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If you are a <keyword id="28721" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cognizant">Cognizant</keyword> employee and have dreams of getting a permanent residency in the US, it just walked on your aspirations. Cognizant has made it tough for Indian employees to get green cards as it will no longer be filing applications for green cards under the <keyword id="1741671" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="EB2">EB2</keyword> and <keyword id="4568330" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="EB3">EB3</keyword> routes. It has suspended fresh filings as it plans to ramp up its onsite presence. "As part of our strategic business goals, we continue to assess the benefits and efficiency of our internal programs which are evolving to align with our long term objectives. As part of this, we will no longer be filing <keyword id="137302" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Green-Card">green card</keyword> PERM (EB2 and EB3 applications) until further notice," Cognizant, in an email to its employees, said. As Cognizant moves to halt EB2 and EB3 applications, it will end hopes of professionals filing for green cards. "The EB1 route is typically used for senior management or professionals with extraordinary ability. EB2 and 3 visas are for skilled workers and professionals, mid and lower level employees," Mark Davies, managing partner, ‎Davies &amp; Associates, told TOI. “Cognizant has always been a significant sponsor of Permanent Residence for associates and will continue to be so in the future,” Cognizant told TOI. Cognizant is ramping up hiring in the US and it hired over 1,000 technology and business professionals in its Tampa centre. The company had 261,200 employees as on March with a majority of its workforce based in India.

