This document should help you in settling into the United
States of America.
The purpose of this document is to enlighten you and prepare
you to face the several problems that you may have to overcome
in getting ahead with your arrangements for a visa and planning
on just what you do need to start life in the U.S. It's a
sort of "ready reckoner", with information on do's
and don'ts. And we hope that by reading this document you
will find it easier to get set on your way to the USA.
Getting Your Visa
Stamped:
All GCS employees are brought to the US on an H1-B visa,
colloquially called "work permits". This is a
non-immigrant visa, which permits you to enter the U.S for
the period of time mentioned on your approval notice.
Your passport:
You must be sure that your passport is valid for at least
6 months from the date you apply for the visa. The US Consulate
may not issue a visa if your passport is due to expire within
the next 6 months. Although your visa may be for several
years, your passport need not be valid for the entire duration.
You may extend the validity of your passport through the
Indian Consulate/Embassy in the US.
The Application Form:
Before proceeding to get your visa stamped, please read
the application form, issued by the US Consulates, carefully.
GCS is your employer, but you may be working at any of the
GCS development centers (currently at Los Angeles, San Francisco
and Pittsburgh) or at a GCS client site. If you are working
at a client site, please write the address of the client,
as your place of work. If you are to work at a GCS development
center, please note which development center you have been
assigned to, and write down that address.
You will need 2 photographs, one for the application form,
and the other to be attached to it. The size of the photographs
must be 37mm x 37mm as mentioned in the visa application
form.
Visa fees:
The US Consulate charges a fee of $120, of which $20 is
the application fee and $100 is towards a long term multiple
entry visa. These amounts may be paid in local currency.
If you are applying for the visa in India, please ensure
that you have a Demand Draft for the correct amount, in
the right name and made from an approved bank. You must
carry the receipt of the draft with you.
Presenting Your Documents:
At the Consulate, probably when you are entering, you will
be asked by the security to hand over your application form
and supporting documents. Now GCS will provide you with
a covering letter, addressed to the Consulate, mentioning
that you will be going there for your visa. In addition
to the application form and that covering letter, please
be certain that the following documents are also handed
over:
1 |
H1 approval
notice, known as I-797. |
2 |
Covering letter from
GCS to the Immigration and Naturalization Service. |
3 |
Petition for non-immigrant
worker, known as form I-129, and the supplement H. |
4 |
Letter from the client
where you will be working (if applicable) |
5 |
LCA (Labor Condition
Application) for H1-B Non-immigrants, pertaining to
the city where you will be working. |
Married employees should carry proof of their
marriage as well. This should be in the form of the following:
1 |
Marriage
Certificate. |
2 |
Wedding Invitation Card. |
3 |
A few (6-8) wedding photos. |
It is not necessary that your spouse has the same last
name as yours, as long as all of the above are provided.
Remember it is extremely rare that proof of marriage is
not verified by the Consulate authorities because an H4
visa, that is a dependent visa for spouse/children, is the
easiest to get and the Visa Officer will try to ensure that
there is no fraud.
IF YOU DO NOT HAVE ANY OF THESE DOCUMENTS, PLEASE
CONTACT GCS BEFORE VISITING THE US CONSULATE.
The Interview:
The Consulate Officer may ask you questions on your background,
your ability to do the job mentioned, the client where you
will be working, your current employer, GCS etc. At all
times please keep in mind that the Officer has a specific
job: he/she must ensure that you are not presenting documents
that are falsified and that you have not misrepresented
yourself in any manner.
When answering questions, please answer to the best of your
knowledge. There may be questions to which you do not have
or know the answer. Please be honest and let the Officer
know that you do not know the answer, rather than answer
on the fly. You may say something that could be construed
as fraud and your visa may be denied on the basis of that
statement.
If you are asked to present any additional documents, do
not argue. You may ask for a list of additional documents
required, in writing.
Please do ask the Officer his/her name. That way, if GCS
needs to contact the Officer directly, we will be in a position
to address the correspondence to the correct person.
