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Comment by bialpio | Hacker News Reader

Small note: there are people who cannot change work in IT because it would affect their visa or immigration status.

Thanks for pointing this out. I'm a U.S. citizen, but I have had friends that were not, and I was horrified to hear the stories of how companies (that I worked for at the time as well) were using that 'leverage'.

I will no longer work for those sorts of companies.

It does not necessarily need to be something that companies actively do, it's also that the process is set up that way. For example, I know I was not actively seeking other opportunities until I got my green card. IIRC, even transferring to a slightly different role within the same company could affect how quickly the process progressed (I think part of the paperwork would need to be re-filed).

H1-B transfer is possible if your potential new employer will perform the transfer with USCIS.

(Edit: typo corrected, thanks kaapipo)

*your

IIRC the transfer can affect the green card process depending on the stage you are at. IANAL, check with your immigration attorney.

(this also assumes that the person is on H-1B and not on L-1, which cannot be transferred)

A person on L-1 should've known they will be moving home soon. This works exactly the same in EU and IMHO it's only logical - you'd be able to skip the usual "queue" otherwise.

L-1 can be extended a couple of times (up to 7 years total I think?), so "soon" is relative (especially given that it gives you a couple tries at the H-1B, but only if you can hold on to the job).

I think my main point still stands: you can't always just pack up your things and leave (or rather, you can, but the consequences aren't always a simple job hunt, sometimes they involve relocating internationally) so you may be willing to tolerate more abuse or conditions that are less than perfect for you.

You can also get denied and get kicked out, it's not a guaranteed process AFAIK IANAL.

yup, I have to bear with the bullshit. I love my daughter man.

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