Ask HN:What are those consulting companies giving H1B visa?

I am in valley on H4 visa. I have had 5 years of experience in India and I worked for an American company's offshore office in India. I arrived in US on H4 visa as my husband had H1B.

I suddenly started meeting a lot of Indian women who were more or less in same situation. Some of them had H1B but no jobs (which I believe legally impossible), they claim to work for some "consulting" company which gives them H1B but the person has to search for job herself.

For last few days I am trying to read up laws related to H1B, immigration reforms and trying to ascertain if this "consulting" thing is for real or some kind of scam.

Does anyone know any better ?