The American Dream: A Work of Fiction?
The?H1B visa process is a gruelling one, testing the limits of even the most patient and determined individuals. But for those who’ve faced the devastating blow of being laid off in the recent tech layoffs while on vacation or remote-work abroad, the journey to their dream destination in the US is wrought with even greater challenges.
Last week, one of the employees from Oracle, who goes by the name of ‘tyio67,’ on?blind, an anonymous professional network, said that his friend got laid off when he was on vacation outside the US. “He’s on H1B and lawyers tell him that he cannot travel back.?
He wants me to sell his car and belongings and empty his rental apartment. Why is H1B so damn fragile?” writes the author. So far, nearly?292 tech companies?have laid off close to 88138 employees, and the numbers are only increasing.?
In a?detailed thread, Neuman recently shared the legal advice he received from his immigration attorney, which gave a glimpse of all the loopholes of the 60-day grace period and the risk of applying for tourist visas among others.?
For example, in India, if you are planning to apply for a ‘tourist visa,’ the waiting period for getting an appointment is close to?1000 days?– i.e., you will have to wait until September 2025.
Since the layoffs were highly publicised, even if you get an appointment for a ‘tourist visa,’ the immigration officer is most likely to scrutinise your agenda, asking if you are here just as a tourist or will try to pursue employment. If they suspect the latter, you’ll be denied entry.?
Recently, the United States Secretary of State,?Antony Blinken?joined hands with National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, to launch critical and emerging technology (ICET) to?expand?international collaboration in AI, quantum technologies, and advanced wireless communications.?
Sadly, the Blinken-Doval meetings failed to address the current tech layoffs and struggles of unemployed Indians who are on H1B programmes, desperately trying to avoid a reverse exodus. Indians accounted for roughly 40 percent of the 200K job cuts that started in November 2022, led by companies like Meta, Twitter, Oracle, Nvidia, Snap, Uber, Spotify, Intel and Salesforce among others.?
“The H1B lottery process sucks,” said Immigration attorney?Phil Kuck. He said that there were about 495,000 applications for H1B visas that have been capped at 85,000 visas for about two decades. “That is less than a 20 percent chance of success,” he added, saying that this year, it is likely to be even worse.?
Top Stories of the Week >>
Microsoft’s Bing-ChatGPT Combo Can’t Stand Up to Google’s LaMDA
Ever since rumours emerged that Microsoft is likely to?integrate GPT-4 capabilities into Bing, Google seems to be doubling down on their AI strategy for the coming year. At the?latest earnings call?for FY22, Alphabet chief?Sundar Pichai?stated that the company looks to launch many ‘AI-driven leaps’ in Search and other applications.
Alphabet execs have also made the decision to move its research arm DeepMind from the ‘Other Bets’ section of the company to become a part of Google. At the same time, the company is also looking to ramp up the testing of its?ChatGPT-like products based on LaMDA.?Read the full story here.?
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Is Age Discrimination in Tech for Real?
Millennials and Gen Z comprise 68-70 percent and 18-20 percent of the workforce. As per PayScale, the median employee age at Facebook, LinkedIn, and SpaceX, is under 29. Only three businesses—IBM, Oracle, and HP—have a median employee age of over 33. Meanwhile, in major Indian IT, the age bias is getting wider as companies are looking to hire more and more freshers.?
While a large majority of companies focus on inclusivity and diversity, they often overlook the experience that senior folks can bring to the table. In an industry where there is only a mere 10% of senior executives, it becomes important for companies to reassess the situation and support senior talent.?Read more here.?
Can ChatGPT Replace Software Testers & SQL Analysts?
OpenAI’s ChatGPT can now find bugs in your codes. According to a recent?study, ChatGPT is able to find and fix about 77.5 percent of the bugs. A number which is way higher than its conventional deep-learning counterparts like CoCoNut and Codex when evaluated on the standard bug-fixing benchmark set, QuixBugs.?
In another instance, a developer at Patterns,?Ken Van Haren, recently shared the possibilities of replacing an SQL analyst with recursive GPT prompts. So, what is all of this leading to? Can ChatGPT-like models really replace software testers and SQL analysts??Read to find out.
AIM Events >>
The Rising 2023
India’s biggest?women in AI and Analytics conference?is just around the corner, bringing some of the best women tech leaders from across the country and industry. The two-day event would include exciting sessions, webinars, and fireside chats, alongside celebrating the achievements and career interests of women in the technology sector.?
Date: March 16, 2023, to March 17, 2023?
Venue: Bengaluru?
AIM Shots >>
AVP-Data Analytics & AI #Data Analytics #AI #Agile #Databricks #Snowflake #ML #Agentic AI
2 年Indians working abroad, it's time to come back home. Our country is flourishing and offers the same tech job opportunities and lifestyle as in the US. Unleash your potential and make a difference here