End to the great American dream? Cognizant won’t be filing applications for green cards under EB2, EB3 schemes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Angel Hutchinson, a South African au pair, has cared for one child in Maryland since 2019.</li><li>Hutchinson has worked for four wealthy families since 2015, facing both challenges and perks.</li></ul>Angel Hutchinson, 31, was born and raised in Durban, South Africa, but now lives in Maryland, where she's worked as an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/au-pair-care-vs-nanny-childcare-2024-1">au pair</a> for almost five years.Hutchinson's current employers are the fourth wealthy family she's worked for stateside since September 2015. She's parlayed those experiences into a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@angel__0209"> successful side hustle on TikTok</a>, helping other would-be au pairs follow in her footsteps.She told Business Insider that the difference between an au pair and a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nanny-share-benefits-less-expensive-childcare-social-interaction-2024-3">nanny</a> is in the scope of the role. "An au pair is like a cousin who lives with you and is part of the family — when they go out for dinner, you all go out for dinner," she said. "I'm the extra eyes for the parents."Hutchinson has had negative and positive experiences — in some families, she felt unwelcome and overworked, but in others, she's been whisked off on snowboarding trips and vacations in Puerto Rico.<h2 id="0711039e-5cc2-478c-afd6-4a14ece3c8d4">The job is quite low-paying, but there are perks</h2>Overseas applicants will likely be recruited under the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moved-us-student-visa-work-microsoft-green-card-2024-9">J-1 visa</a> rules. "It doesn't count as a job. It's more like a cultural exchange program, often below minimum wage. It is peanuts," she said.She said au pairs are not allowed to be required to work nights, in particular, but will typically work 45 hours per week and a maximum of 10 hours a day.Board and lodging are covered, but wages are considered pocket money: the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.aupairusa.org/au-pair-cost/#:~:text=The%20minimum%20weekly%20stipend%20for,stipend%20of%20%24225.00%20per%20week."> State Department has set a current minimum of $225.00 per week</a>. Some more seasoned au pairs, she said, make $300-350.She earns more than this because she negotiated a higher than minimum wage. "Au pairs are allowed to negotiate for more; however, most families pay this because au pairs are afraid to speak up."<h2 id="eb5135dd-4d4c-4edd-a1e2-e2f8a28605cb">The application process is rigorous but straightforward</h2>Hutchinson studied theology and planned to go into ministry full-time. "My family felt I was wasting my life by coming to live with another family, but I was frustrated with life at that moment. I was in a relationship but wasn't sure if I wanted to get married yet. So I was like, OK, I'm going to find out."Hutchinson's interest in becoming an au pair was sparked by her college dean, who talked fondly of her experiences as an au pair in America two decades earlier. "She still spoke with her family, who would visit her."She filled out the forms and paid fees to one of the many agencies she found online — around 1300 ZAR, or about $70. She had to have a driver's license and a high school education and undergo medical checks.Once accepted, she was asked to upload a profile, including a video, which interested families could browse. Typically, they would video chat with a potential au pair from afar before hiring one for a 12-month position.<h2 id="431f484e-69df-4fc8-91de-6300511c1208">Hutchinson was unhappy with her first two families</h2>Hutchinson's first employers didn't ring alarm bells until she landed in America. "I remember getting a tour of the house, and when I was done, they told me to go unpack my stuff in my room. I closed the door and bawled my eyes out," she said. "I just felt like something was off."This couple were wealthy Indian-Americans in New Jersey; the father was a pharmaceutical VP, and the mother a medical director. There were two children, aged 13 and 6, where the latter was Hutchinson's prime focus. "It felt like they were unprepared for me or had forgotten I was coming in the three months since we last spoke."The main issue was a misunderstanding of her role, stretching the definition of childcare. "I had to water the plants — because they were the kid's favorite. I had to dust the cupboard — because the kid's doll was on top of it."She also struggled to connect with the kids, as they would speak Bengali to their parents. She quickly asked for a rematch (au pair speak for resigning). "They said you can't go because we've already had two girls leave before you."A week later, Hutchinson's father died, and she was offered compassionate leave to return to South Africa for the funeral. Once home, she rematched there, returning three weeks later to a different family, but not a better situation.This was another New Jersey-based family, with two school-age kids of 5 and 8, a mother who worked as a deputy principal, and a father who ran a tech business. The mom had described her kids to Hutchinson as "having a lot of energy."The truth was more complicated: Her special needs kids were in therapy and rarely able to play with other au pairs' children at the playground. The daughter was particularly difficult for Hutchinson to care for.<h2 id="43f3c48b-429a-4db1-b767-bc0a04acbab1">The third family was a better fit</h2>By January 2016, Hutchinson was primed to return to South Africa, but she tried to rematch one last time. This family proved life-changing. "I still visit them to this day," she said.This Colorado-based couple, both anesthesiologists, had a 9-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. They lived in the mountains and drove a nine-seater Denali. "We went on vacation a lot. They're a snowboarding family, so they taught me, and we went camping."She never felt pressured to work late and could come and go as she pleased. Hutchinson felt very much at home in the Rockies. "The people were so welcoming in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biggest-culture-shocks-after-moving-from-italy-to-colorado-2024-8">Colorado</a> — it's by far the best place I lived."<h2 id="bcc44968-fb3f-4d6d-9063-520f63ed6167">She went back to South Africa, but it wasn't a forever move</h2>After that stay, she went home. Two years later, after spending time in South Africa looking after a boy for a German family in her neighborhood, she decided to come back to the States.A different, wealthy family spotted her video and asked if she'd consider coming to live with them in Maryland. The mother was a thoracic surgeon, and the father was a VP. They had one young child, barely 6 at the time.The moment she arrived in September 2019, Hutchinson felt at home. "They were overprepared, trying to ensure I had the best time ever."Almost five years later, Hutchinson is so settled with them that she's more like a surrogate daughter. They buy her a pair of the family's matching pajamas at Christmas, and she's always invited to family gatherings. "The only time I don't do something with them is if I don't want to."She also drives a brand-new VW Jetta. "In other families, you have to share a car to go to the store or have to ask. This one said 'We bought this car for you to use. You can have freedom and a sense of independence. Come and go when you want.'"She doesn't work weekends, which frees her up to socialize. "All the people I now call my best friends are Americans I met at church." Hutchinson said it's partly because her principles in life align with those of her current employer that she finds the job so rewarding.<div type="image" title="three girls take a selfie in New York City" height="2268" width="4032" msid="113521902" hostid="261" sizebytes="637314"></div><h2 id="b61bd862-494a-40c2-9bb6-7ecb033be40a">She decided to make America her permanent home</h2>Hutchinson is currently waiting for approval for her <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/big-tech-green-card-applications-pause-2024-5">green card</a>, which those employers sponsored. She's applied via her visa, this time an EB-3, or skilled worker.She's still waiting on paperwork, but once her au pair time concludes, she plans to pursue a different path. "I've always been fascinated with the tech world. I'm hoping to pursue a career in that industry."Want to share your story? Email Lauryn Haas at lhaas@businessinsider.com.

