H4 Visa is depended Visa for H1B. Spouse and children of H1B visa holder will get H-4 visa to enter into USA. H4 is non-immigrant visa and doesn’t provide work permit. Several readers in this blog are on H4 Visa and looking for various available for them to work and study. I can think of 6 options for H4 Visa holders who have degree and/or work experience back in their home country, but unable to work while in US on H4 visa.
Working H4 Visa
There are several comments in this blog related to working on H4 visa and other options. Few are listed below.
I have completed MCA from India. Now i’m in US on H4 . i would like to do some work rather than sitting at home. suggest me how can i change my visa status? which is better in current situation : transfer my visa to H1 / Do some course & change to F1 ??
I am in the US on H4 visa. I know I am not allowed to work as per the visa, but I would still like to try.
I have a MBA (HR) and 5 years of professional experience. Can you suggest some ways to format my resume as per US standards and also what I should expect in my job search?
Could anyone please give me some tips on finding companies that are currently sponsoring in the US. I am in the Accounting profession and was educated in the US. I am on an H4 visa and looking to find a company that will sponsor me but I am finding this process extremely difficult. Any tips, or suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Options for H4 Visa Spouse
I can see 6 options for spouse in H4 Visa in USA
- Find a full time job and have employer sponsor H1B Visa
- Find a consultant and have them apply H1B Visa
- Find a full time job that qualify in Cap-Exempt H1B
- Go to School in H4 Visa
- Go to School in F1 Visa
- Volunteer in your field in H4 Visa.
I would like to hear from H4 Visa holder about the above 6 options and which one do you think is the best and why.
About Raghuram Sukumar
Hi,
I have Masters in chemistry and took training in SAS and clinical research . Now i’m in US on H4 .Can anyone help me to find a company that will sponsor H1B or give internship. Any help on this will be appreciated.
Hi Anitha,Even i had also taken training in sas clinical.Iam with same problem.If i get someone i will tell you.Where are in usa?
I am also in the same situation …Please post your comments here .I feel moving to IT fetches more opp than sticking to clinical or bio . Please post your comments .
Hi , I am in USA.I was earlier on H4 visa and apply H1B visa through consultant from USA only and it got approved.but i am 5 month pregnant now. My delivery is in December, 2011 and i am eligible to work from september, 2011. I want to ask following doubts
1. Will i get the job in september while i am pregnant?
2. If i want to take the break in initial stage of new H1b and 2 months after the baby too. can i take it?
3. Is it mandatory to get the pay stub from the september?
4. How it will affect my consultant through whom i applied h1b?
I would really appreciate if somebody can answer this
Hey Anusha,
Could you please tell me the company name who proceed your h1b for the h4 visa. It will help me a lot. Cos i am fininding the consultant sicne last 2 years please help me.
Please give me the consultant detail. Please
Hi Anusha,
nice to know that you got transferred from H4 to H1.. Im stuck in H4. No consultant is ready to file for H1.. do you any consultants as such? this would be of gr8 help to me.
Hi Anusha,
I just got a H4 visa and I’m looking for sponsorship for a H1B. Could you please explain how can I get help from a consultant? Is it for a specific field of work? I have a BS in Civil Engineering from outside US and have less than 2 years experience as a Quality Engineer in the US.
Thank you.
I moved to us on 2010 April after completing my bachelor degree in Business administration from India.Very recently i got admission in masters program in human resource management with h4 visa in NY.I like to know whether i will be eligible to get a entry level positions in human resource along with H1B visa after I complete my master degree successfully from US.
I came to know that H4 visa holders are not allowed to do any internship or voluntary service in US.Is this true?Any type of suggestions will really help me.
Thanks
Subhasree
hi subhasree
i want to know ur present status in US
Hi,
I moved to the US Nov 2010 and have been applying for jobs since! I am an MBA in Marketing with over four years of product management in Dubai. However, I know that the cap for 2011 is over and new sponsorships will begin in April which means one can start working in Oct 2012!
