In USA on H-1B–Finding an Apartment on Rent

 

Some useful tips on finding a suitable apartment are:

• Always prefer shorter lease terms, monthly would be the best option, quarterly is also good. Do not un-necessarily bound yourself for longer lease terms, you don’t know when you have to relocate for new project or contract, etc.
• If you are alone, prefer apartment in those buildings which have a door-man. It helps when your shipment arrives for any orders that you might place. I had a bad experience, when the rider tries 3 times to deliver a package, but I was not at home and then I had to spend $60 in Taxi to go to their Distribution Center and pick up the package myself.
• Inquire explicitly, which of the following are included in the rent:
• Heat
• Hot Water
• Electricity
• Cooking Gas
• Internet
• Inquire about Parking space/lot/area in building or nearby
• Lookout for nearby Bus Stops and Subway Stations
• Lookout for nearby Mosque and Halal Market

 

Usually, owner asks for Security Deposit (refundable) equivalent to a month’s rent and one month advance rent.

You might be asked for a clearance letter from your previous landlord.

The owner will also verify your credit history/report, before signing of the lease contract. Some of them might also charge you the fee (around $50) for credit checking.

 

Based on my personal experience, I would recommend two websites, which would be very helpful for you in your search for an apartment.

Craiglist – The updated craiglist interface features are very useful, specially the map view.

Zillow – Extremely usable filter options and great interactive interface with tons of posting.

Job Hunting in USA on H-1B–Preferred Vendor, Direct Client and Sub Contracting

 

One of the important thing to understand is how recruitment process works in USA? Not all companies hire resources directly, in fact they outsource that work to recruitment companies who specializes in Human Resource Staffing. For example Company A, sign a contract with a recruitment Company R to channel quality Human Resources to Company A. So Company R will now become a Vendor for Company A. Company A, might also sign contract with other Recruitment Companies and based on their understanding Company A can nominate (based on the contract) which of them are Preferred Vendors.

Whether a recruitment company is a Preferred Vendor or not, it can channel human resources directly to the Company or it might delegate that work (keeping its percentage) to other recruitment companies, and that second level (up to nth level) of delegation is called Sub Contracting.

For you, an employee on H-1B Visa, it is important that you know whether:

• The recruiter you are engaged with is a Preferred Vendor or not? you should prefer those job opportunities whose recruiting company is a Preferred Vendor of the Client.
  
• Whether the Client mentioned in the job description is a Direct Client of the recruiter or is recruiter a Sub Contractor (more recruiting companies in between)? you should prefer working with those recruiters who are directly dealing with the Client, because the more the Sub Contractors involved the less the share you’ll get. Every recruitment company keeps a slice of its share from the original compensation offered by the Client against the job opportunity.

Preference Order:

1. Preferred Vendor
2. Direct Client
3. Sub Contractor

Job Hunting in USA on H-1B–Employment Types and Tax Terms

 

In USA, there are following Employment Types and/or Tax Terms:

Corp-to-Corp – Indicates that the employer would prefer to deal directly with another corporation. The main reason for this preference is to avoid some of the potential liability that might exist in dealing with an independent contractor on a 1099 basis. This would include corporations dealing directly with other corporations or corporations dealing with individuals who have incorporated.

Independent – The employer is willing to hire a temporary employee on either a 1099 or W-2 Basis.

1099 Employee – A 1099 employee is in most cases a temporary employee (technically, not even an "employee"). Because they are not permanent, they do not need to complete a W-4 or have the employer withhold taxes. They are responsible for paying their taxes directly to the IRS. The IRS requires that the employer report the earnings paid on a form 1099. The IRS would rather put the burden of tax withholding on the employer and therefore has fairly stringent rules regarding when someone can be considered a 1099 employee.

W-2 – A W-2 employee is an employee whose taxes are withheld by the employer and whose earnings are reported to the IRS at the year-end via a W-2. The W-2 employee completes a form W-4 at the beginning of their employment to instruct the employer on how to withhold taxes. This eliminates any possible issues that may arise with the IRS regarding employment status.

As an H-1B Visa holder, you should look out for job opportunities that mentions Corp to Corp (c2c).

You will notice that job posts also mentions Tax Terms. Tax Terms includes:

Full-time – Will be working as a full-time W-2 employee for the company.

Part-time – Will be working as a part-time W-2 employee for the company.

Contract - Corp-to-Corp – Will be working on contract with or through another corporation.

Contract - Independent – Will be working as a contract 1099 employee for the company.

Contract - W2 – Will be working as a contract W-2 employee for the company.

Contract to Hire - Corp-to-Corp – Will be working on contract with or through another corporation with the option to hire.

Contract to Hire - Independent – Will be working as a contract 1099 employee for the company with the option to hire.