An au pair for wealthy families shares the highs and lows of the unpredictable job

<ul><li>Senator Mike Lee said on Wednesday: "By the time we stretch this (backlogs) out to 2030, the 195-year backlog I mentioned a moment ago would be extended out to a 400- to 450-year backlog."</li><li>Lee gave these wait times while opposing a Democratic bill that would protect the children of those on H1-B and other employment visas who are waiting for their green cards from being deported when they turn 21.</li><li>He said that with such long wait times, the children would not be able to qualify for green cards in their lifetimes and, instead, a comprehensive reform is needed.</li></ul> The wait time for green cards for Indians professionals stuck in the "awful, hellish green card backlog" could go up from the current 195 years to 450 years in ten years without a comprehensive reform of the immigration system, a Republican Senator has warned. Senator Mike Lee said on Wednesday: "By the time we stretch this (backlogs) out to 2030, the 195-year backlog I mentioned a moment ago would be extended out to a 400- to 450-year backlog." He said that for those filing for green cards "in 2020, the wait for an EB2 green card is not, in fact, 20 to 30 years for an Indian national. What is it, then? Is it 30? Is it 40, 50, 60? No, it is much longer than that. It is 195 years. This means that someone from India entering the backlog today would have to wait 195 years to receive an EB3 green card." EB2 green cards - the permanent immigration visa leading to citizenship - are for those with advanced degrees and EB3 for skilled and professional workers. The annual green card quota for India and most countries is about 26,000. Lee gave these wait times while opposing a Democratic bill that would protect the children of those on H1-B and other employment visas who are waiting for their green cards from being deported when they turn 21. He said that with such long wait times, the children would not be able to qualify for green cards in their lifetimes and, instead, a comprehensive reform is needed. When children turn 21, they are no longer considered dependents and will lose their visa status based on their parents' visas as well as their claim to a green card and the Protect Children of Immigrant Workers Act proposed by Democrat Senator Dick Durbin seeks to remedy this. While the cause of children who came to the US illegally has a lot of political support, the children who came in legally but reached adulthood has been under the radar and Durbin's bill proposes a parallel remedy. Durbin said that without increasing the total number of green cards, it would not be possible to deal with the huge backlogs and the decades-long wait times. He said, "Just do the math; 140,000 EB (employment) visas and 226,000 family visas per year and 5 million people waiting. If you think you can solve this without changing the number of green cards, you can't." He said that Lee told him that many Republicans opposed increasing the number of green cards that can be issued in a year. Durbin's bill would also allow H1-B visa-holders to file early for green cards, freeing them to switch jobs without being held down by the employers who sponsored them for theAvisa. One of the compromises offered in Durbin's bill is to restrict H1-B visas for outsourcing companies. It would prohibit a company from hiring additional H-1B workers in the future if the company's workforce is more than 50 employees and more than 50 per cent of those are temporary workers. He said that eight of the top ten companies getting H1-B visas were outsourcing companies. Defending his opposition to Durbin's bill. Lee said that the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act he and Democratic Senator Kamala Harris have proposed would protect children, protects widows and widowers of H1-B visa-holders, while expediting green cards for all high-skilled immigrants. A version of the bill that would lift national quotas to allow Indian applicants for green cards to get access to more immigration visas has been passed by the House of Representatives, but has been blocked by Durbin and two Republicans. Durbin has said that lifting the national quota restrictions would only increase the wait times for other countries unless the number of green cards is increased. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/after-google-pwc-india-declares-a-company-wide-holiday-for-its-employees-this-friday-offers-time-off-for-a-well-deserved-break/articleshow/77125627.cms">After Google, PwC India declares a company-wide holiday for its employees this Friday – offers time off for a 'well-deserved' break</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/mukesh-ambani-is-now-the-fifth-richest-person-in-the-world-according-to-forbes/articleshow/77105843.cms">Mukesh Ambani is now the fifth richest person in the world, according to Forbes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-infosys-hcl-tech-dont-want-h1b-ban-but-are-pocketing-savings-while-it-lasts/articleshow/77120776.cms">The H1-B visa ban is not what Indian IT firms want⁠— but they are pocketing some savings while it lasts</a>

