Serious help only appreciated: stay or leave ?
Need help evaluating 2 options: I am pretty much in a bad shape due to this premium processing cancellation thing. 2 YOE with MS in CS. I am currently on STEM OPT. This was my first H1b attempt, picked and no response yet (Neither approved nor RFE). 2 attempts still remaining. Working at a no-name company (in a low COL state)for 15 months now. TC 100k. Current company is not doing too well and can shut down in next year. Got Amazon offer for SDE1, 115k/60 joining/50 stocks, starting date was in October 2018 (Considering i could get h1b transferred in October 1st week) Now with premium processing gone, there is no way I can join in Oct. Should I stick to my current company( in which case there is also a fear of getting my application rejected straight away after September 10th due to NTA) and try later when I have h1b approved OR ask for cancellation of current h1b application and jump ship ? Serious thoughts only please.
If you got picked in H1b then definitely get your H1b else you have to go through lottery again and if not picked you would be screwed. If H1b is not approved by October 1st then you can make this decision on whether to abandon or not.
I think you should pay an immigration attorney. Find one through avvo com OR ask the Amazon HR to talk to you to help assess how you could move to Amazon under PP immediately (but now in two weeks submitting an application will be almost not possible). So my guess is not much option but to wait at current company and see how things go in Feb. I am sure Amazon will wait because now all folks are mostly in the same boat so hiring at amazon will take a beating. But you should call an avvo attorney immediately
There isn’t a way to file under pp now , h1b is not approved yet.
Oh. I am guessing OP is on OPT then. I thought he was already on H1. In that case though I don't see how he can gain by withdrawing application?
Yes I am on opt. I am thinking to withdraw application and jump ship, since I have 2 more h1 attempts. Is this a risk worth taking ?
But in your second attempt you may not clear lottery, right?
Have you asked opinion of Amazon legal team? I would do that. Second, Amazon is going to struggle with hiring to due policy changes now. If you are not confident about current company situation it maybe worth exploring this option (moving to Amaozn on OPT, withdrawing first application and filing a new H1B against a fresh cap and then risking lottery). I am sure in masters quota next year the apps will be less since admits last year were less due to political situation. But do an expert immigration advice as well.
I haven’t yet. I am planning to wait and ask them after the next few days. I am sure they will have some sort of blanket strategy for dealing with this situation.
Talk to Amzn - it’s probably worth it for your career to take the risk and move if you can work for a couple of years on your OPT. If you’re doing reasonably well at Amz, internal transfers to Canada / Europe are somewhat easy but that also depends on your willingness to move. If there’s any way you can get your H1 and then move, you should absolutely do it. Amazon might have a team in mind for you already, but given immigration delays they may fill that req sooner and find another spot for you when your time to move comes up. They waited for me for ~1 year (I was getting my PERM / 140 processed) and still placed me in my original team so it depends a lot on HM / Recruiter as well.
This is what i am planning to do, please correct me if I am wrong. I'll contact them after a few days, so by that time they would have figured out some solution for everybody in this ship. I think HM would be okay to let me go (which is still a win for me if they are willing to find another team for me)since I originally interviewed for Alexa team and since timelines didnt work out with them, i just had a brief conv with this HM and she extended offer. If at all she is willing to wait , thats still a win for me (I saw the team, they have just 1 SDE 1 and 5-6 SDE2's maybe they want a SDE 1 to balance btn SDE1 and SDE2's, there is no dire need of a SDE 1). I am thinking of strongly expressing them that i am not okay with leaving my h1 application and join them, i would only agree to join if its well into sept and I get RFE. The reason why i am inclined towards taking risk is that things can get better for Masters students in the next year even if overall h1b situation is bad.
Yes
If you have not heard back till now you probably did not get picked in the lottery. Take the Amazon offer.
It is picked in the lottery, but hasn’t been processed yet