The US H1-B visa program, which will begin accepting applications for 2013 next week, is a hot-button issue in high-tech. Proponents of the program, which allows highly skilled foreign employees to work in the US, complements the US workforce. Opponents say the program has been exploited to bring in workers that are paid less than their US counterparts and displaces qualified American workers.
Last March, Associate Professor Ronil Hira of the Rochester Institute of Technology, testified before the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement. These are excerpts from his testimony:
I have concluded that the H-1B program, as currently designed and administered, does more harm than good. To meet the needs of the U.S. economy and U.S. workers, the H-1B visa program needs immediate and substantial overhaul.
The principal goal of the H-1B visa program is to bring in foreign workers who complement the US workforce. Instead, loopholes in the program have made it too easy to bring in cheaper foreign workers, with ordinary skills, who directly substitute for, rather than complement, workers already in America. They are clearly displacing and denying opportunities to US workers.
Furthermore, program loopholes provide an unfair competitive advantage to companies specializing in offshore outsourcing, speeding up the process of shipping high-wage, high-tech jobs overseas. It has disadvantaged companies that primarily hire American workers and forced those firms to accelerate their own offshoring, threatening America’s capacity to innovate and ability to create sufficient high-wage, high-technology jobs.
Hira outlined four design flaws with the program, which I have summarized below:
No labor market test. Employers are not required to show that American workers are unavailable before hiring foreign workers through the H1-B visa program.
Wage requirements are too low. A recent GAO study found that the majority of H1-B applications were reserved for entry-level positions -- "hardly a wage level that the 'best and brightest' would earn."
Work permits are held by the employer. An H1-B worker's legal status in the country is dependent on the employer, rather than the worker, giving inordinate power to the employer.
The visa period is too long. H1-B visas are issued for three years and are renewable for another three years. The visas can be extended indefinitely.
Hira also testified that other visa programs, such as L-1, B-1, and OPT, are also badly in need of an overhaul. Actions recommended include requiring a regular test of the US labor market; paying guest workers true market wages; limiting the visas to three years with no renewal; eliminating access to additional H1-B visas for H1-B dependent firms; and instituting sensible oversight, including regular audits, of guest worker visa programs.
"The lobbyists supporting the H1-B visa program have repeatedly made claims that the program is needed because there is a shortage of American workers with the requisite skills and that the foreign workers being imported are the best and the brightest," Hira concluded. "If that is indeed the case, then those employers should not object to these sensible reforms."
"We are the first nation to be founded for the sake of an idea—the idea that each of us deserves the chance to shape our own destiny. That's why centuries of pioneers and immigrants have risked everything to come here...The future is ours to win. But to get there, we cannot stand still."
-PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Obama has been advocating for an immigration reform for quite sometime now. I believe the system must change, not only the H1B visa process.
Right now, IMHO, the legal way to go to the US (for qualified professionals) is too hard, and too easy for someone that simply wants to stay ilegally.
I remember a phrase from Obama that said that the US trained foreigners with the best education and then sent them away to compete against the US... because of the visa issues.
How do you intend to ship back the 10 million or so Mexicans who are in the US illegally?
As for Training foriegners;I remember reading that a lot of High Level Techies(PHDs) were subjected to all kinds of crazy movement restrictions(Because they fell on some kind of sensitive technologies list or something of that sort called TRIP).
I have seen these guys get humiliated and harassed by DHS Goons at American Airports just because they were going to see their old Mother back in India/China/Taiwan.
What most American Government Officials still don't get it is that High Quality Skilled Labor is in demand Globally.And if you don't treat them well in America they will just go elsewhere.
If Obama was really serious about changing this he would have made it easier for Foriegners with American Masters(&PHDs) Degrees to become American Citizens .
Lets say you have a Foriegner(with a US Advanced Degree) who has a steady job and is working in America for atleast 5 years straight;don't you think he should atleast have a Green Card/LIfeLong Multiple Entry Visa???
Canada,Australia,Singapore,the UK and New Zealand(who are competing for High Quality Tech talent with America have these rules in place).
Think about it practically-If a person even after working for 5 years straight does no feel secure in a country;why would he/she bother putting down roots there???
Why would he/she bother making any Investments like Buying a Home or for that matter Parking his money in America???
The Kind of Jobs this policy would generate in US Economy today is unbelievable.
The whole Immigration Process needs to be overhauled sharply today.