Green card wait time for Indians can go to 450 years by 2030, warns a Republican Senator

The <keyword id="6354862" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="trump">Trump</keyword> administration has announced a final rule that will significantly raise the minimum wages the employers in the US must pay to foreign workers on visa programmes like the H-1B as part of the efforts to protect American workers from being undercut by cheaper labour from abroad. Days before the exit of the administration of President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword>, the US <keyword id="107972" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Department-of-Labor">Department of Labor</keyword> said that the final rule would help protect the wages and job opportunities of American workers by reforming the wage methodology it uses to set prevailing wage rates to prevent potential abuses of its Permanent Employment Certification, H-1B, H-1B1 and E-3 Visa foreign worker programmes. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China. The final rule will improve the accuracy of prevailing wages paid to foreign workers by bringing them in line with the wages paid to similarly employed US workers, the Department of Labor said in a news release on Tuesday. The final rule will ensure the Department more effectively protects the job opportunities and wages of American workers by removing the economic incentive to hire foreign workers on a permanent or temporary basis in the US over American workers, it said. Restricting immigration has been a focus of the Trump administration since its first days when it issued the travel ban on seven Muslim-majority countries, and it has continued into Trump's final year in office as the White House uses the coronavirus pandemic as cover. The Trump administration recently extended the freeze on H-1B visas along with other types of work visas and green cards until March 31. Last week it modified the selection process for H-1B visa, giving priority to salary and skills instead of the current lottery procedures. Democratic leader Joe Biden, who will be sworn in as the 46th US President on January 20, has promised to lift the suspension on H-1B visas, saying Trump's immigration policies are cruel. The Labor department's Employment and Training Administration administers the foreign labour programmes covered by the Department's wage methodology. On Oct 8, 2020, the Department published an interim final rule and invited public comment. After an extensive review of the comments received, the Department said it has determined that the existing wage methodology undermines the wages and job opportunities of US workers and that it is in tension with the governing statute. "The <keyword id="279351" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-Department">US Department</keyword> of Labor is taking these steps to strengthen wage protections, address abuses in visa programmes, and protect American workers from being undercut by cheaper foreign labour," said US Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia. "These changes help ensure that these important foreign worker programmes function as Congress intended while securing American workers' opportunities for stable, good-paying jobs. "In response to the comments we received, the Department has adjusted the wages levels used in the Interim Final Rule to better reflect market wages and included provisions to smooth the transition to the new wage levels," Scalia said, When seeking H-1B, H-1B1 or E-3 visas for workers, US employers must attest that they will pay nonimmigrant workers, during the period of authorised employment, the higher of the prevailing wage or the actual wage paid to other employees with similar experience and qualifications. The H-1B1 visa is a variant of the H-1B visa in the United States for nationals of Singapore and Chile. The E-3 visa is a US visa for which only citizens of Australia are eligible. Similarly, when an employer seeks to hire an immigrant under an EB-2 or EB-3 classification, the employer must recruit US workers for the position using a prevailing wage issued by the Department. They must also attest that they will pay foreign workers the prevailing wage. The prevailing wage rate is defined as the average wage paid to similarly employed workers in a specific occupation in the area of intended employment. The prevailing wage rates in these programmes serve to protect US workers from unfair competition posed by the entry of lower-cost foreign labour into the US. Using the Department's methodology in calculating the prevailing wage rates to reflect accurately the wages that US workers who perform the same kinds of jobs and possess similar qualifications, ensures that the use of these programmes will not adversely affect the wages and job opportunities of American workers. The mission of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote and develop the welfare of the wage earners, job seekers and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. NSA AKJ NSA