Since I dont have USA experience – I would like to know if its worth it to take an online course on supply chain management? Not an entire degree but just a course to help me get a job from http://www.supplychainonline.com/
Thanks
Namrata
Hey,
I see that you are an MBA. How good are you with Research and also with financial numbers(not much) and some knowledge about health insurance here in US?
Let me know. Also, how comfortable are you with Business Analyst sort of assignments in finance?
I would soon be getting married and will be shifting to US in new jersey..i have a masters degree in MBA(HR)…want to know what kind of jobs will be available for me..as i will be on h4 visa..any help on this will be appreciated.
Thanks
Trupti
Hi,
I moved to US 2 months back to join my husband and am on H4. I am a chartered accountant – cleared first atempt, have a masters in commerce and hold CISA certification.
I had the following specific queries as regards H1B:
- what are possibilities of an employer sponsoring me this year- 2011 keeping given i clear the interviews and am fit for the position ? ( have heard that the H1 visa got capped this year though not very clear on what this means)
- if an employer agrees to sponsor me, can I start working this year? ( what is the normal time span between applying and getting the visa?)
Any guidance on this will be really appreciated…
Thanks,
Ketaki
http://www.happyschoolsblog.com/h4-jobs-get-h1b/
hi,
i got H4 visa. would anyone please let me know the time from date of stamping i need to go within to USA
You can go anytime as long as your visa is valid.
All your 6 options are good,impressive but few concerns to be considered…
1)For options 1 & 3 you should have someone very close from the company only then the higher officials would agree you to get in….which happens very rarely…happens with the luckiest.
2)For 2nd option: These days cant rely upon consultancies as they dont pay properly & not trustable.
3)Options 4 & 5 are really very good …but cant be affordable for people who have money constraints.
4)Option 6: This is the best option to vail away time….meet people…talk to them….Good one….very good one…
5)Recently I came to know about Embassy jobs…People from India on h4 visa can work in Indian embassy …but I dont have any clue to how to find /apply for the same….
6) Even there are few travel agents jobs,which can be done from home …but have no clue how to & where to apply….even dont know if thats legal for h4 visa holders to work/not….
Anybody to help me on my questions????
Hi as u told earlier in your post that h4 visa may/can work in Indian embassy did u get any information about it or any travel agent jobs? If yes pl reply me badly want to work…
I'm 17 and my girlfriend is pregnant she is 17 too, I can't work cause I'm a dependent of the h1 visa, what can I do?
i want to go study on h-4.but don't know where to start and whats the best time? i have m.com and m.sc computer science from india. can anyone help me.thanks in advance.
i am looking for comsultants/employers who can filr H1B for me.Does anyone know any placement agencies/employer for the same?I have done MBA (HR) and here in US with an H4.
Whom can I contact for help. If anybody knows about any such agency it would be very helpful to let me know.
Hi,
I am currently on H4. I got my stamping and entered USA. I came back to India and rejoined my old job. Will my visa expire if I want to go back? Can H4 workers work out of USA?
I work with a top notch IT consulting company in India as a software engineer and about to apply for H4 visa, giving up my job and country. Across the internet I have only found disheartening articels and comments regarding the status of H4 visa holders and their options. I understand that it takes a lot of struggle and luck to find a job in such situation. But I am prioritising marriage before career right now. So I would like to hear some positive comments so that I can take the plunge with some hopes at least. Please suggest how to keep up your morale while struggling to make a place for youself in new house and in a new country while finding a new job.
Thanks for any encouragement if you can give.
Good luck to all!
As per my opinion..it will be ur worst decision ….dont leave ur job n country just for H4??????
Vasu,
It's very good that you are preparing yourself for your life ahead by doing appropriate research and asking questions. From what you say, you seem to have a very good job in your home country. The fact that you mention 'giving up my job and country' rather than just 'giving up my job' says that you are comfortable living in your home country.