Fine. Go elsewhere. USA doesn't need you. In fact, you're harming our economy. The US was BOOMING before you people came here. You were originally only supposed to be TEMPORARY GUEST WORKERS for Y2K and dot-com and then leave. Not only have you not left, you've now taken over. Go home if you are so talented I am sure you can find a job back home or create one.
I think making the visa reform is not an easy task for the US government. If they make the requirements very strict for immigrants, they run the risk of facing shortage of labor at least in the short-run if the US nationals are not able to take their place. On the other hand, if they make them too lenient, they are worsening the situation for US workforce who are already unemployed in a large number. It's really difficult to find a solution that can solve the problem.
US nationals invented IT long before foreign workers ever came here. I think we are able to do the jobs. Rather it is the foreign workers who are incapable. US has lost 28 MILLION jobs since these people came here 14 years ago and they have failed to keep the US economy going as promised.
Its definitely not easy, not easy at all. But its also not a sudden change... but the illegal workforce is also needed (or are americans willing to work the long hours in the field, with the sun and the heat?)
Also, there's an increment in people studying "soft" careers. That't not getting it done.
Now that Americans have done all the hard work of building civilization, the rest of the world wants to flood in - even to the point of keeping native-born US citizens out of jobs. Indians and Chinese didn't start arriving in large numbers until 1998. How did America manage for the 506 years before that? We did just fine, thank you. And since 1998 our economy has been going down, down, down. These people are pretending to be our friends and help us all the while siphoning off our wealth, technology, and sending everything they can grab back home. This is the cause of our economic decline. They paint a pretty picture of "America is a land of immigrants" while the entire time their sole purpose is to come here, make $, and send it home. America is being robbed by industrial thieves from Asia
Every immigration wave to the U.S. since 1900 has led to recession or depression. The late 1998-2000 wave was the biggest in U.S. history - bigger than the one from 1906-1920. Historical facts do not lie. Here is the history of immigration and recession to America since 1900:
1906-1920 - Huge wave from Europe - Great Depression in 1929.
Oct. 1998 - H-1B caps raised form 65,000 to 115,000 per year - collapse in 2001.
Apri 2000 - H-1B caps raised from 115,000 per year to 195,000 per year - collapse in 2008.
The fake "recovery" in the mid 2000's was no recovery - just cheap Fed credit making up for Americans losing their jobs.
America was built by Americans. Every buildup leads to immigrant takers who come in when times are good, strip the economy, then leave when times are bad - as they are now.
84% of the current U.S. population was born here. Do you seriously expect us to believe that 84% of the natives live off the work of the other 16% immigrants? Come on, stop being either a liar or delusional. Immigration is a disaster for America.
China and India don't have open borders. Did I mention they are booming.
Free Trade caused WW2 - America in the 1920s sold its scrap steel to Japan and England's Rolls Royce sold aircraft engines and factories to Hitler. We all know how that turned out.
You seem like a reasonably smart person with a misguided sense of History and Economics.
So let me correct you on the various points you made in your post.
Point 1)Now that Americans have done all the hard work of building civilization, the rest of the world wants to flood in-China and India both have Histories going by Thousands of Years(unlike the Few Hundred Years that you talk about in America's case).
Point 2)Indians and Chinese didn't start arriving in large numbers until 1998.
The First Chinese who entered America were brought here for the Expansion of the Rail-road system;specifically the Transcontinetal Rail-road in the 1860s.They were brought here as Slaves.All throughout the Railroad system in America ,you can see monuments to all those thousands Chinese who died working on the Rail-road system.They were then also taken to Hawaii to work on the Sugar Plantations there.
In New York,you can visit the MTA Mueseum,which talks about how the Entire Subway system(particularly the underground stretch) was built by Slaves who were Transported from Africa and the moment they got off the Boat at Ellis Island;they were straightaway taken to the Underground Pits were the Subway work was going on and made to work without Food ,Water or Rest untill they died of exhaustion.They then just brought in more Slaves and this is how the Subway was completed.Its all there for everybody to see at the MTA Mueseum on 130 Livingston Street in Brooklyn.Pay a visit and educate yourself.
This was again in the 1860s.
The First bunch of Indians came to the Americas to work on Sugar Plantations ,especially on the Caribbean Islands of Antigua,Barbados,Trinidad and Guyana(Mainland South America)in the 1760s.They were slaves.These were then followed by those who came in the 1960s and 1970s,where they were basically fleeing the Regime of East African Dictators like Idi Amin. In case you have'nt noticed,90% of all Motels and Small Convenience Stores in America are owned and operated by Indians(most of these came from East Africa or the UK initially,before they were joined by more family members from India).