Another blow for H1B visa workers – Trump govt raises minimum wage rates to do away with 'cheaper labour'

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>California is enduring another&#xa0;<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/california-wildfires">grueling wildfire season</a>.</li><li>But California fire experts say that wildfire season is a near-outdated term, and dangerous fires can happen anytime now.</li><li>&#xa0;A Weather Channel simulation shows how a warmer planet is fueling the aggressive, persistent flames.</li></ul>It's shaping up to be another record-breaking year of wildfires in California. As of October 20, more than 7,100 fires have burned a combined total of more than 1.5 million acres across the state, the <a href="https://gacc.nifc.gov/sacc/predictive/intelligence/NationalYTDbyStateandAgency.pdf">National Interagency Fire Center</a> reports.&#xa0;The state also set a new record for its <a href="http://cdfdata.fire.ca.gov/incidents/incidents_details_info?incident_id=2175">largest single wildfire</a> to date when the Ranch Fire burned through&#xa0;410,203 acres this fall.This is not an anomaly. In recent years, warmer temperatures across the western US have fueled more destructive flames than the region has ever seen. The 2017 fire season, which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photos-of-fire-in-santa-rosa-northern-california-2017-10">scorched vines across California wine country</a>, was the costliest to date, triggering <a href="http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0400-news/0100-press-releases/2017/release135-17.cfm">over $9.4 billion</a> in losses in that state.The flames aren't even limited to a special season these days.&#xa0;"We're responding to wildland fires year round now," Cal Fire spokesman Scott McLean recently told the <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article214198989.html">Sacramento Bee</a>.&#xa0;A breathtaking video featuring Weather Channel Meteorologist Stephanie Abrams shows us why that's the case: it's all about heat.&#xa0;"Over the past few decades the climate over the western US has become more conducive for wildfires with overall warmer, drier weather," Abrams said, as a simulation of dry, hot, overgrown brush heated up behind her, providing the perfect tinder for explosive and deadly flames.In a warmer world, there's&#xa0;"plenty of available fuel to burn," she added.Take a look at how the flames develop more quickly and spread with vigor in warmer, drier weather:&#xa0;Large wildfires burn twice the area now that they did in 1970, as Abrams noted in the clip.This is not a trend that's expected to get any better if we continue with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-plan-billionaires-share-money-2018-10">business as usual</a>.<a href="http://www.climateassessment.ca.gov/state/overview/#wildfire">California's 2018 Climate Change Assessment report</a> estimates that the average area that wildfires burn will increase 77% by 2100, if we continue burning emissions from fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil that warm the atmosphere.Temperatures across the western US are expected to remain above average through November, according to <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/briefings/201808.pdf">the latest federal climate reports.</a>&#xa0;Large swaths of California are also looking <a href="https://www.drought.gov/drought/">really dry right now</a>, providing the perfect kindling for <a href="http://www.wildfiretracker.com/california-wildfire-map-esri/">sparking tough-to-contain fires</a>."We're in uncharted territory," California <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/california-is-on-the-verge-of-facing-its-worst-wildfire-season/2018/08/08/4d658d6e-94dc-11e8-80e1-00e80e1fdf43_story.html?utm_term=.29c45e4a4cb9">Governor Jerry Brown said</a> earlier this year. "Since civilization emerged 10,000 years ago, we haven't had this kind of heat condition, and it's going to continue getting worse. That's the way it is."<div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-navy-helicopter-fights-california-wildfires-2017-12">Watch a US Navy helicopter squadron fight the California wildfires by dropping huge barrels of water</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "EB3" and got 5 results

End to the great American dream? Cognizant won’t be filing applications for green cards under EB2, EB3 schemes

BI India Bureau

An au pair for wealthy families shares the highs and lows of the unpredictable job

Mark Ellwood

Green card wait time for Indians can go to 450 years by 2030, warns a Republican Senator

IANS

Another blow for H1B visa workers – Trump govt raises minimum wage rates to do away with 'cheaper labour'

PTI

The Weather Channel's blazing-hot wildfire simulation clearly explains why wildfires are getting so much worse in California and the western US

Hilary Brueck

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