Contract to Hire - W2 – Will be working as a contract W-2 employee for the company with the option to hire.

As an H-1B Visa holder, you should look out for job opportunities that mentions Contract – Corp-to-Corp or Contract to Hire – Corp-to-Corp.

Dice.com > Advance Search > Advance Search Options > Employment Type

STEM/Health Experts, Florida Board of Governors

Florida Seeks: STEM/Health Experts

The State University System of Florida is a national leader in the delivery of STEM degree programs, and its strategic plan calls for doubling the number of STEM graduates by 2025. The Chancellor is seeking two senior leaders to guide the creation of the system's first-ever STEM and health strategic plan.

1. Special Advisor for STEM and Health Initiatives (One-year contract appointment; location negotiable)
The Special Advisor will collaborate with academic leadership at the system's 12 member institutions to oversee the development of a strategic plan for STEM and health programs. The plan will contemplate issues such as program development, enrollment projections, accrediting issues, communications initiatives, and system-wide and institutional goals that help ensure a positive return-on-investment for the State of Florida. The ideal candidate would be a seasoned leader (former provost, dean, etc.) from an institution with health and STEM programs and will have an earned doctorate and proven track record of experience in leading complex and highly coordinated strategic planning efforts. The Chancellor is looking for an individual who can easily move between "thinking and doing" - balancing an ability to offer advice while contributing to critical deliverables. The ideal candidate will be a master of collaboration and possess exceptional communication and interpersonal skills. The chosen candidate will be invited to negotiate regarding terms of employment such as length of contract (12 months maximum), working hours, base of location, compensation, etc.

2. Director of STEM and Health Initiatives (Permanent full-time position in Tallahassee, Fla.)
The Director will work closely with the Special Advisor for STEM and Health Initiatives (see description above) in the development of a strategic plan for STEM and health programs. The ideal candidate will have an earned doctorate and a proven track record of experience in strategic planning efforts, preferably in an academic setting. As a primary writer and editor of the plan, the ideal candidate will possess exceptional organizational and communication skills. The Chancellor welcomes applications from a diverse range of individuals with backgrounds in any STEM or health field.

E-mail a cover letter and CV to vacancies@flbog.edu or fax to 850.245.9981. Candidates are subject to pre-employment background screening.

Why Request for Evidence (RFE)?–Recent Trends

 

On a mission to eradicate fraud, USCIS is increasingly responding to petitions with burdensome Requests for Evidence (RFE). Over the past years, different trends has been observed, such as:

End Client

The USCIS recently changed the format of their Requests for Evidence (RFE) for petitions where the employee is located at a client site. In the past, the focus of these types of RFEs centered around the employer/employee relationship, but now, they have started questioning whether the position at the end-client requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.

These RFEs seem to be targeted at IT staffing companies because they include language that says that the record indicates the petitioner “is in the business of locating persons with computer-related backgrounds and placing these individuals in positions with firms that use such personnel to complete their projects.”

The RFEs suggest that in order to overcome USCIS's doubts, employers must provide copies of signed contracts, master agreements, work orders, statements of work, services agreements and letters between the employer and authorized officials of the ultimate end-client companies and that these documents should contain a description of the duties, the requirements for the position, salary, hours worked, benefits and a brief description of who will supervise the employee.

Education

The USCIS has in the past has placed an emphasis on education and has been issuing RFE where they are asking about:

1. Education evaluation from a reputable evaluation company. Further, if the evaluation requires a combination of education and experience to equate to either a 4 year degree or a degree that is relevant to the position, the USCIS is requiring evidence establishing the evaluator's credentials and qualifications. It is important that Sponsors who sponsor H1B applicants with foreign degrees get their evaluations from credible evaluation companies and that they submit the evidence regarding the evaluator’s credentials and qualifications.
2. How a person’s degree relates to the position. They are questioning this more frequently so it is important to verify that there is either classwork or experience that an H1B applicant can show in order to prove that their education/experience is relevant to the position that is being filed for on their behalf.

Right to Control

The USCIS continues to question an employer’s ability to control their employee when that employee is located off-site. Further, they question the employer’s employer/employee relationship and how the employer intends to maintain this while the employee is working at a client site.

These doubts have been raised since the Neufeld memo was published in 2010. An end-client letter which states that the project/assignment will last for 3 years resolves this issue, but in most cases, end-clients are hesitant to issue these types of letters as they feel that it can be construed as a contractual commitment to that consultant and their employer.

Other Notable Observations

• Although additional scrutiny has affected companies of all types and sizes, those that design and/or produce products are not nearly as hard hit as companies that provide IT services.
• USCIS is increasingly tallying and tracking cases filed by each company. Companies that file a disproportionately high number of petitions relative to its overall headcount often face more burdensome RFEs.