This is a very sensitive topic which I will try and approach with as much tact as possible and still leave you with something actionable. I am guessing the stigma you are referring to is probably being exasperated by the hundreds of resumes which pile into every job ad from candidates still in India, with not much experience, and no work rights in the USA?
The advice below is specific to candidates not currently in the USA or recent arrivals with no local work experience. If you already have local work experience nearly all the tips below do not apply.
Firstly I will put this out there. Some of the very best hires I have ever made were recent immigrants to the country or people relocating for the first time. One thing they all had in common was they put a lot of effort into differentiating themselves from the stream of resumes that came in from their home country.
If you feel you are being silently discriminated against I have a number of tips you can follow below. These are not meant as an attempt to trick the resume screener but will make sure your resume makes it through all the simple screening rules people use. If you make it through this initial screen then they at least have to read about who you are and what you have done before declining your application:
1. Get a local phone number
Many recruiters will bin resumes that have an international prefix without reading anything else. Skype and and many other VoIP services will give you a local number. In countries like Australia, which has a different prefix for mobile/cell vs landline, I recommend not putting your VoIP phone number on the resume. Recruiters are catching onto this trick so are binning resumes which only show a landline.
2. Leave your home address off the resume
It is highly unlikely that anyone is going to mail anything to your home address. Also don't put a fake address in the USA if that is not actually where you do live. Best to just leave this blank.
3. Get a native English speaker to read over your resume
Without seeing the name, address, or anything else I can nearly always tell that English is not your first language based on how you write. A native English speaker can help you fix any grammatical errors in your resume so it flows better.
4. Skip the cover letter
There is plenty on Quora about if anyone even reads these but for candidates who do not have the strongest written English it is difficult to write a custom one for each application. Best to leave it out and get them to focus on your resume.
5. If you have a work visa put that at the top of your resume
If you already have a H1B or other work rights make that as obvious as you can. If you do not have any work rights in the USA and have to get a H1B these are very hard to get so only a tiny portion of companies will want to go through that process.
6. Apply direct to the hiring manager
If you know who the hiring manager is, or have a good idea who it might be, find their email and make a direct pitch. If they like what they see then they will forward it down to the recruiter to do the first interview.
7. Spend as much time as you can speaking English
I always cry when I get an amazing candidate who has done extremely impressive stuff but their written and spoken English is clunky. Most clients I recruited for would be OK with average English but below average almost never makes it. On the other hand I am constantly surprised by how well some Indian candidates speak English. They would be easier to understand than many Australian's like me who have a rather broad accent (think Steve Irwin). If you don't speak English at home I recommend switching over to it so you can keep working on your accent and comprehension.
8. Get on a plane
Fly to the USA and make yourself available for 4 weeks of interviews. This way companies wont feel like they are taking too much of a gamble on you if you are able to turn up with 24 hours notice for interview vs having to fly you in.
9. Come to Australia
Australia has a much more open immigration policy. Our employer sponsored 457 visa and permanent resident visas are very easy to get if you have the right qualifications. If you are a software developer it is not a problem at all getting sponsorship. Spend 5 years here and you can get your citizenship then if you want to go to the USA you can use the E3 visa which is similar to the TN visa Canadians use.
Final Thought:
I am a huge believer in increasing diversity in the workplace. It is the easiest hack you can make to massively increase your candidate pool. As a candidate, if you jump through lots of hoops and the company still rejects you because of your ethnicity then why would you want to work there anyway? There are plenty of amazing companies out there who celebrate diversity and actively seek it out. These proactive companies are the ones that have a strong future and are where you can really thrive.
by Adam Seabrook https://www.quora.com/Is-it-true-that-Indian-software-engineers-are-considered-very-bad-hires-in-the-USA/answer/Adam-Seabrook?srid=ndBp&share=8c5dbb26
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