Senator Pushes For Tougher H-1B Enforcement 262
mk1004 writes "Computerworld says that the industry lobbying group TechNet is calling on Congress to eliminate the per-country cap on H-1B workers. Last year a bill was passed in the house, 389-to-15, to remove the cap. Grassley put a hold on the bill in the Senate, indicating that he would be willing to lift the cap if companies faced an annual audit. The US currently allows 140K H-1B workers, but allows only 7% of those to come from any one country."
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
It's wonderful until the job market is flooded with 140k h1b workers working for absurdly low wages, soaking up the few jobs there are in your particular field, sending the bulk of what they do earn home instead of spending it here.
I'm sure corporate america loves the idea though. Can't get the price of capable labor down low enough? Bring in people that will live 6 to an apartment and work cheaper than anyone with those old, outdated ideas of a family, home and a lawn to mow!
Re:Would this apply to UK citizens ? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
smart immigration policies
The h-1b isn't a smart immigration policy. It's a tool to drive down US worker wages by making immigrants your bitch.
This isn't a "they tewk er jerbs" thing, either. Some of the crap the h-1bs go through... the immigrants deserve better, too.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
They can, there are plenty of people with the qualifications they need. It's just that they would just have to pay more or offer better working conditions. The prospect of jobs that pay well and offer good working conditions would also cause more people to get their degree in a STEM field. The current push down on wages and into H1-B and outsourcing is why less students are choosing that career.
So, MS has to spend 30% more to hire an H1B than they would if there was a glut in the employee market? So how much less do they cost compared to the actual market rate under the actual conditions of supply?
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
So give them a green card so their employer can't hold their status hostage.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
And who are these H1B workers on absurdly low wages? It costs Microsoft 30% more to hire foreigners on H1Bs because there aren't enough Americans graduating with master's and PhDs in STEM fields. MSFT would gladly hire Americans to do these jobs, if they could.
According to who, Microsoft? Gee, I can't think of any reason they might want to lie about this.
H1B workers are easily abused because changing jobs is far more difficult. The upfront costs of hiring them may be higher, but they end up working longer hours for less pay. That is why Microsoft, along with all the other tech giants, go before Congress every year and lie and beg.
Re:Article is wrong (Score:4, Insightful)
Actually they already are in the workforce - so the question is a bit more subtle: whether the world's best and brightest work at companies in the USA or whether the world's best and brightest work at companies in other countries.
If you're an American worker, then the question you should be asking is whether you want the world's best and brightest working with you to make your American company successful or whether you want the world's best and brightest working at foreign companies competing against you.
Simply Solution, High Minimum Salary for H1B's (Score:5, Insightful)
The simplest solution is to raise the minimum salary for all H1B employees to something more reasonable, like between $100,000 to $150,000, depending on the area and profession. (Note this is a minimum, the maximum is open.)
That way companies would be forced to pay the extra amount for foreign workers if they really are needed, and be incentivize to first look for local talent and/or provide training.
And H1B's recipients would stop being considered as cheap low-cost labour putting downwards pressure on salaries.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
That, or companies could actually take on university graduates like they used to do, train them, treat them well, and have some high class permanents who know what they're doing. Oh wait, that's a long term strategy. And long term's no good because in the long term we're all dead anyway.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
I am sorry man, but you have no idea about the reality of H1B workers. Most I have known are fairly smart people and they were already relatively well to-do by the standards of their country. They would certainly NOT come here to live 6 an apartment. Also, a lot of the successful ones eventually convert their H1B visa status to a more permanent visa to stay here. Now, it's possible that some of them send money back home. So what? Would you instead prefer to see entire corporate offices with ALL jobs moved to India, Taiwan, China, or Russia? This is not that hard at all, you know.
To put this a little blunt, this is a global competitive economy, and if you can't adapt then you should improve, change your career, or just perish. Sorry. No other way around this.
Re:Simply Solution, High Minimum Salary for H1B's (Score:5, Insightful)
The simplest solution is to raise the minimum salary for all H1B employees to something more reasonable, like between $100,000 to $150,000
I see a flaw...
...absolute values don't account for inflation well.
A gallon of milk will just cost $40, and that $20k minimum wage slave will make $200k.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:2, Insightful)
Bullshit, perhaps if companies would start actually hiring entry level workers there would be workers available to fill those jobs. As it stands pretty much all the entry level job postings I see require 5 years of experience and a level of degree above what's realistically needed.
