The H-1B visa debate

[Nbadan]

The US Chamber of Commerce -- 'the world's largest business federation, representing more than 3 million businesses and organisations of every size, sector and region' -- has fired off a missive to all lawmakers in the US House and Senate calling for expeditious reform of employment-based Green Card and H-1B visa programmes.

In a letter to the legislators, R Bruce Josten, the Chamber's vice president for governmental affairs, argued that the lack of reform in both of these programmes was clearly the prime reason American companies have to resort to the much maligned outsourcing phenomenon.

Josten, while noting that the chamber represents numerous companies and organisations that need to bring thousands of foreign workers and students into the United States each year, said, "The inability of these companies to bring highly educated workers and students into the United States severely hurts their compe iveness in the global market and often leads to companies moving operations overseas."

Thus, he wrote, 'It is imperative that any comprehensive immigration reform includes changes that would allow employers in the United States to recruit and retain highly educated foreign talent and guarantee our continued global economic compe iveness and success.'

Linky

Not so says a recent Duke study...

A commonly heard defense in the arguments that surround U.S. companies that offshore high-tech and engineering jobs is that the U.S. math and science education system is not producing a sufficient number of engineers to fill a corporation's needs.

However, a new study from Duke University calls this argument bunk, stating that there is no shortage of engineers in the United States, and that offshoring is all about cost savings.

This report, en led "Issues in Science and Technology" and published in the latest National Academy of Sciences magazine further explores the topic of engineering graduation rates of India, China and the United States, the subject of a 2005 Duke study.

In the report, concerns are raised that China is racing ahead of both the United States and India in its ability to perform basic research. It also asserts that the United States is risking losing its global edge by outsourcing critical R&D and India is falling behind by playing politics with education. Meanwhile, it considers China well-positioned for the future.

Linky

Not surprisingly, the 'liberal' Express-News recently came out with a editors editorial supporting the expansion of the H-1B Visa programme.

[Nbadan]

India isn't likely to return the love...

Less number of US students coming to India for studies

Chalsa (WB), Dec 18:

Less number of American students were coming to India for studies because of the "inordinate delay" in getting Indian visas, US embassy public affairs minister counsellor Larry Schwartz claimed here today.

"For some reason or the other, may be bureaucratic process, American students are not getting Indian visas while Indian students are getting US visas and all help to study in America," Schwartz said, addressing a three-day conference for Fulbright scholars in South Asia. "This year 30 American students could not avail Indian visas as they were issued very late," he said.

Another reason for less students coming here was the "interference" by Indian authorities in the choice of subjects of US students, Schwartz said.

He said delays in issuing Indian visas was "unfortunate", especially when indo-us ties were getting stronger. The Fulbright, would shortly open a centre at R.E.C at Silchar in Assam soon to cover more areas in the north-eastern region to help more students get opportunities to study in America, he added.

Linky

It's your future...

[Nbadan]

Apr 13,2007

On the first day that H-1B visas became available, corporations snapped up all that are allowed. Our government received 150,000 applications for the 85,000 slots set aside to bring in foreign skilled workers.

Corporations whine that H-1Bs are needed because of a shortage of Americans with skills, but major studies at the University of California Davis and Duke University conclusively prove we have thousands of unemployed or underemployed Americans with all the needed technical skills. Nobel economist Milton Friedman accurately labeled H-1Bs a government "subsidy" to enable employers to get workers at a lower wage.

The best way to deal with the demand for a limited number of H-1Bs would be to auction them off, so then we would find out if they are really needed and how much they are worth. An auction would enable taxpayers to get some return on the H-1B subsidy instead of the current system that allows corporations to influence congressmen with campaign contributions and pay high-priced lobbyists to get legislation to increase the number.

Contrary to corporate propaganda, H-1Bs are not an alternative to outsourcing skilled jobs but a vehicle to promote outsourcing. H-1Bs enable corporations to bring in foreigners, train them in American ways, and then send them back to guide outsourced plants in Asia.

