It is difficult to change companies if you are on L1B (intra-company transfer from a foreign country). If you are on H1B, you can change any time.
I am just curious to find out why people think L1Bs/H1Bs are cheap labor. May be it is a popular myth?
I came here in 2003. I was getting above "market salary" even then. Now I get way more - about twice the market salary (I've got skillz man! :-p) - which is the only reason I am hesitating to quit my job to do my startup full time.
I know many people who are on L1B and H1B. I don't know of even one underpaid person! USCIS is really strict on reviewing your W2s. Even the supposedly hostage L1Bs are payed fair salary. May be the situation was bad before 2000 and has been since corrected? I don't know.
[voted you up]