Collecting Your Visa:
Once you have paid your visa fee, your passport with your
visa may be returned to you that afternoon, the following
day, or the day after, depending on the practice in the
country where which you have applied for your visa.
At this point of time you have successfully overcome one
of the most important hurdles in your move to come to the
U.S. But there are several more, so take heart!
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Getting to the US:
Tickets:
GCS will provide you with the air tickets to fly to the
US.
Tax Clearance:
Indian authorities now mandate tax clearance before any
one way tickets are issued. Please ensure that you have
got the requisite form from the local Income Tax office.
Luggage:
Please check with the airline or travel agency, on the amount
of baggage that you can carry. Most airlines have reasonable
luggage allowances. For example ex-Bombay you are allowed
two large sized suitcases and one carry on bag. Remember
GCS does not reimburse excess baggage charges, so try and
be judicious in what you bring with you.
Clothes:
Formal clothes are a must. Please carry at least two business
suits with you. Many offices do not require suits but formal
shirt and trousers, leather shoes and a tie are generally
permissible. There may be corporate functions such as meetings,
presentations and conferences etc., where suits are mandatory.
Please check with GCS and your friends locally, on the climatic
conditions of the place you will be visiting. Typically,
winter clothes are best bought in the US: most Asian countries
do not experience US type winters, and the clothing available
in Asia may be inadequate. And should you be traveling in
May, don't worry about the snowfall that you may experience
in December!
Most cities in the US have Indian/Asian stores, where you
will be able to get the spices of your choice. Carrying
spices from India is not necessary. If you do carry some,
please ensure that they are packed well. It is illegal to
carry any open food items. The customs authorities in the
US may seize and destroy them, to prevent any contamination.
It is better to declare what you have brought at Customs.
This might spare you a great deal of hassle.
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International Driver's
Permit:
Public transportation in the US is more often that not as
good as you may expect. It may cover limited areas of the
city. Your apartment and your place of work may not be well
connected. Even if you are lucky enough to be able to commute
to work, you may not have the same luck with respect to
access to shopping! Additionally, winter conditions may
make commuting very difficult.
Having a car in the U.S is looked upon as a necessity, not
a luxury. You must ensure that you get an international
driver's permit before coming to the US. If you currently
do not drive, sign up for driving lessons and get an IDP
as soon as you get your license.
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Foreign Exchange:
Though you will get an advance from GCS once you arrive
in the country, you will need money in transit for things
such as snacks, magazines, telephone calls and baggage trolleys,
which unlike in India, are not free at most US airports.
Ask the travel agent if he will assist you in buying the
US dollars you will need. He will most certainly have a
list of authorized agents from whom his clients get their
foreign exchange. Otherwise get the exchange from organizations
like Thomas Cook, American Express etc.
If possible, try and obtain some 25 cent coins (quarters).
Quarters come in handy if you need to make phone calls and
for baggage trolleys.
Familiarize yourself with the terms used in the US for currency.
Of course you know a Buck is a dollar! And this is what
their change is called:
Penny: 1 cent
Nickel: 5 cents
Dime: 10 cents
Quarter: 25 cents
What to expect in
the US:
The I-94 form:
The I-94 form [a photocopy is attached for reference] will
be given to you by the airhostess on the aircraft, probably
an hour or so before you are landing in the U.S. If you
do not receive one before landing in the U.S., ask the stewardess
for one. Fill up the form carefully. The 'first name' and
'last name' on the form will be used on your Social Security
Number.
You will also need to fill out the customs declaration form
[a photocopy is attached for reference] that the air hostess
will give you declaring what goods you have brought into
the country. Please be honest about what you have in the
way of spirits and food stuffs.
Once you land you must make your way to the immigration
counter. Once there you will have to present your passport
and visa to the immigration officer. He may ask you a few
questions, so relax and answer them to the best of your
ability.
After the immigration you have to get your bags from the
baggage claim area. Once you have claimed your bags you
have to go through customs.
In many U.S. airports the baggage claim area may be reached
by an inter terminal transport system. For example in Pittsburgh,
the baggage claim terminal is reached by a free rail system.
