I think the way H1-B visa holders are basically beholden chattel to a specific enterprise is especially repugnant.
As an H1B holder on his third job in the US, I can tell you that we aren't actually beholden to any employer.
As an H1B holder on his third job in the US, I can tell you that we aren't actually beholden to any employer.
You're right that it's a little more complicated. A family friend is here from India on some kind of visa where she is able to switch employers, but she has to leave if a new one won't sponsor her or something. But she pays (or paid) thousands of dollars to some agency in India to fix her up with a job/jobs.
What really gets me in her case is that she has a child who has lived here for over a decade and can't get in-state tuition without special treatment despite being legal.
The principle is absolutely simple- an H1B visa is freely transferrable to a new employer. There is absolutely nothing (legal) that your old employer can do in retribution once the transfer is complete, and it is possible to go through the transfer process without notifying your current employer.