With an H4 visa, you cannot get paid for work, period. It is extremely difficult to find sponsors for H1B or other categories of work visas. Even people who have gone the F1 route, getting a student visa to make use of the OPT/CPT, are finding it difficult to land jobs. However, you have to make a decision, and it is ultimately your choice what you want to do. Here are the options:
1) Land in USA on H1B or L1 sponsored by your present company. Since you seem to have good work experience, this is your best option.
2) Give up your present job and land in USA on H4. It may be a little difficult to adjust to life on H4 because you are used to a hectic pace of work life, but you can think of it as a break to settle down into a married life.
I suggest that you do not try to do everything at once. Getting married, moving to a new country, building a new home and a new relationship, and at the same time looking for a new job may become too overwhelming. If you decide to use H1b or L1 to enter US, be prepared to juggle job and home and new country all at the same time. If you decide to use H4, be prepared to stay at home full time without complaining about your 'jobless' state later. Prioritize marriage or career? Every woman has to make this decision in life. Ultimately, it's your choice.
Good luck!
Thanks Tina and Jyothi…I know it was a BIG decision that I had to make…and at the time of posting my thought I was in a real confusion and great delimma. Mine was an arranged marriage, so as you said Jyoti, it actually is a hell lot of work that comes with marriage. Now after being married for almost 3 months and reaching US on H4, I think I did a good thing to put a hold to my work. I used to work with Accenture and have 5 years of work experience. So I have kind of got over with the new money syndrome. I am giving full attention to my relationship with my husband (believe me its definetely not a cake walk for an arranged marriage couple)…some times I am left with hours of thinking about his behaviours and a side of me which was never known to me. At the end of day I feel glad that I cud give time to him which he surely desever. He is super supportive and gives me full guidance(but in his own way, which I may or maynot like) . He is always there whenever I need him, and also when he thinks that I will need him. After reaching on H4, he helped me get my Driving licence, took me to near by places so I understand the city, got my bank account and credit card. we moved to a new apartment, introduced me with his friends and their wives, family and friends. I think if someone is serious in a realationship then all this things can easily take good time for settling down in a new country. I am glad I took the plunge and highly thankful to get him as my husband. I am now writing a certification exam for ITIL on 25th. I have also started looking out for volunteering work….nothing concrete till now…but I think very soon I will be able to find a nice job… on work visa or without it…. Till now God has been exteremly generous to me. May God bless all…best of luck to all those who read this and also who dont.
Hi Vasu..
Good to hear that you have settled in your marriage. your case seems a little similar to mine so thought of interacting. I have recently moved to new jersey on H4 with my husband. He is working with Accenture. I was also an Accenture employee before i had to make my decision of quitting my job in india so as to stay with my husband. However, its not been very long that iv been here but started looking options for myself, hence landed on this site..
i am a MBA in HR & Marketing + M.Com and have 3 yrs of expereince in different fileds of HR..Could anyone suggest which would be a more suitable and workable option for me..thanks
hi,
i am looking for comsultants/employers who can filr H1B for me.Does anyone know any placement agencies/employer for the same?I have done MBA (HR)
i think going to school as best option after changing to f1. I personally donot consider volunteering as an option.
Option 3 is when non-profit organisations sponsor your H 1-B .Theses do not fall under the cap and are cap exempt which means that the normal 60,000 cap is not applicable here and even if the cap is exhausted you could get one.But the downside is that these do not pay very well and you cannot transfer it to a H1-B which falls under the cap midway.
most of non-profit org will do H1B based on needs. Theirs will come under CAP exempt category, but they will look for some real experience in the field. One non-profit org in DC hired candidates for SAS technology after clearing rounds of interviews….
Hi,
You can find voluntary services matching your interest on your location using this site http://www.volunteermatch.org/
I have been on H4 since two years and have volunteered and taken up studies in a community college, which are affordable than the other colleges. I am doing a course related to my field in the community college and networking at the same time.