For years we've been told that it's OK for our manufacturing jobs to be outsourced overseas because the United States will always keep the technology, engineering, innovative, service-industry and white-collar jobs. Even when service-industry jobs began to be outsourced, we were told, those are just low-skill tasks like answering customer inquiries.

Linky

It turns out that was all a lie too. The high-skill and technical jobs are also rapidly moving overseas, especially to India.

[boutons_]

Somebody tell me again how corps are interested in the quality of life and loyalty of their employees.

[Nbadan]

We'll employ them them there so we don't have to employ them here...

Froma Harrop / Syndicated columnist
New threat to skilled U.S. workers

The master plan, it seems, is to move perhaps 40 million high-skill American jobs to other countries. U.S. workers have not been consulted.

Princeton economist Alan Blinder predicts that these choice jobs could be lost in a mere decade or two. We speak of computer programming, bookkeeping, graphic design and other careers once thought firmly planted in American soil. For perspective, 40 million is more than twice the total number of people now employed in manufacturing.

Blinder was taken aback when, sitting in at the business summit in Davos, Switzerland, he heard U.S. executives talk enthusiastically about all the professional jobs they could outsource to lower-wage countries. And he's a free trader.

Seattle Times

Nice little gig. Filter your profits into a Caymen Islands account and wait for W to declare another anmesty.

[spurster]

It's about cost savings. Tech companies want young workers who will work more for less, won't need much training, won't have families taking up their time, and won't have much health costs.

On the minus side, this kind of news is decreasing college enrollments in computer science and information systems despite the high demand for jobs. H-1B visas, outsourcing, and age discrimination are not very encouraging.

[Mr. Peabody]

Linky

Not so says a recent Duke study...



Linky

Not surprisingly, the 'liberal' Express-News recently came out with a editors editorial supporting the expansion of the H-1B Visa programme.

I agree that the argument that we are mising out on highly educated workers is bunkum. There are visa programs that allow companies to bring over individuals with specialized knowledge and training that the company cannot obtain here in the US. The H-1B visa is not the means by which you would bring such people into the country.

Most of the H-1B visa requests I have seen are from companies looking to bring over cheap manual labor from Mexico.

[xrayzebra]

I agree Mr. P. Circuit City ring a bell. At least they were up
front on what they were doing. Firing the higher paid employees
and replacing them with lower paid employees.

It is really disgusting to call a support center and get some
turkey in India that has the ability to read a script or in one
case I encountered to attempt to dazzle you with their brilliance
when they don't know crap of what they speak. Even when
you tell them there solution is all wrong. (in the last case, I
finally got an American, in the U.S. who did know what he was
talking about)

I have found this mode of thinking in lots of foreign educated
people. The myth put out by our companies rubs off and they,
the foreign educated, really believe they are the really educated
people and Americans don't know crap.

But, the visa program is a product of our politicians and they
know best and are so well informed. I mean, just look who
gave them all that money to keep them informed.....LOL

[smeagol]

companies like h1b visas because the worker has to commit to the company for a number of years while he/she goes through the us citizenship process. they really don't issue enough. of course milton friedman considers them a subsidy. he's milton friedman.

I believe you meant the Green Card.

Obtaining a green card with an H1B takes forever (more than 6 years).

I know . . . I had one (H1B, that is).

L1A, on the other hand, is much, much shorter (12 - 18 months). My wife had one and that's how much it took us.

[nkdlunch]

Obtaining a green card with an H1B takes forever (more than 6 years).

this is not true. It has many variables but it could take as little as 1 year. Variables like what field you're in, experience and what country you from.

but law keeps changing and they are making it harder.

[smeagol]

this is not true. It has many variables but it could take as little as 1 year. Variables like what field you're in, experience and what country you from.

You might be right.

In my profession, banking, I know several people that went through the process (just like myself) and it took them 5 to 6 years, an even more. Some simply gave up. Others are still waiting. All of these guys are from Latin America.

For my wife it took exactly 1 year and 10 months with an L1A. The key was the "A" part, which means you Were a supervisor when you came to the US.

Double check if the people you know had H1B visas and not H1As.

But again, you might be right.