How to identify fake H1B's and OPT'S

 Who are these people with fake resumes?

1. OPT Students (Foreign Students who complete their Masters in United States and are eligible for full time work authorization because of Optional Practical Training)
2. H1B Candidates (These folks are either OPTs who are recently converted to H1B in last 2 years or folks who traveled from offshore with a H1B with 2-3 years of experience or none. You never know.)

 What is the pattern of the fake resume?

1. Resume with no Last Name
2. Resume includes employer’s phone number not the candidate's number
3. A Bachelor’s Degree without year of graduation
4. Resume includes 6-8 years’ of experience with first 3-4 years’ of experience in offshore and the rest in United States.
5. The offshore companies they put up in the resume are either banks or some companies with factious names
6. The project timelines are lengthy typically 1.5 to 2 years
7. Roles and responsibilities look very similar in almost all the projects

The pattern is as follows in case of a recent H1B or someone with 2-3 years’ experience,

7. Resume includes 9-12 years’ of experience with first 4-5 years’ of experience in offshore and the rest in United States.
8. First 2-3 projects look OK but after that the projects follow a very similar pattern

What do they claim when they speak to you?

1. They say they traveled to United States on a L1 or H1BVisa
2. They claim they are currently on H1B or an extension
3. Their availability for a phone call is typically after 2:00 PM Mon-Fri or 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. But, if you arrange an interview with short notice they won’t take it because their PROXY might not be available at the time.
4. They say they can provide references but these references include consultants working for their employer at a client site or who has some relation with candidates firm.
5. Few claim they started working full time when they were  in the 3rd year of their college, just to make sure the experience adds up to 7-8 years (as mentioned in resume).

How to WEED OUT these fake profiles?

1. Start with the resume word document properties, check for the name of the author, if it isn’t candidates’ name then something is fishy
2. Look out for typical resume formats and responses mentioned above
3. Check their online presence, primarily LinkedIn (this might not work all the time). Most of the candidates with fake resumes doesn't have any online presence (Facebook, Linked, Twitter, Instagram)
4. Ask the names of the project managers they are currently working for and look up their names on LinkedIn (This holds good for OPT candidates but not for the recent H1B candidates)
5. Ask for the copy of highest degree
6. Ask for candidate's 1-797 copy (when first applied) and make a note of the receipt number. Cross check I-797 status using https://egov.uscis.gov/casestatus/landing.do. Plug in the receipt number to find the date of approval and is fool proof since the information obtained is directly from USCIS.
7. VerifyI-94 information using https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/I94/request.html. You need to get the passport copy and the consent from the candidate. This is again fool proof since the information obtained is directly from Department of Homeland Security.
8. Verify Divers License or any photo ID
9. Finally, cross check dates from each document.

Note: These folks are capable of forging any document. So, when you look at the documents focus on Names, Date of Birth, and Visa Approval Dates/Expiry Dates. Zoom in to the area and make sure they are not tampered. Look for changes in the document background (color/texture/white box), change in font style/size.

Often, it is hard to get the documents form the candidates. In that case, the only option left out is to ask the consultant to prove their experience/authenticity.

Written by
Aravind Ramachandran

Difference Between OPT and CPT

International students on F-1 visa have two options to work in the US. They are:
1.Optional PracticalTraining (OPT)
2.Curricular PracticalTraining (CPT)

However, there are some differences between OPT and CPT , which a student on F1 visa must know before getting started.

Optional Practical Training (OPT) Vs Curricular Practical Training (CPT)

Optional Practical Training (OPT)	Curricular Practical Training (CPT)
OPT is a temporary authorization offered to students on F-1 visa to work on their related field for a period of total 12 months.	CPT is a temporary work authorization provided to the students on F-1 visa, which is directly related to their majors for period of total 12 months.
OPT Eligibility Requirement: The students must have been pursuing their course full-time for at least one full academic year.	CPT Eligibility Requirement: If the students complete their full-time CPT for a period of 12 months then they would be no longer eligible for OPT. Besides, the students must have been enrolled full time for at least one academic year.
OPT in order to receive OPT authorization, students do not require any employment or job offer.	CPT: While applying for CPT, students require a job or employment offer.
OPT program  has two variants— Pre-completion OPT and Post-completion OPT. Students can pursue OPT while there still on their academics with Pre-completion OPT. And, with Post-completion OPT students can start their OPT after their graduation.	CPT is for total 12 months and it can be either full-time or part time.
Students require OPT to work for a total period of 12 months (Pre or Post Completion OPT). Yet, students have an option to extend their OPT for another 17 months with STEM OPT extension; this is only applicable to certain majors.	Having CPT to work, students can be on job for a total period of 12 months. But, students will not have option to work on OPT once they complete their 12 month CPT.
With OPT, students’ employment experience must be related to their majors or field of study and it doesn’t have to be a part of their academic curriculum.	With CPT, students’ employment experience must be directly related to their major or field of study. Plus, it must be a part of students’ curriculum; this implies, students’ employment experience must offer credits in their curriculum.
OPT students can work part-time when University/ college is in term; during vacation students can work full-time.	CPT students can work part-time when University/College is in term; during off-session, students can work full-time.
Students on OPT can work with any employer across the US as long as their OPT jobs are related to their field of study.	Students on CPT can work only with employers those are on Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) and I-20 list.