Check the TV monitors as to where the bags from your flight
are arriving. If in doubt, please ask the airline personnel.
You will find that they are most helpful.
One section of the I-94 form will be stapled to your passport
or returned to you once you clear immigration in the US.
This I-94 card is extremely important. If not done so by
the immigration officer then please attach it to your passport.
Make a photocopy of it, and keep the copy somewhere safe.
Because if you lose the original, this copy will help you
in getting another.
The I-94 card is to be returned to the immigration authorities
when you leave the country (even if you are leaving for
a vacation). Before you board your flight, please ensure
that you have returned the card to the authorities as a
non-return of the card could hold you up when you come back
to the country.
Customs:
The Customs authorities in US airports may scan your bags.
Often Indian spices may be viewed with suspicion, as they
are unfamiliar powders. If poorly packed, they may be confiscated
and destroyed.
Immigration:
Please treat the Immigration Officer with the same courtesy
as the Officer at the Consulate overseas. They have the
same objective: ensuring that all your papers are in order.
Please have your I-94 card filled out correctly. Keep your
H1 approval notice (form I-797A) handy. Be prepared to answer
questions on GCS and/or the client site where you will be
working.
En-route to your final destination:
Once you have cleared customs and immigration, you will
need to check in to the next sector of your flight. Please
do so, and then call GCS toll free at 1-800-441 0077. This
will let us know that you are on schedule. If there isn't
enough time to make the call at this point, do so when you
do reach your final destination. And using the toll free
number of GCS makes calling easy. However, if it is after
office hours, remember there are four time zones in the
U.S., you may need to call one of us at home. A list of
contact numbers appears at the end of this handbook.
Time Zones:
There are 4 time zones in the US:
The Eastern Time Zone:
Eastern Time Zone covers states in the Eastern part of the
country, such as Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio, Florida etc.
The Central Time Zone:
1 hour behind Eastern time and covers states such as Iowa,
Kentucky, Indiana etc.
The Mountain Time Zone:
2 hours behind Eastern time and covers states such as Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah etc.
The Pacific Time Zone:
3 hours behind Eastern time and covers states such as California,
Oregon, Washington etc.
There are some states which have cities located in different
time zones, like Texas. Please check the time zones before
calling!
Personal Hygiene:
Unlike most offices and homes in India in the US, offices,
homes, transport etc. are closed environments, with either
air-conditioning or heating, depending on the weather. This
makes it essential to follow the norms of personal hygiene
as practiced here.
Gentlemen must use an aftershave or cologne and ladies need
to use either a cologne or perfume). You will find that
underarm deodorant and anti-perspirant are a must. People
have been released from assignments due to complaints on
personal hygiene by co-workers. Please do not take this
lightly.
Food: Non-vegetarians, for you there is a great variety
of foods to choose from. But if you are a vegetarian, be
careful! In the U.S. it is not unusual to find that fish
is considered to be vegetarian! You may want to specify
when you order that you want "no meat and no fish"
in what you order, to ensure that you get a truly vegetarian
dish. As an example, a "cheeseburger" isn't something
that is only cheese, what it really is, is a beef patty/burger
with one or more slices of cheese. And if you hear the word
"chili" - that has nothing to do with chilies!
It is a dish that is made from beans and minced beef.
Settling in:
Office Dress Code:
On the first few days at work, please be sure to wear a
business suit. Watch what the others are wearing and then
you can conform to that office's dress code. You may also
consider asking your supervisor what the dress code for
the company is. You may learn that on some days, generally
Fridays, most offices have a casual dress code - people
come in jeans and slacks. That is in order but you must
still take care to dress well. Because remember - "image"
is important.
The Apartment Hunt:
When you get to the U.S., GCS will put you up in a hotel
close to work, for the first few days. (Please see the section
on Employee Benefits, for details on what you can claim).
