HEADING FOR GREENER PASTURES

By Amishi Shah

With input from Sujata Srinivasan

If you have moved from India to the United States at any point in your lifetime, especially after September 11, 2001, chances are that you are well versed with the different visa categories available, the restrictions associated with them and also the roadblocks one faces because of it. Obtaining a visa is the first and most important step to study, live and work in the U.S. It is known to open doors for people who get jobs and obtain permanent residency. But it can impose restrictions as well. Because of this and other reasons, the trend of reverse brain drain is more prominent now than ever before, where students come to study in the U.S., and then move back to India or their respective home country

Prashad said that in the ‘80s, people complained that not enough H-1B visas were being issued (H-1B visa is the one issued by the U.S. government that gives a person the permission to work). In the 90s, outsourcing began and now that there are H-1B visas, private companies do not want to go through the process of sponsoring a work visa for people who are not citizens of the country. It is too soon to say whether students leaving the country to return to India are doing so because of a combination of a tough economy and the reluctance of corporate firms to hire those with a visa that allows them to work.

No Consultants for Non-technical Fields

Some students have encountered difficulties when they are about to graduate and begin looking for jobs. That’s when they see the reluctance of companies not willing to sponsor work visas. “I had sent my resume to at least a 1,000 places and probably got responses from a hundred places. But the biggest hurdle for an international student is facing the problem of visa,” said Pooja Prakash, who moved back to India after getting an M.A. in Communication Science from the University of Hartford. According to her, the road is not easy for people like her, who are in non-technical fields, where they are competing against highly qualified citizens of the country.

Being in non-technical fields poses another problem of not being able to hire consultants. “Professionals working in the field of information technology can hire consultants to help them find jobs. They already have contacts established with corporate firms. But in the field of life sciences, we do not even have that option,” said Prathima Adusumalli, who recently graduated from the University of New Haven, with a graduate degree in Cellular and Molecular Biology.

But it’s not a rosy picture for those working in the IT field either. Rules are now becoming stricter even for professionals hired through consultants. If a person stayed with a company for some years, the firm would begin the process of filing for permanent residency for their employee. Such cases are dwindling, as companies prefer to employ U.S. citizens.

Reluctance to Sponsor H-1B Visas

Premila Manvi, a student of Hartford University who obtained an MA in Communication, mentioned that she interviewed at several places around the time she was to graduate. “All of them would sound very promising to me. They even mentioned that I was quite qualified than employees already working at the company. And that getting a job would not be a problem. But the reality was far from it,” she said. The student further added that either the potential employers never reverted back, or would send letters stating that she did not meet the job requirement.

The trend that began almost six years ago has continued as students continue to move back to India or work in any other country in Asia or Europe. Manvi always knew that she would eventually return to India. But not getting a job because of visa hassles made her return sooner than later. Prakash returned to India as there was greater scope in the field of journalism and would able to contribute more professionally over there.

“From an immigration standpoint, the U.S. has become less attractive for foreign students, because today there is much more uncertainty about one’s future ability to find long-term employment,” says Sarah Pelud, a North American immigration attorney.

She says while the demand for student visas from India has declined, the scrutiny of each F-1 visa application has increased, resulting in a higher rate of denials than in the past. Additionally, Indians are encountering difficulties in securing return F-1 visas when they leave the U.S. to travel abroad.

The Job Scene in India

The Indian job market is clearly sunnier than the U.S. employment scene. For example, Cisco Systems is ramping up its employee base in India to help string and monetize emerging technologies. “We increased our headcount by 25% in 2009, due for further increase in 2010,” says Subash Rao, HR director, Cisco India. Nearly 20% of the recruits will comprise recent graduates. Another company that will also be opening doors to new employees is General Motors, India. It is poised to hire employees this year to staff its planned second shift in Talegaon. “Fresh graduates have opportunities in manufacturing, product engineering, design and R&D,” says P. Balendran, vice president, GM India.

Optimism Amidst Odds

Despite setbacks that students have faced in finding jobs after they graduate, they are still optimistic and will encourage other students to experience life outside of India. “Even though job opportunities are bleak, the academic opportunity offers immense scope for growth in students,” said Manvi.

According to Prakash, “If students came to the United States right now to work on a Ph.D., then by the time they graduate, the economy would have improved and there would be more job opportunities than there are right now.” One of the biggest advantages is international exposure, which helps a person think more independently and become more confident.

If living in the U.S. has produced positive experiences for students, some are skeptical too. “If I had to advice students, I would tell them not to come here. India is doing really well and there are several professional opportunities in India now,” said Adusumalli.

While it is too early to predict whether the economy and tough immigration laws are causing students to move back to India, most students straddle the border between optimism and skepticism.