One of my friends was lucky enough to volunteer for an organization for a while and then that organization landed up sponsoring her visa.
Another friend of mine who is from finance background is volunteering in organizations that help needy people with tax filing and managing finance. She says she gets to learn a lot.
Women on H4 should not feel left behind or be sorry about not being able to work. They must take this as an opportunity and do things that interest them and make best use of this time. Sooner or later the economy will revive and we will get our H1s. Good Luck!
hi kimsee…liked ur post…very encouraging…thanks
Hi,
Can somebody elaborate on Option 3?
Hi, can anyone explain about option 3?
Rachna and Madhavi,
H1B visas sponsored by Universities, Non-profit Organizations, or Government research organizations do not come under the 60,000 limit and they are called cap-exempt H1b visas. They can be applied for at any time of the year unlike the regular H1B which has a deadline for application. Read quote below. However, it is considered to be difficult to change from a cap-exempt H1B to a regular H1B later on if one wants to change employers.
"The USCIS states that petitions (applications) for new H1B employment are exempt from the cap if the applicant will work at the defined institutions of higher education or a related or affiliated nonprofit entities, or at nonprofit research organizations or governmental research organizations. Thus, employers may continue to file petitions for these exempt H1B categories regardless of H1B visa number availability."
Hope this helps.
Hi,
I am on H4 visa and going to start my Masters this fall. I too tried many consulting companies without any luck. So I thought this would be the best time to study because the job market has still not got any better.
hey shwetha, you can volunteer in a library near by and if they have any work matching your skills you can take up that as part of volunteer work.
Hi
I am on H4 visa and would like to know if any H4 visa holder got lucky to manage a job in this tough economy. I could not find any sponsorship even after having decent years of work experience. Infact, all consultants and recruiters suggest to go for studies on F1 visa and then avail for jobs on OPT/CPT as this seems to be the best way to get a job.
I would like know about the following:
1. Are they any IT jobs that qualify in Cap-Exempt H1B?
2. What can be the shortest course to be taken for achieving OPT/CPT?
I am sure, it will vary from universities to universities but still might get an idea on how to go about it.
3. What are other smart ways to find a job?
Any help appreciated!
Please elaborate point option 6.
Hi ..
I am currently on H4 and have been trying all ways to engage myself . I have applied to many companies to find a full time job . I got calls from a few of them but did not return back once they go to know that i required sponsorship . Its very difficult to find one in the current situation .
Regarding the 2nd option i do not see any consultant sponsoring H1B this year. I have almost tried about 25-30 consulting companies and go the same reply .
Can you please explain the 3rd option – Find a full time job that qualify in Cap-Exempt H1B ?
4th and 5th option looks achievable .
Regarding 6th option – Volunteer in your field in H4 Visa. : Can anyone please help me how to find such jobs/activities .
Sana and Shwetha,
You can find volunteering opportunities in your location and area of interest on Volunteermatch.org. You can also find virtual volunteering opportunities which can be done online from any location as long as you have a computer with an internet connection. These opportunities are highly satisfying for H4 women who otherwise would stay at home all day. I feel that the first thing an H4 woman should do as soon as she comes to US is to learn driving and to start volunteering. It helps build up a network which may lead to work opportunities later. Volunteer work is also highly regarded by people in the US and it will add US work experience to your resume when you apply for jobs later.
I am also planning to come to US on H-4 VISA and fond a job in US. I currently work in Big 4 consulting firms and can see many jobs in US similar to my area of interest.
Can any one guide me in my pursuits please?
Thanks
Nikhil
HI,
I came here (in US) in 2012 april, but that time i could not try for job.I tried in 2013 i got some calls from consultancies, but when they heard i am h4 visa,no one did call back.I am not able to study also.I am ready to work as volunteer in the same field in which i was working previously(software engineer in .net). Can you please suggest me how can i begin ?? please help me