a project. If they are not going to pay in US while on bench, then its better to wait in home country.
I wouldn’t recommend anyone to resign from their current job and then search for projects from India. As the old saying goes “a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush”.
Once you have the project in hand, then discuss w/ current employer how to resign w/o burning bridges. How important the notice period is to you; is the client willing to wait for a month or two etc.
thanks all for your answers. But my fingers are already burnt. My previous Indian employer also gave me an option of H1B transfer and to travel for his projects. I did not do that. Should I go back to him? How much time does H1B transfer takes? Is it possible for me to transfer my H1B, without my current employer knowing about it … Is it possible to transfer, without entering US at any time on same H1B ?