Comment Rescue: H1 Visa Holders Didn’t Drive the Economy Off The Cliff
The Prince makes a good point:
Just to clarify that H1 visa holders are also taxpayers. I am a foreign national working on H1 visa and am as mad at the stupidity and incompetency of the American leadership as you are.
I am subjected to as much taxes as you are with the only difference that your kids will probably benefit from all this some day but when i return to my home country, i wont!! I have great respect for this country (not leaders) but please do not vent anger on us for mistakes made by American leaders. Also, the American economy would not have prospered to what it did in the recent past, if it wasn’t for foreign nationals. We are in the same boat, facing the same consequences and have to fight it together. Lets not blame anyone unnecessarily, but blame those who are truly responsible.
Sorry Prince… I like working with overseas folks individually, but I can’t deny that H1-B employees displace American workers.
The US economy desparately needs wages to go up, and the H1-B program puts downward pressure on US wages.
With US unemployment up and wages down, it is time for foreign workers to go home and rebuild their own economies. The H1-B program should be heavily reformed or cancelled until we have a full economic recovery.
Agree with anon on this . . . since I work in technology I have worked with many H1-B employees and all have been great people (except for one, but that has nothing to do with his “status”, I’m sure he was an ass in India as well).
Americans are getting laid off my the thousands every day and the fact of the matter is that H1-B employees are taking away jobs from US citizens.
Don’t get me started on taking jobs off-shore. Ask AZ employees about how much they love their IT being run out of India.
If H1-B employees displace American workers – doesn’t it mean that the the companies doing the hiring are breakign the law?
Isn’t the program intended to fill jobs where there is no qualified US citizen?
It sounds like we need to seek jail time for AZ Execs – not get our Lou Dobbs on.
In my experience, H1B workers have been used in places where they are highly qualified. Usually they are the best of the best and we want to be able to continue to attract that talent. There is some burden on the employer when they employ H1B workers. However, I do think that there is a potential for abuse of the system so perhaps we need to take a good look at the system to see how it can be made better.
It is too hard to prove displacement.
I personally helped one fellow from overseas rewrite his resume so it would be the only match the unusually detailed and custom-tailored job description his employer wrote for him.
It is much easier and more effective to simply cut back the program when indicated by the economy.
One easy reform would be to allow overseas workers to change jobs “at will” instead of being indentured to their sponsor. That would put an upward rather than downward pressure on wages. And it might decrease US employers’ appetite for foreign workers. Then we would find out if they really needed the talent, or if they just wanted to lock in some cheap labor.
“Isn’t the program intended to fill jobs where there is no qualified US citizen?”
Yes, but then the law of unintended consequences reared its ugly head. H1B has become a modern day indentured servitude – companies can get a foreign worker to do the job an American worker could do, but without as many regulations and unemployment insurance payments, etc. When the H1B visa expires, they can either sponsor the foreign worker for more permanent status (more tedious regulatory compliance and having to actually prove that there’s no qualified American) or let them go back home and get a new H1B worker to take their place.
There’s also more to attract businesses than just wages. Frequently, the H1B workers are expected to work 60-80 hours per week, something many (or most) Americans would object to. Also, experience has taught me that many of these so-called “high-skilled” employees are high-skilled on paper only. Many have little or no practical experience but master’s degrees that impress bosses. Hey, why pay a guy with a B.S. (or no degree) $80k when you can get this guy with a master’s for $40k? What’s wrong with this picture?
Yes, G Rex, I agree. I don’t like H1B as it currently stands because it is too tied to one employer. Many of the H1Bs could be brought on as permanent residents under the people with exceptional abilities requirements.
Boy, Sharon’s comment was filled with a lot of stereotypes.
The only people I know who work their scheduled hours are in retail – and most of them would work more. The people I know put in way more than 40 hours a week at the “office” and even bring work home with them.
And my sister-in-law, a research scientist at Stanford and an Italian citizen, would take great offense to your high skilled on paper only comment. But hey, get your stereotype on, Sharon, and by doing so completely miss the point… there’s no reason to slam American or H1B workers (read: lazy Americans and unqualified foreigners) to address the current problem
Many of the H1Bs could be brought on as permanent residents under the people with exceptional abilities requirements.
“Sign here with your name, sponsor, and visa number, and fill out this form indicating your super power.”
With 20 years experience in IT working for Technology companies that hire huge numbers of Indian H1B ‘s, I can vouch for the fact that the skill level is no better than most Americans that were displaced, and for the majority, the skill level was vastly inferior to American workers. Many of the H1b hired were for lower skilled positions that could have easily been filled by American applicants. There is absolutely no question that the H1B program drives down wages, its simple supply and demand. There needs to be more transparency as to the jobs that are filled by H1B visa holders, what the skill level requirements are, disclosure of the skills and education of the American applicants that applied, and how many American vs. H1B holders work for certain Indian companies like Wipro, Mphasis, etc. that seem to do the most hiring for H1bs for American jobs. No one seriously believes that these Indian body shops actually want to hire an American for any available positions. They are in business to get as many Indians working for American companies as possible. No matter how qualified an American applicant is, they will always hire Indian nationals.
I have read and unread all comments. I am an immigrant in Canada was on work permit before and am watching the whole scene. The issue is not Amerian or Indian workers or from any other country. I believe we are entering globalization where the top performers will remain in the top markets ( Americans Indians Mexicans anyone) and so the Average American should be willing to go abroad and work someplace else. My Resume says willing to work anywhere in the world some recruiters think I am crazy but the fact is its a world economy and all countries should recognize this and allow good workers to move between countries without a visa to work. An American if he cannot find a job in America should be willing to move to India ,china, France UK(or anywhere) where he can find work. Its a very absurd view but when we talk about global markets that’s what we are heading towards. If you do not change with time, Time will change you!.
FYI Indian companies hire only Indian workers caz they are cheap no doubt but then American companies hire these Indian companies caz they are cheap