Tag Archives: laid off

Laid Off on an E3 or H1B Visa

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Unfortunately it is the story of the day, the month and hey the year. We just find out today that a record almost 600,000 jobs were lost in the US in January alone. The current unemployment rate is now 7.6%. Many of those included foreigners on US working visas and the road is mcuh tougher for all of us in this category. 🙁

The two major problems that foreigners on working visas face compared to a fellow US citizen or resident who may have been laid off is;

  1. No access to Social Security Benefits or any sort of unemployment support or safety net
  2. Extremely Limited to time to find new employment and change visa legally without having to leave the US

Essentially this means if you are in this unfortunate predicament you have to bear all the costs from any savings you have of your regular expenses and finding a new position while trying to do it in record time and fit in with the regulations.

In actuality as you only are allowed to be out of employment legally for 10 days, you really don’t have any time to find a new position and transfer your position if, as most lay-offs are, sudden and unexpected.

Now many employers are very understanding in these situations given in an ideal world they never wanted to let you go having gone through so much for sponsorship to get you in the first place, that officially they will keep your position open even if you are not in it, allowing you time to find a new role and thus technically not be out of work for more than 10 days. They don’t have to do this but many do so request this if you can to buy you time.

There is no advice I really have in terms of finding a position than what you already did to get your initial role. If you were smart and dedicated enough to find a position in the US to begin with, I have no doubt, given the time and financial ability, you will find a position again even in this economy. There are positions out there…you only have to look at major job sites.

Hey even despite the gloomy numbers of January employment loss in the US, the health industry recorded an increase in positions so choose your target area wisely.

As for the situation of financially supporting yourself through this ordeal, paying your rent, etc. Well this is a decision you will have to make as it really depends how much you have, who you have to support and what your and the size of your obligations are. Like Americans it is probably a good time to live below your means for a while, save a little more. Your other problem is the US Dollar is getting stronger meaning transferring money over here from abroad buys you less.

I am sorry unlike other posts I didn’t have more advice for you but I wanted to at least address the current situation so you know the basic facts of what you can and can’t do and the basic tip about the employer holding your role open while you search.

I feel for you if you are in this situation and wish you well and a speedy find to continue your adventure…..

CJ

EDIT: There is one other option I recently was made aware of if you want to remain in North America but not specifically the US. The Alberta Immigrant Nominee Program for Canada is seeming to take more and more people in who had been laid off on a H1B or E3 visa. You don’t need a job offer or sponsor to get this visa as you can loof for work after entering if you are in this broad range of job categories. I am certainly no expert on it but hear it could be a good option and a fast track to permanent residency in Canada.

Are There Jobs Available For Foreigners In The US Right Now?

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The answer to the question is almost one of those ones where the Short Answer is NO but the Long Answer is YES!

Millions of people are being laid off in the US at the moment across all industries, in companies large and small and in all part of the country. So this of course includes foreign workers just as much as US workers. The small difference being legally under the E3 or H1B visa you can’t be out of work for more than 10 days or technically your status is invalid. Also despite the fact you are paying Social Security taxes, you are not eligible for any benefits like for unemployment.

What does mean for a new person who wants to come to the US to work and is seeking employment?

Well without mincing words, a tough challenge is slightly tougher, with less jobs available period let alone ones where companies are willing and able to hire foreign talent. Companies are cutting on all extra expenses and sometimes that includes legal expenses often associated with employing foreign residents.

However the underlying reason remain why companies want to hire foreigners and while there may be fewer positions avaiable overall. relative to the amount of visa there are available, there would still be more openings. So basically when you apply you just have to state your case all the more as to why you would be invaluable at this time and why they must sponsor your US visa be it L1, J1, H1B, E3 or H2B!

I mentioned in a previous post; Monster, Craigslist and LinkedIn as great job resources and that still is true now, but I can’t stress enough to target one type of position in a sector for you best results (i.e. Investment Banking and not all Finance related jobs) You need to own your sector and this impossible if you are trying to understand all sectors and apply.

I think the imprtant thing is just that if you do secure or are trying, be aware of the market environment you are heading into in the US which is probably 6 months further advanced than Europe or the UK as far as Recession goes and probably a year ahead of Australia and the Asia Pacific region. This also means it is closer to the end than the other regions but it can be a tense environment as people are ensure what is happening in the macro market.

I hope this post helped you gain a little perspective on the mood in the US and I look forward to your comments and experiences as always….

CJ