Point 3)How did America manage for the 506 years before that? We did just fine, thank you-
You did more than fine,America boomed.On Slave Labour.
Point 4)Every immigration wave to the U.S. since 1900 has led to recession or depression- The Period since the 1900s and especially the periods you are attesting were marked by another factor you seem to have missed.The Federal Reserve made Money Super-Cheap by explicitly devaluing the value of the US Dollar(this is an undeniable fact and can very easily seen in the Value of Gold Today and back then).
Its the advent of this Easy money which caused the Booms and Busts since then to aggravate in Size and Intensity.
Point 5)America was built by Americans-As I have clearly explained above that is not the case;Unless you call those Slaves who were forcibly captured in China,India and Africa and then brought over to America as American Citizens.If that was the case;then Why were they not paid Cash? Why were they made to work until they Died of exhaustion???
Point 6)China and India don't have open borders-I am not an expert on Chinese Immigration Policies but what I can attest to is that its not easy for Immigrants to move to China and work there primarily because of Language and Cultural Barriers.This in itself creates a barrier for Labor Surplus regions to export Labor to China.In India's case,India has Open Borders with Nepal,Bhutan,Sri Lanka,South Korea,Singapore,Hong Kong and Bahrain-In all these countries,Indians can get a Visa on Arrival( In the case of the first three countries Indians don't even a need a Passport to Enter).Why is that so?
Its because of a Reciprocal Arrangement for Indian Citizens.The Indian Govt is very good in this respect.If you give our Citizens Visas on Arrival we will also give you Visas on Arrival.Simple.The Rules for Jobs are different from country to country.
India has benefitted enormously from this Open Borders policy with Cheap labor particularly from Nepal and Bangladesh doing the Jobs which Indians don't want to do today(just like what Mexicans and other Latin Americans are doing in America).
In case you are not a Citizen of these countries,blame your own Govt not the Indian Govt for making it hard for you to Get Visas to India.
The Reason why India and China are booming are down to six simple factors
1)They are willing to work harder than the West,
2)They save more than the West,
3)Positive Demographics,
4)Natural Base Effect(its easier for a Trillion Dollar economy to become a Two Trillion Dollar economy;than it is for a 14 Trillion Dollar economy to become a 28 trillion Dollar economy),
5)Pro-Growth Policies-Removal of Red Tape and Reforms,
and
6)Flooding their respective economies with Cheap Money(in china's case its more than the US itself).
Point 7)Free Trade caused WW2-The Biggest factor that brought America into world war 2 was the blockade of Japan(just like what they are trying to do to Iran today).The Japanese were not interested in Attacking America and would have gone about their business fighting the Brits in Asia if it were'nt for the fact that the Americans blocked off Japanese access to Fuel .Who was responsible for that? FDR.In fact,FDR was always angling for a fight with the Japanese but Congress refused to permit him;until the Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbour.
As for the Free Trade link-Remember the Smoot-Hawley Act in 1930? That was the one Act passed by US Congress(which created reciprocal Actions by other countries) which was more responsible than any other of Destroying the Global Economy back then.
Don't know your own History?I don't blame you.You must have fallen asleep in History class.
Competition is and always has been good for the Global Economy by reducing Slack in the system.Too bad we are now entering a period of Increased Protectionism worldwide.
Well, you're entitled to your own opinion. Although, I agree there should be an immigration reform, its too easy for people that are willing to break the law, to enter the US... and to hard for people that want to work there.
I understand that most of these issues are talked about because Jobs in America are hard to come by today.
But if the Revenue coming in though these Visa Fees (this is why Visa Fees were raised substantially this year)was not Important for the Treasury Department;they would have straightaway forced INS to just shut the whole program.
You want to make money of them plus you want control how many people come in and what work they do and don't do.
I have a better proposal.Close the Program Completely to anyone who does'nt have a US Degree.
All those on existing Visas can continue working but no more New H-1Bs.
Its well-known that One H-1B Visa holder in America supports atleast 4-6 people back home in India(either through Jobs or by sending remittances back home).
The impact of this kind of a move will be devastating(atleast initially) for these people and especially for the Indian Software Outsourcing companies(They get close to 60% of their Business from America today).
But what about American Companies like IBM,Accenture,HP ,Microsoft and Cognizant???
They are all also dependent on this program(and are amongst its biggest supporters).
What happens then?Also, some of the biggest Indian Outsourcers have hired(over 25000) Amercan Citizens here in America in the last three-four years.Should they also fire these people???