During this time, you must look around for an apartment
that you would like to rent. If there are other GCS employees
in the city where you are assigned to, GCS will request
them to help you settle in. Be careful in selecting the
apartment: look at proximity and convenience to the office,
proximity and convenience to shopping centers, cost, safety
and security etc.
You can get a list of apartment complexes by checking the
newspaper, the Yellow Pages, or 'Rental & Apartment
Guides' that are available free at the larger grocery stores.
Study the lease before signing it. Try and get a lease for
the duration of your assignment. If there is not a perfect
match, see if there is a shorter term, with the option to
extend the rental on a 'month-to-month' basis. If your only
option is to get a lease for a term longer than the duration
of your assignment, make sure you understand the penalties
involved in terminating the lease.
GCS requires that all apartments be obtained with a "Transfer
Clause". Please insist on this. This clause states
that should you be transferred beyond 50 miles of your current
work site, you may terminate the lease. But be aware that
there are still some penalties, usually 1 month's rent and
GCS will help you to cover these. Please see the section
on Employee Benefits for details on our lease breakage policy.
Make sure you understand what is covered within the rent
and what is not. Usually utilities, such as electricity
and gas for heat and sometimes for cooking are not covered.
You will need to pay for these utilities directly to the
utility company, depending on your usage.
Apartments will have a cooking range, oven and refrigerator
in it. Some may also offer a dishwasher, a microwave oven
and washing machines. But the norm generally is that most
apartment blocks have washing machines in a laundry room
situated either in the basement or on a floor specifically
set aside for a whole lot of machines. Usually these are
coin operated. If there is no laundry room in the apartment
complex, you may need to locate the nearest Laundromat [this
may be one of the criteria in selecting your apartment!]
and use them for all your laundry.
Once you have an apartment, you will have to get the utilities
connected. The apartment rental office will give you a list
of numbers to call, to get all that you need: electricity,
gas, telephone, cable TV etc. Most of the utilities can
be ordered on the phone, and are usually installed in 24
to 48 hours and you will be pleasantly surprised to find
that you do not have to sign forms and forms and forms!
Please be prudent while furnishing your apartment. GCS has
specific amounts on what it will reimburse you, should you
need to relocate to another city. Garage sales are a good
source to obtain used, inexpensive items like furniture,
appliances etc. These are usually held on weekends, and
they will be advertised in the paper or you may see signs
for them. Inexpensive items can be given away when you need
to relocate, so that you can travel light when moving to
your next assignment.
Renting furniture is also an option. Your apartment rental
office should be able to provide you with the numbers of
some rental agencies. You can also find them in the Yellow
Pages, or Rental Guides.
Social Security Number:
This number is unique to each individual, and a must for
a variety of reasons: to get on to the GCS payroll, to file
your taxes, to get a drivers license etc.
Please locate the address of the nearest Social Security
office, and apply for your Social Security Number (SSN)
as soon as you can. You will need to carry your passport,
I-94, and H1 approval notice with you. Fill out the form
(enclosed in this package) and submit it to the officer.
Your Social Security card may take 10-14 days to be mailed
to you. However, you can request that the number be given
to you earlier (usually within 24 to 48 hours). In doing
so, you can begin to use the SSN wherever the card is not
required (for example, to fill in your payroll form for
GCS).
Insurance:
You and your immediate family (spouse and children) are
covered by GCS for medical insurance and dental insurance.
Details on the insurance plan are specified in the pages
on Employee Benefits.
Please fill up the enclosed insurance form, and send it
to GCS as soon as possible. The sooner we receive the form,
the sooner your insurance coverage will begin.
Payroll and Taxes:
The enclosed W-4 form is mandatory, and without which you
can not be put on the payroll. Please fill it out and send
it to GCS immediately. Please read the form carefully. The
"deductions" that you mention on the form determines
the tax that will be deducted at source.
All Federal and State taxes are deducted at source based
on the information that you provide. At the end of the year,
you are individually responsible to file your taxes. If
you have claimed more deductions on the W-4 form than you
are entitled to, you will have to pay taxes to the Government
at the end of the year. Similarly, if more tax was deducted
than was necessary, the Government will refund the difference
to you.
