Need advice regarding a job oppurtunity in US

[Shamu Somasundaram]

Hi All,
I have 2+ yrs of experience in Java/J2EE. I have been contacted by an Indian consulting firm for a job in US.
What they are saying is, they will file H1 visa for me and I will be posted in their US office. After going to US, I will be placed at client side(clients include IBM, deloitte).

I need some advices from you people.

1. How much can I expect as salary ?(they told me that they will offer ranging from 45K to 55 k). How much a person with 33 months of experience in J2EE getting paid working as a contractor?

2. Can I leave my present job relying on this consulting firm? I am presently working for one of the biggest Indian company.

3. I think many of the ranchers from India, work as contractors in US. How good is the US market now? Can anyone please guide me whether I can accpet this offer or not?

Thanks in advance.
Shanmugavel.

[Arjunkumar Shastry]

Unless you reveal the name of that Consulting company,its difficult to guage whether they are into serious business or body shopping.Last week too,one firm conducted Walk-In interviews in Bangalore for those inetersted in H1-B/L1 visas.

[srinath anand]

Whatever you do, do not leave your present job in the hope of getting an immediate placement with this consulting firm. Continue with your present job till you get a concrete placement at a client site in the US.

[trupti nigam]

Many consulting firms say that they have clients like IBM etc. but sometimes the reality is very different. I do not want to scare anyone but for a consulting company it is just a business. Getting people from India on h1.For that they can say that they have big clients in US. Few days back I read in newpaper that IBM is going to cut 14000 jobs in US and hire the same amount in India. Verizon is already doing that. So I don't understand how can this consulting company is looking for people to palce in IBM?
Once the person is in US , he gets totally different picture. The job market here is not that rosy as it is now in India. That's what I feel. YOu said that you are already working for big MNC company.
I would suggests you, that before leaving the current job, first confirm your client and move. Else you have other option like if you get any onsite project in US, come here, see the job market, try for the job by your self. You said you have 2+ years of experience in java,j2ee. I think is it too early to come here as there are many people with more that 5+ years of experience already searching for the jobs.
From the US job sites what I see, every job demands atleast min. 4/5 years of experience.
I would strongly suggest that stay with the present company, get some more experience, try for some onsite opportunities.Then think about coming to US.

[trupti nigam]

Where is this consulting company located.I mean which state in US? If it's from California then the pay they are offering is very less as california is expensive state.
If you come to know how much the client is paying them for the position that they are trying to feel, you will be really surprised by the difference of the salary that the client is offering and what you are getting in hand.
Also I am very much sure that big clients in US are generally looking for people with more that 5/6+ years of experience. And if this consulting firm is so confident to place you to one of their big clients, I am 100% sure that they will ask you to modify your resume to fit the client job description. So When you will appear for the client interview , your resume will say person with 6/7 years of experience. This is the reality of US job market. and the people with less experience are getting placed like this.
I have seen some real examples.
I do not want to scare you but this is the reality.

Originally posted by Shanmugavel Gnanasambandham:
Hi All,
I have 2+ yrs of experience in Java/J2EE. I have been contacted by an Indian consulting firm for a job in US.
What they are saying is, they will file H1 visa for me and I will be posted in their US office. After going to US, I will be placed at client side(clients include IBM, deloitte).

I need some advices from you people.

1. How much can I expect as salary ?(they told me that they will offer ranging from 45K to 55 k). How much a person with 33 months of experience in J2EE getting paid working as a contractor?

2. Can I leave my present job relying on this consulting firm? I am presently working for one of the biggest Indian company.

3. I think many of the ranchers from India, work as contractors in US. How good is the US market now? Can anyone please guide me whether I can accpet this offer or not?

Thanks in advance.
Shanmugavel.

[Rahul Juneja]

I totally agree with trupti, yes they will update ur resume with 5-6 yrs of exp, but if u are capable enough why not, if u can prove 5 yrs exp then y not grab it.

Cheers,
Rahul

[Shamu Somasundaram]

Originally posted by trupti nigam:
Where is this consulting company located.I mean which state in US? If it's from California then the pay they are offering is very less as california is expensive state.
If you come to know how much the client is paying them for the position that they are trying to feel, you will be really surprised by the difference of the salary that the client is offering and what you are getting in hand.
Also I am very much sure that big clients in US are generally looking for people with more that 5/6+ years of experience. And if this consulting firm is so confident to place you to one of their big clients, I am 100% sure that they will ask you to modify your resume to fit the client job description. So When you will appear for the client interview , your resume will say person with 6/7 years of experience. This is the reality of US job market. and the people with less experience are getting placed like this.
I have seen some real examples.
I do not want to scare you but this is the reality.

Thank you Trupti and everyone for informing the real situation..well I was asked to appear in person with the HR manager of that firm and I was disapointed to have heard what they said.
They asked me for a bond of INR 90,000 and I will have to attend interviews to grab a job after going to US. till then they said they will give a stipend of 500 USD till I get a job. I thought it's a very good company. the company's name is softwareart in mumbai. And also they asked me to book flight ticket on my own cost which they say they will re-imburse in my first salary..
I am greatly disappointed over these developments and have decided to wait to go onsite from my present company. I am just givng my experiences so that other ranchers are aware of these consulting firms who approach people,saying that they would file H1 visa. I really appreciate the ranchers who advised me in such a situation. Also I request all who have been trying to go to US to be very careful in considering any offer from such companies.
Thanks everyone.

[Amit Saini]

What a fraud company that is.
THink of it this way, the USA already has way too many students graduating each year in Comp Sci. It only makes logical sense that companies/consultants would hire these guys first rather than go to India to hunt. That would add a huge overhead.

Your decision to stick to your present company is good and onsite opportunities should come up sooner or later.

All the best!
Amit

[Jeroen Wenting]

H1 is for people with irreplacable skills that can't be found among the US workforce.
There's tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, of people with your skillset and experience level out of a job in the US.
That means that if they get you an H1 at all it's most likely on false pretenses. It also means that they're likely going to pay you far less than a US person would get which is illegal.
Even more likely they're going to make you pay for the H1, then dump you in the US with a contract that says you will get paid only when you work, but not provide you a job (leaving that up to you). That too is illegal.

[soniya saxena]

H1 is for people with irreplacable skills that can't be found among the US workforce.
Thats theory

[Luke Kolin]

Originally posted by Jeroen Wenting:
H1 is for people with irreplacable skills that can't be found among the US workforce.

That is neither theory nor law. People with exceptional or irreplacable skills qualify for an O-1, not an H-1.

Cheers!

Luke