If the Govt wants to be openly Protectionist;I don't mind it.
Its just that the Consequences of such a Move will bommerang back on those Clowns in DC bigtime.
Ashish.
P.S Even when it comes to paying below market wages for these Professionals; Its a personal choice for them.Nobody put a Gun to their heads forcing them to work for those wages.I am reminded about something I saw recently in China with Foxconn.
Foxconn under pressure from Apple(which itself was bowing under US Public pressure);decided to reduce paid over-time for most employees(so they get more time for Toilet Breaks and what not nonsense which most Westerners are used to).
Consequence-The employees don't want it!!!
They Say they are here to work and not to play.Check this out!
Deciding to eliminate Global Wage Arbitrage is a noble Goal but you have to let the market do it-Its not something that can be established by Govt Diktat.
This dual standard policy on foreigner worker visa reminds me of the curbs put worldwide on the Tobaco Industry. Though the whole world acknowledges that the smoking is injurious to health, not a single government in the world has banned the manufactruing of cigarettes. Why? Because this idnustry gives them millions of dollars of tax revenue.
Similarly while US govt is trying to show that it is against allowing too many foregin skilled workers to work in USA, many of the US businesses cannot do without those skilled foreign workers.
Hence the govt policies look skewed in terms of what they say politically and what they implement as a business sense.
"Similarly while US govt is trying to show that it is against allowing too many foregin skilled workers to work in USA, many of the US businesses cannot do without those skilled foreign workers."
@parabhakar: I agree that the business owners and governments will have a conflict of opinion in this case. If the policy is implemented, business owners will run the risk of facing labor crisis. I wonder what the business community will have to say on this.
How did American companies get by without these foreign workers in 1998 when Americans were working all the jobs and the US economy was BOOMING? Stop the lies.
Here is how Asian "guest" workers deliberately keep American workers out of jobs when they come here. Note the names of the 2 email groups.
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Sr. Electrical Engineer Position available @ Oplink
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 10:40:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Julie Koo
Reply-To: Julie Koo Julie.Koo@Sun.COM
------------- Begin Forwarded Message -------------
Date: Mon, 13 Oct 2003 08:43:52 -0700
From: Sabrina Chan
Subject: Sr. Electrical Engineer Position available @ Oplink
To: chinatown2000@sun.com, indians_ca@sun.com
MIME-version: 1.0 X-Accept-Language: en
Original-recipient: rfc822;chinatown2000@sun.com
Hi, The company my friend works at is currently looking for a Senior Electrical Engineer. If you know any qualified applicants, please have them send their resume directly to: trinal@oplink.com. Attached below is a copy of the job description. Oplink is a telecommunications company.
Here is how Asian "guest" workers deliberately keep American workers out of jobs when they come here.
@Wakjob, I dont see anything being done deliberately here. I think employee is just giving reference and many companies prefer reference because it helps them to choose the right candidate.
It's pretty clear that email groups chinatown2000@sun.com, indians_ca@sun.com contain only people from those countries or else they wouldn't have those names. Don't try to cover up the rampant racism you people bring with you when you come to the US. We all know what you are doing here and how you are deliberately keeping Americans out of jobs. Oh, and thanks for destroying Sun.
You have got to be kidding me - Pandit was the one who shipped 65,000 Citi jobs to India before running the company into the ground. HCL was banned from working for Boeing by FAA because the software they wrote was crap. And 10,000 jobs? TWENTY EIGHT MILLION jobs have been destroyed in the US since 1998. Of course the Indian bodyshop conmen are going to go into PR mode. What else are they going to say? Yes, we're stealing your jobs? Of course they will create jobs for locals - local imported guest workers is what they mean! Merkle by the way annonced a few months ago that "multiculturalism is a failure". Americans aren't buying your lies anymore. We know all about your "friendly takeover" plan. Don't think all Americans are stupid because we are not.
Your points are a realistic reflection of the current needs and issues facing the H-1B Visa program.
At the same time one cannot deny that a large number of Indian H-1B Visa Holders(especially those coming from smaller shops not the larger firms) are abused(by being made to work harder than normal and paid less than market rates) and treated very poorly in America by their employers.
The reasons why they submit to the exploitation is in the hope that they will one day get a Green card and so stay on in America on a permanent basis.
The reason why employers exploit them is primarily because they can do it and also because of the extremely High Visa(and other Fees) incurred by then in the process of bringing them to America.
Tales of Body-Shopping/Wage-Slaves are legion.
