Rajesh Kumar, a master’s graduate from Texas A&M Kingsville has been looking for a job for quite some time after his graduation. He initially tried applying for full time jobs. However, he wanted to work on new and upcoming technologies. He pretty much knew he had to get some training before he could start applying for jobs. He was interested in learning multiple technologies and working for different companies, and also wanted to get highly paid. He finally took a decision that a consultancy job would be a right fit for his requirements.

Varun Krishna, who works for a consultancy as a contractor wants to change his employer (consultancy) since he is being paid peanuts after the cut off taken by the consultancy. There were number of layers between the client company and his consulting company (employer), which in turn pays him less.

They both are in a dilemma on how to choose a consultancy. H1B wiki suggests the following checklist and tips before you proceed with a consultancy.

Check the Current status and History :

It is very important to do some background check about the employer, before joining.

• How many employees work for the employer?
• How many direct clients the employer has?
• How good the marketing is?
• How many H-1B`s and Green Cards did they file? How many of them got approved.

Check out our H-1B sponsor application to check the history of an employee:

• http://h1bwiki.com/h1b-sponsors/

Check for the company information on DOL (Department of Labor):

The Department of Labor, DOL would have companies listed out in the United States. http://www.dol.gov/ website provides you some necessary information regarding the company like the status of the company, any lawsuits filed, its history, standing, etc. I would suggest not choosing companies you cannot find in the DOL.

You can find H-1B Debarred/Disqualified List of Employers list here:

• http://www.dol.gov/whd/immigration/H1BDebarment.htm

H-1B and Green card Sponsorship:

Most of the candidates would want the consulting company to sponsor H-1B , apply for an H-1B extension, transfer an H-1B and apply for a green card. So, an employer who can sponsor an H-1B and green card needs to be considered.

Training and Accommodation:

Sometimes, necessary training must be taken in the domain of your interest before you could apply jobs. Some of the consulting companies provide you with the necessary training as well as the accommodation to stay until you get a job. This could also be a considerable factor to choose a consultancy, keeping in regard the aspect of monthly expenses.

Check for the Reviews:

Please make sure to check the reviews of the consultancy. You can find the reviews at the following website.

• http://www.desicrunch.com
• http://www.goolti.com
• http://www.udeps.com
• http://www.immigrationportal.com (Search for consultancy name in search wizard)

Payroll Schedule:

Some employers might not pay promptly. It is important to know how often the employer gives pay check, if bi-weekly or monthly, how much percentage cut off per pay check, etc . It is important also to discuss regarding the hike, percentage cutoffs and salary package changes in a long term.

Check for Illegal activities:

You have to check whether the consultancy is doing any of the illegal activities as per Department of Labor rules.Some of the illegal activities are listed below.

• Make employee pay for his/her H-1B visa expenses
• Make employee pay for his/her Green Card
• Not keeping employees on the payroll
• Not paying the employees who are on the bench

Extra Tips:

• Don`t ever submit any of the original documents to the employer. Original document copies would be enough.
• Find a job in large consulting firms, because they would have a direct relationship with the client companies. This would let you make a vendor as your employer and miss any layers between the employer and the client.
• Check with your employer regarding the health insurance packages. Most of the employees miss out this. It is very important to have health insurance in the U.S.
• If you are relocating, ask for relocation charges each time you may have to relocate in regard to job or training
• Try to avoid signing any agreements or contracts.

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