If employers aren't finding the people they need, perhaps they should think about not pissing in the pool and start doing something to encourage the development of that section of the work force.
Refusing to hire anybody entry level and then using the H-1B program to fix the situation isn't what that program is for.
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Or how about experienced workers?!? (Score:4, Insightful)
That, or companies could actually take on university graduates like they used to do, train them,....
Or get an experienced worker who's done alot of the work before but maybe in a different language or on a different platform?
As an experienced C++ programmer, it took me at most 3 hours to learn Java's syntax AND how to navigate around the libraries.
C#? Picked it up immediately.
I think hiring managers are the ones who need to realize that their particular technology or platform isn't all that special or any harder than any other platform or language.
Those laundry lists that HR has? The managers ordered them to do it. Remeber kids, HR works for management - don't let anyone tell you different.
And then there's the first line management cockiness that I see way too often You'll see it here. For example, folks saying that they can't get anyone qualified - too many "wannabes". WTF is a "wannabe"?
Or having problems getting folks because they can't find someone to answer some "key" question they ask like "Where do you see yourself in five years?", "What is your favorite IDE?" or "What kind of projects do you in your spare time?"
That last one is ridiculous. Uh, when I've been working 50+ hours a week (which is the norm now), the last thing I want or can do is go home and code. I NEED to workout, spend time with my wife, and relax with a movie, good book, or cook a meal for said loved ones. Code?
Oh wait, you want a 20 something or an immigrant with no ties and no life who have nothing better to do than sit in front of the computer.
Got it. I finally figured it out.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:3, Insightful)
I grew up in a state funded school for orphans and now I make well over 150k a year so I am no stranger to making my way in the world.
If you think that you can compete at any level below C (CEO, CIO, etc) without protection from competitive cheap labor then you are a fool.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
if you are qualified, my company wants to hire you
And there's the problem...what is the definition of "qualified"? I've been i this business for nearly thirty years. When I was laid off, I had about 3 years C# experience...as in heads down coding 80% of the day 5 days a week. It was my world.
Looking for work, people wouldn't even interview me because they wanted 5 years experience, or 4. One place wanted 1 year experience in some particular tool that I had gone to training for and used for nearly 10 months. Sorry...not enough "experience".
The hiring process at most companies is a joke of tick off the requirements line. If the airlines hired pilots like this, they'd reject an Air Force Colonel with 20 years at the stick of a C-5 because they aren't certified to fly a 747.
So I say cut the HB-1 stuff to a trickle and make the companies actually pay attention to the candidates instead of doing fucking keyword scans on resumes.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
In this case, skill shortage means a shortage of people possessing the skill and willing to work for less than the median salary for their chosen profession.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:4, Insightful)
They still do. They are called "fresh outs" and corporations love them. They are young, willing to relocate, and work for less than the going rate in exchange for experience to show on their resume. These corporations tend to hire by the project. This allows them to layoff workers at the end of each project and the workers find themselves competing with new "fresh outs" on upcoming projects. The majority of these workers find themselves looking elsewhere for employment only to find out that despite their experienced gained from their first employer they must compete with H1B workers who will work for less pay.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:4, Insightful)
How, exactly, do you see 'greater enforcement' happening under the current system? Picture this:
Concerned party (immigrant's rights worker, social worker, lawyer): "You're being exploited, they're not paying you market rate, you should complain"
H1-B visa holder: "If I do that, they'll fire me. Better to be making below market value than get deported back to [wherever] where I will make 1/10th of what I make here."
It's like a prostitute complaining about his/her pimp to the police. All it will do is 1) get him/her arrested for solicitation and 2) beaten and possibly killed by said pimp.
Re:I'm for it. (Score:4, Insightful)
We need to deglobalize the economy as the people do not see any of the advantages, IP laws allow companies to sell for low prices overseas but restrict imports
Build import tariffs in such a way as to severely penalize production in places where environmental and or worker safety laws are lax, make importing profits from overseas holdings difficult as well if those overseas holdings do business, directly or indirectly, in the US.
Comment removed (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:I'm for it. (Score:5, Insightful)
Then facilitate LEGAL immigration and capture the talent. Americans don't want to work and disdain many jobs because they think they are too precious to compete.
Import and retain skilled workers, denying them to other countries. Business is war and "defectors" are useful. "Brain drain" the competition and welcome new Americans.