Also you cannot deny that Unemployment amongst Americans has increased this Recession started in 2008.Albleit amongst the IT Crowd its still quite low(4%);but that does'nt mean it is'nt there.
That is why I proposed a Total Closure of the Program to anyone who does not have a Degree from an accredited American University.
Its a solution which benefits America in the Short-term and the Long-term.
"Unemployment amongst Americans has increased this Recession started in 2008.Albleit amongst the IT Crowd its still quite low(4%)."
I doubt the accuracy of the official unemployment figures, especially as, according to the US government, inflation is very low in the US. My observations tell me a different story, in both departments.
I accept both your arguments that Inflation and Unemployment in America are higher than official Govt numbers.
The best indicator of Inflation that I have seen is from Shadow Stats.
The Best indicator of Unemployment that I have seen is from Mike Shedlock.
But none of them give seperate breakdown for IT unemployment numbers.
From my work on SearchCIO.com,I have found out that they estimate Unemployment amongst IT Professionals is at 5.8% in America at the end of December 2011.
How much do you think the real Unemployment Numbers for IT professionals in America is today?
"How much do you think the real Unemployment Numbers for IT professionals in America is today?"
I can't say for sure beyond my own impressions. However, if you presume that 5% is the rate where frictional unemployment predominates in an industry, and that anything above that reflects structural pain, then my oberservations of the general pain and the permanent changes that colleagues are experiencing in IT tell me that we are probably somewhere above 5% in IT unemployment. My gut tells me that the unemployment rate for US IT employees (non H1-B) is probably higher than the current average you mentioned, and older US employees are at the very highest in terms of unemployment and wasted potential.
It would be very easy to find a reasonable approximation of the true figure via a survey, but the organization doing the survey must be free of conflicts of interest. That means no political agenda, no advertising conflicts, and no sponsorship conflicts (as seen in the case of corporate "sponsoring memberships" in the big technological, so-called professional societies). We likely won't see that.
Yesterday Trump said he believed real unemployment was over 20%. It's at least that high. 8.3% is a joke. And no, despite the election-year hype, the economy is not improving.
"there is a shortage of American workers with the requisite skills"
I guess I should just say it: that Americans don't have the requisite skills is a plain lie. It doesn't even make sense to imply that America is some kind of uneducated wilderness.
Cheap labor is the only reason for importing workers. Period. That and the exportation of jobs have been part of the reason why the US is sinking into economic obscurity.
Our trade with China was supposed to help transform China into something more like the US. Instead, it is transforming the US into something more like China.
I am sorry to disappoint you,but this is precisely how a Free-Market in Labour operates.
Outside the Western World ,nobody would be surprised by this kind of news.
For the Simple Reason-You don't work;You don't Eat.
Nobody in Asia has access to 99 week unemployment benefits or 0% Financing on Cars,Clothes & Electronics or 5% Interest rates on Housing Loans....
Which clearly shows you how dis-incentivised Americans are to work.
There is another set of stats that I find particularly stunning-
1)More than 55% of all Americans pay No taxes at all to Federal Government.
2)15% of all Americans today are on Food Stamps.
3)Close to 40% of all Americans are dependent on some form of Govt for Income today.
4)Net Savings for Median American today is just USD 6000.[If you Subtract their Total Debt from their Total Assets]-And this does'nt even take into account the Total Government Debt burden!
Now,what happens when you don't pay any taxes to the Govt? You lose an economic incentive to curb Govt spending(through Benefits,etc) & demand more and more Govt spending[Even when the Govt can't afford it like today.All it will take is for Interest Rates to rise by 2% to force the US Govt to default].
To get an idea of some of the Economic problems America faces today please read
For all those who think that the Asians are continuing to buy huge numbers of US Govt Treasuries (to devalue their currencies vs the US Dollar)-I have news for you.Excluding the Japanese ,Net Asia Buyers of US Treasuries are down sharply from 2009 onwards.So who's Buying? The US Federal Reserve.
What does it mean?
A Devaluation of the US Dollar to beat all Devaluations is coming.
I had linked to this article earlier also showing how hard working Chinese are (it was the result of Western Consumer pressure on Apple that they cut worker Hours ,especially paid Over-time at their main Supplier Foxconn in China).
The result-The Workers are protesting because they want to work more!!!
They are there to work and Not to play!
And if you are wondering that you can retrain all the staff there at that Amazon warehouse to become IT Professionals....
Again,I have news for you-Its not gonna happen.
