Laid off: All questions and discussions

[gdilla]

Originally Posted by nk2006

Since you are a Canadian you can apply for a visitor visa (B1) – by applying the visa we will be in legal status until a decision is taken. B1 visa is generally approved if you give the reason of finishing up matters in US (like selling house/cars/closing bank accounts/credit accounts etc). I guess you are asking just to be informed but if it really happens another option for you is TN1 – if you have not yet applied for 485.

But they never know when you leave really, at least if you're canadian. By going home, all I do is give the CANADIAN immigration officer the i-94 paper with the h1 stamp when i enter canada if i don't plan on returning to the US again, at least on that visa. Plus, they never ask, so it's really up to you to give it to them. And getting a visitor visa, canadians automatically enter on 6month visitor status as default, no stamping required. If you're flying, all you have to do is tell them you're coming back to canada. If you drive across the border, they don't care to ask. So i guess i can just hop back to vancouver for a weekend and come back as a visitor and be fine then (to clean up affairs, or just hang out for 6 months).

[subba]

I had gone thru a layoff experience 3 years back.
They laid my team off in April, but for some reason said that they will keep us on payroll till July (effectively we got a paid holiday for 3 months :-) ) and gave us severance on top of that.
I took the 3 months to do job search and started the new job in July (technically there was a month gap between when I stopped being on payroll and when I started new job).

Recently when I asked old employer for employment verif letter for I140, the letter said I was employed till July of 04.

In general my feeling is, as long as you have paystubs and employment verif letters that you can use to claim you were employed till a certain date, you should be ok.
How much of a grace period on top of that USCIS gives is a hard qn to answer (just like anything else related to USCIS) ?

[franklin]

When I got laid off, my lawyer at the time told me that technically you are out of status as soon as you leave payroll. There was no such thing as a "grace period". I was advised to change my visa status to B2 (I think it was that) with immediate effect, if I could not find a new job within 2 weeks to complete an H1B "transfer". It isn't exactly a transfer of the visa, but what you would do normally when you are changing employers whilst on H1 B. I was told that the "maintaining status" was verified by payroll dates, so within the 2 weeks (I was paid bi-monthly) would be safest

[chanduv23]

I went through layoff and got the same response from my lawyer. The day you are not working, you are technically out of status. But I found a job in few weeks the gap between the h1b transfer is May 26th to July 1st. It was technically more than a month.
But these are done on a case to case basis, at times based on your good standing, and skills.
So though I was given 2 weeks pay in lieu of notice (as I was fired without notice), all my accrued vacation (2 weeeks) and 2 months of severance pay, lawyer told me I cannot count that as period of extended pay after layoff. So, I definitely walked a tight rope here.

[optimist578]

Hi All,
I have been laid off today. Please help me with any resources you might have to find a job on H1B. Will send my resume if you ask for.
Will appreciate anything.
-----------------------
PD Mar 2003.
Labor approved and I-140 cleared.

[vxg]

what is your background? Put some more details i may be able to circulate resume. If you have work ex in Energy Utility sector llet me know.

[optimist578]

Financial applications - FI research. BTech Comp Sc IITBombay'96 9 years exp. Currently a part time NYU Masters student in Maths

[ssd213]

I will send you a PM tonight
I tend to collect a list of recruiters as they keep calling me and of late i had a few who are looking for front office IT folks, will send their contacts from my personal email (dont have acess to it at work). also will send my email address, so I can try your resume at my firm

[lost_in_migration]

Please check your PM

[tuhin]

This feels good to see people helping out a complete stranger. Never saw such camaraderie elsewhere.

[amitjoey]

Originally Posted by tuhin

This feels good to see people helping out a complete stranger. Never saw such camaraderie elsewhere.

Yes, thats what IV is. We stand together.

[IneedAllGreen]

Check your PM and send me more information about urself and your work background/education on my PM. See If I cane help you more.

IneedAllGreen

[GotGC??]

With your credentials, you'll have no problem landing a job. Our best wishes & prayers are with you.

Please check your PM & e-mail.

Originally Posted by optimist578

Financial applications - FI research. BTech Comp Sc IITBombay'96 9 years exp. Currently a part time NYU Masters student in Maths

[sbabunle]

The quickets way would be approaching some consulting companies. If you need any names pls give pvt msg me.
good luch bro

[idlinginc]

Originally Posted by optimist578

Financial applications - FI research. BTech Comp Sc IITBombay'96 9 years exp. Currently a part time NYU Masters student in Maths

As Sbabunle said, the quickest way is to join a consultancy.

I am unable to figure out exactly what your *skillset* with those limited keywords, but this is a quick summary of what I can help you with:

1) Help you get an IT job (if you have IT skills). Nothing to worry about not having IT skills. All you need is basic literacy and have to learn how to copy-paste. There are some exceedingly easy jobs like Business Analyst (which are for people who don't know anything) where you would have to copy paste from word documents.

2) If you don't have IT skills, but are willing to learn, I can find mentors who would train you. I can give you a quick intro to a wide-range of technologies and the career prospects.

3) Help get you a best rate. 90% of billing rate.

4) I can even convince that consultancy to donate the rest, 10%, to IV. This is a win-win situation for you as well as IV.

Let me know what all help you need and I'd be glad to help you with anything. My ph# is on my profile. I don't know whether you can access my profile, will send a PM.

Best,
Idler.