Why Your Dream Job in the USA Won't Hire You

The US has always been a dream destination to work and settle in for people in developing nations around the globe and rightly so! The country is an economic superpower with unrivaled standards of living. It is a country of dreamers, by dreamers and for dreamers. The growth rate for jobs in the US economy is staggeringly high, with close to 250,000 job openings every single month. According to the same estimated reports, the unemployment rate is also a miserly 3.7 percent.

The strong job environment is coupled with an upward trend in hiring and wages. Attractive minimum wage rates make for one of the most popular reasons for immigrants to tread towards the US in search of better standards of living and a better livelihood. The job scenario in the US is booming to the extent that there are more job openings than people in need of employment! There are more job vacancies that can be filled by the existing eligible residents and workers of the US.

For an unprecedented first in the American economy, there are more jobs than people out of work.

OPPORTUNITY FOR INDIANS:

The Indian diaspora, as well as the Indians looking to head over to the US, have great opportunities at hand and are trying to make the best out of it. Like any other minority residing or working in the US, Indians too are constantly striving to get themselves the right to work and live freely in the country without the hassles.

Most opportunities come in the form of student visas. The US is one of the most popular destinations for international students. A big chunk of international students in the US at this instant consists of Indians. To study in one of the colleges or universities in the US, one needs to be qualified enough and attain an F1 visa. This non-immigrant visa is an international student's gateway to admission in the US.

But beware! Flaunting an F1 visa does not mean that you are free to work in the country. Full-time students are only allowed to work 20 hours a week on campus when school is in session and full-time while school is in recess. Even this, however, may require special approval from the right authorities. Additionally, F1 visa holders are eligible to apply for permission to work off campus for up to 12 months. This permission is called Optional Practical Training (OPT) and allows F1 students to train, and thus work, in a field that is related to their field of study. Getting an F1 visa itself is not difficult, although, a tediously long and tiring process. Many prospective students dream of getting their F1 visas converted into the much-revered H-1B on getting a suitable job and employer who

In the current state of affairs however, the situation is bleak and opportunities far and beyond for even an H-1B visa holder.

Getting an H-1B visa is a herculean task in itself, with countless new applications being filed for the same every single year. About 60% of these are filed by people of Indian origin. H-1Bs are now being allocated on a lottery basis out of all the eligible array of suitable candidates. Converting these H-1Bs into a green card is even more of a distant dream as the natives from India are excluded from participation in the Green Card lottery program this year.

Getting to live the American dream is also dependent on the country of your origin. People coming and applying from countries with smaller populations have a better shot at long term visas than those coming from countries with a big population. This is due to the quota that each country is allotted by the US. With a population of over 1.3 billion, we are at a permanent disadvantage. More importantly, the Trump administration has lashed out harshly at international students, barring many to even enter the country and thus ending their dreams.

THE GAP- WHY INDIANS ARE NOT BEING HIRED:

Ever since Trump's crackdown on work visa approvals, Indians are finding it hard to get hired by companies in the US. Coincidence? Hardly so. More and more organizations are hesitating to hire Indian professionals, no matter how highly skilled they are. Non STEM workers are at even greater risk and so are the many students not enrolled in top tier schools across the nation as the Trump faction looks to take in only the finest and brightest. A lot of companies are cutting down on jobs for international applicants as the government scrapped work visas of spouses of H-1B visa holders and the steps to get new H-1B visas gets stricter and more complicated. This has resulted in a downward trend of H-1B visas being granted to applicants from India.

THE SOLUTION:

Well, the way things are working in Trump's era, get ready for a bumpy ride full of uncertainties. You could earn brownie points if you are among the brilliant few earning degrees from Ivy League schools with any of the STEM courses but even that does not come with a promise of American citizenship. Jump on the US bandwagon if you are willing to take the risk or are confident enough of your chances.

For others, however, EB-5 visas are the way to go. As an EB-5 visa holder, one gets to live and work anywhere in the US without employer dependency. You can also earn higher American salaries while paying lower tuition fees.

Here are a few more benefits of an EB5 visa :

• One EB-5 application permits an EB-5 investor, their spouse and their unmarried children under the age of 21 years to receive green cards.
• You get to travel to and from the US without a visa, hence easing international travel.
• EB-5 Green card holders can work in any field and any area as their work does not have to be in the same state as their EB-5 investment.
• A chance at qualifying for in-state tuition fee that will save you thousands of dollars when compared to fees for international students.
• After 5 years, you may be eligible for US citizenship or if that does not interest you, just renew your green card every 10 years sans the review process.