Ask HN:Is there a panic button service for immigrants on work visas

9 points by ycskyspeak 12 years ago | 5 comments

With tens of thousands of dollars in student loans, my worst nightmare was to end up getting booted out of the country. This was either through a failure at the H-1B lottery, something doing the rounds again this year. Thankfully I survived.

Booted out of the country could also happen through a job cut which leaves my H-1B visa hanging. Something which I am currently afraid of. Is there a panic button service that matches employees on the cusp of losing their job with a valid work visa against employers looking to hire fast? Is this even a viable idea? Logistically and morally? Hedging against jobs and people is a very weird area to get into. What do you think?

aferreira 12 years ago |

How about instead of trying to circumvent the problem, we could address the original issue? Namely, that your employer single handedly has enough power to send you back to your country?

The whole concept of H1-B is broken because, besides being an actual lottery, it gives the employer too much authority and control, which is why some scare tactics are in place (and sadly generally accepted).

ycskyspeak 12 years ago | |

I agree. The wages are artificially lowered, one of the few ways to get a higher pay is if you move from one employer to the other. And of course if you are close to the H1B expiry, the filing for a green card is a half decade long ordeal in itself and you are effectively locked in.

fatbat 12 years ago |

While it could be a win-win situation I feel like the underpaid/job stealing argument will be even more heated by a service like this.

Also the fact that "transferring" a H-1B takes longer than the grace period you have when laid off/fired (1 month?). Unfortunately the "panic button" that I know some people use is to convert to a full time student and try again later.

ycskyspeak 12 years ago | |

I think the buffer is a few days. This is actually begging for a "Marriage as a Service" startup :)

gee_totes 12 years ago |

Upvoting because there is definitely demand for this service, but not sure it's a good idea. It would encourage a "race-to-the-bottom" type behavior on the part of employers and encourage a situation similar to indentured servitude for those who pressed the panic button.