Filing taxes is mandatory for everyone but it is even more
important if you have been in the country for more than
180 days in a calendar year. Should this be the case then
you get the status of Resident Alien and your taxes differ
from those of a Non-Resident Alien.
In addition to Federal and State taxes that will be deducted
at source, you are personally responsible for local taxes.
These local taxes are imposed by the civic authorities where
you live, and vary from municipality to municipality. These
taxes are often called 'Wage Tax' or 'Earned Income Tax'.
Sometimes, the different rate of local taxes levied by municipalities
influences where people choose to live!
Tax forms are easily available. Try the local library or
post office. Most Americans fill out and submit their tax
forms themselves. If you are uncomfortable in filling out
your taxes yourself, there are a number of agencies that
can help you. For example, H&R Block is a national chain.
Their fees may vary and they usually charge between $40
and $80.
Time Sheets:
Time sheets are the way in which GCS keeps a record on the
work that you have been doing at a client site. The enclosed
time sheet is to be photocopied and used. They must be filled
in neatly and correctly. Your manager/supervisor must countersign
these forms. These time sheets must be faxed to GCS every
2 weeks. Time sheets are mandatory for all consultants,
including those who are on projects at GCS's development
centers.
It is absolutely essential that the time sheets be sent
to us on time. Data from the time sheet is used as the basis
for processing your paycheck. Non receipt of your time sheet
may delay the processing of your paycheck!
There may be occasions when you are unable to get your manager
to sign the time sheet. In such cases, please fax us the
unsigned time sheets immediately and the signed time sheet
as soon as the manager signs it.
Getting a Driving License:
In most states in the U.S. you can use your International
Driving Permit for up to 1 year. However, it is recommended
that you get a local driving license as soon as possible,
even if you have no intention or no need to buy a car right
away. You will need the license to rent a car, though many
rental companies may accept your IDP. The IDP can also be
used as an identification document, for example when boarding
local flights, using checks [cheques] for payment, for proof
of age etc. This means that you will not to have to produce
your passport all the time should you be asked for an ID.
In most states obtaining a license has 2 stages:
A written test based on which you will get your learners
permit. You must get the book of rules from the nearest
Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Read it carefully! You
may need to memorize some parts of it before appearing for
your written test. The DMV will check your papers such as
your passport and SSN, before allowing you to take the written
test. This test is generally computer based in most states
and gives multiple choice questions. Some of the choices
may be confusing. There is no time limit on the test, so
take as long as you like in determining the right answer.
A road test, based on which you will get your license. When
you do appear for the road test, be sure that the car you
take with you has all the necessary papers such as insurance,
ownership, registration etc.
Should you fail the test, and many people do just that the
first time, there is no minimum time before which you can
take the test again. So go back as soon as you are confident.
If you are uncomfortable with driving in the US with the
left hand drive and rather high speeds etc., try taking
a few driving lessons. You will find a list of driving schools
in the Yellow Pages.
Bank Account:
Open a bank account as soon as you can. There are two basic
types of accounts:
Checking account. [Called a "current account"
in India].
Savings account. Savings accounts usually have some conditions,
such as minimum balance, number of checks (cheques) you
may use per month etc. They carry some interest, usually
2%.
GCS suggests that initially you open a checking account,
with no minimum balance. Get an ATM card, which is sometimes
called MAC card, as well. This will allow you to access
your money when you need it. And you will not have to carry
large sums of cash on you.
Who do you contact?
For all Personnel & Administration matters, as well
as inquiries on settling, relocation, reimbursements, expense
statements etc., please contact Jayshree Damani.
For all technical project matters, contact Nilesh
Mehta.
For all sales/marketing related matters, please contact
Michael Paul .
GCS wants you to make the most of your assignment in the
U.S. You are a GCS team member and your success is the success
of the company. You must set a high standard of achievement
and work. GCS is determined to be the best company in this
industry and our inputs - that of consultants, staff and
the management is vital for us to reach this goal.
