[armored_mammal]

Probably you paid off a good agency in India to fix you up with jobs, then.

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.

[untog]

Well, I'm not from India, so no, I didn't. I changed jobs by going out, looking for a job, applying for it, and interviewing.

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.

[ashayh]

The problem is almost always for people from China, India, Mexico and Philippines. The Green Card process takes less than a year for all other countries except these. The Green Card paperwork takes a lot of time and effort for people from these countries. While doing the paperwork, there are extended periods where it does not make sense to look for new jobs. That pushes the expected date further in the future. For example, as of today, people who applied for the GC in 2004 and have a MS or 5 years of experience, are just eligible for it now: http://www.travel.state.gov/visa/bulletin/bulletin_5885.html