While these models are not American or high-tech workers, they looked good displaying new Chinese-made Lenovo ThinkPads at t the International High Tech Expo in Beijing, China. (AP Photo/ Elizabeth Dalziel)
In an attempt at being fair to scholars and business leaders who support cheap, foreign labor while U.S. workers remain unemployed, this blog will share some of the arguments recently used by H-1B supporters to defend their position.
This is probably best read in conjunction with a Sept. 3 entry which led one reader to write, “…There are few IT jobs left. However, most of these jobs only target guest workers under the H-1B visas. They don’t allow locals—Americans and permanent residents—to apply.”
William Stock a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association’s Board, listed the following recommendations to stimulate the U.S. economy in a recent blog.
Vivek Wadhwa, a professor at Duke University who has studied high-tech entrepreneurship says the Department of Labor should work at eliminating current green card backlogs in the employment-based immigration categories. Backlogs traps foreign workers in the original job for which they were sponsored. Companies cannot promote H-1B holders to positions where their experience and skills can best be used.
Nor can the workers start their own companies under the current structure. This would free an enormous amount of human capital to innovate and create the next generation of companies that will drive economic growth in the United States, according to the prof. But why do Americans want temporary guest workers starting businesses in the United States?
Stock, a partner in Klasko Immigration and Nationality Law, added two more reasons to “fix” the H-1B program. First, most tech workers would prefer to use their skills in America, rather than returning to their homelands. Stock did not explain how that helps America. In fact, it seems to run contrary to the purpose of the program.
U.S. graduate programs reported a 3 percent decrease in the number of international applications to programs and the number of accepted applicants for the first time in five years. These students are the best and brightest from their countries, and when they choose to go to other countries rather than the United States. Stock expressed concern about the loss of revenue, what with out-of-state residents usually being charged higher admission fees, and that U.S. companies may lose their talents.
As a prof, I suggest an emphasis be placed on the quality of education, or lack there of, in U.S. schools, before worrying about the best and brightest of other nations not attending graduate school here.
Comments
The reasons:
* Two congressional reports and a number of academic studies have shown that H-1Bs are often paid less than Americans.
* Underpayment of H-1Bs is usually done in full compliance with the law. The problem is primarily NOT one of lack of enforcement or fraud.
* The use of foreign workers for cheap labor pervades the entire tech industry, INCLUDING the large, mainstream firms, and INCLUDING the foreign workers hired from U.S. universities. It is NOT limited to the "bodyshops."
* Age is a core H-1B issue. Most H-1Bs are under 30, and since younger workers are cheaper than older ones in both wages and health care costs, employers use the H-1B program to avoid hiring older (i.e. 35+) Americans.
* There is no tech labor shortage. No study, other than those sponsored by the industry, has ever shown a shortage. HR departments routinely exclude CVs of applicants they deem "too expensive"--those that are over age 35. (So managers never see them)
continuation:
# Shortage arguments based on comparison of American K-12 math/science scores to those of other nations are red herrings, based on misleading averages. It is also rank hypocrisy, since the same employers who claim that "Johnnie can't do math" are laying off tens of thousands of Americans who had been topmath/science students when they were kids.
# The world's "best and brightest" should be welcomed, but only a tiny percentage of H-1Bs are in that league. Meanwhile, the H-1B program results in many of our own best and brightest U.S. citizens and permanent residents being squeezed out of the market once they accumulate 10 years or so of experience, and worse, many top college students are discouraged by H-1B and offshoring from pursuing the field in the first place. In other words, H-1B is causing an internal brain drain of American talents.
# Though the industry lobbyists claim that the importation of H-1Bs avoids the offshoring of work, the visa is actually used
Love the picture. Is China advertising their 'hookers'?
Maybe there's a shortage in America and we need them added to the job categories in H1b.
Normally I am against H-1B visa abuse, but in the case of these 4 models I would say that it would be okay to make an exception in this case and let them in. To my apartment.
Senator John McCain supports removing the cap on H-1B entirely, according to "Compete American", the cartel of 200 wage-fixing hi-tech companies. As debug states, it is rank hypocrisy to say they are Pro-America, while laying off Americans and hiring foreigners.
Texas Instruments just jettisoned 3600 Americans ... and is applying for about 232 MORE foreigners. I was one of those flushed ... after 15 years dedicated service, and 12 years serving my country in the US Navy.
I'm all for hiring the best & brightest ... which according to my performance reviews, GPA & publications, includes ME! But, I hit that 45 year-old mark, and bam, out the door. Now, after 8 months, 100's of applications to jobs for which I'm way overqualified, I cant get anything! Too old to rejoin the Navy or police. Now I'm begging to work for FREE! Better than living under a bridge.
Companies that hire H-1B's below market wages, or who lay-off qualified Americans ... are TRAITORS!
Your Murdered Am
"As a prof, I suggest an emphasis be placed on the quality of education, or lack there of, in U.S. schools, before worrying about the best and brightest of other nations not attending graduate school here."
I think your emphasis would be misplaced. Why should an American study for STEM degree, only to be thrown under the bus, and replaced with a foreign guest worker? Until the guest worker scam is fixed, Americans would be foolish to pursue a STEM career.
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