Most of those workers(at the warehouse) came from the Construction Industry.
For the last two decades when America benefitted from a Global Supply of Cheap labor (because they helped to push down prices of products which American consume)nobody in America complained or cared how those products were made.
Now suddenly everyone is talking about it as if it is a major scandal!
"I am sorry to disappoint you,but this is precisely how a Free-Market in Labour operates."
I think you misunderstood me. I wasn't complaining about free markets. You'll notice I was, instead, countering the myth that H1-B immigrants are needed because of special skills that are missing in US workers.
You'll recall that the H1-B program is not intended to allow replacement of US workers. Employers have to attest that they are not replacing US workers with H1-B workers. They have to also attest that they are paying the prevailing wage to H1-B workers.
Their attestations aren't matching the reality of the situation. H1-B workers don't have special skills, but they are being paid less.
In other words, the intent of the law is being circumvented. My intent was to point out the sham, but of course the sham and myth are needed to allow the continuation of the program.
It would be more honest to admit that the real intention of the program is to lower pay rates.
As I posted on this issue here earlier;I fully support Reform of the H-1B Visa Program.As it stands today it is open to tremendous amounts of Abuse with very little benefit to the American Economy.
In fact,I highly recommend closing it to anyone who does not have an American Degree[Currently,Foriegn Citizens who have American Degrees don't have to apply through this quota for an H-1B Visa].
If we believe that American Education is the pinnancle of World Education then we also can't deny the fact that increasing numbers of Foriegners who are educated in America are forced to go back to their respective countries because they find the entire Visa Process(and the resultant screening by DHS Goons especially when they are put on TRIPs lists) humiliating;inspite of the fact that they have found jobs in America and want to stay here.
So this is the right way forward-Close the Program to anyone who does not have a Degree from an Accredited American University but at the same time make it easier for anyone with and American Degree to get H-1Bs/Employment Visas in America.
This will also have the indirect effect of giving a further boost to American Universities(as more students will opt for them because it then becomes easier to Get Jobs in America).
Regards
Ashish.
P.S This will most definitely ensure a level playing field(which you attest to here);by reducing the possibility of Lower pay rates for IT Professionals. I am sure you would agree.
Giving H-1Bs or green cards to anyone with an advanced US degree will not solve the problem because they will still send their pay home instead of spending it in the US. The point is Americans spend their $ here, foreign workers send it home with the view of returning home as soon as they have made enough. Do not delude yourself into thinking these people want to become Americans and stay here. America needs a healthy base of US consumers in order for the economy to function properly.
US government is offering different levels of Visas, inorder to attract talent pools. So I think it has to keep this option in open, let them come and work. Why should we worry about their spending nature, any way they have to spend a part of their earnings as tax and towards living cost.
Well, look what happened at my interview. I was at Google, or maybe it was Microsoft, or Motorola, or maybe none of those companies. All I remember is that the interviewer's first name was Monty. They evidently didn't want to hire a local. Or maybe I just didn't have the right skills.
I think as written, the H1-B program is a good one. Oversignt would help weed out a lot of the abuses. I don't think we can blame the H1-B program for problems with immigration and legal/illegal workers. Again, as written, H1-B is not a ticket to a green card and is not intended to be. Rather than shut down a program that should bring talent into the US, an overhaul/oversight would be the better option.
What "talent"? Talent that has produced the biggest recession in 70 years? USA doesn't need that kind of talent. America was booming when Americans were running IT. Americans invented IT. America has all the talent it needs right here at home. A country that does not employ its own citizens isn't even a country.
Wakjob, I think it’s better to talk in terms of technology rather than citizens. For the growth of any country, technology advancements are important. So many countries are offering packages to companies for FDI and to attract the talent. I know many Americans, Russians, Germans, Indian etc are working for other countries with a unified mentality of technological growth. For most of them salary and other perks are secondary.
There is probably a solution to the current economic problem that involves more cooperation rather than more warfare. Most ethical systems try to achieve the former before they default to the latter.
Readers: EBN has deleted several comments in this thread that were inappropriate. Please avoid categorizing groups of people and let's keep the discussion on track.
As the World Economy slides back into Recession these disputes are just going to get uglier and uglier,next up France which is moving to tighten Border Controls and reduce the effects of Global Trade on its Economy.
Here's some more news on the Trade wars front-EU is taking Argentina to the WTO.
from Bloomberg: EU will probably file challenge at WTO in coming weeks, spurred by separate dispute over YPF nationalization, person with knowledge of plan says. Other WTO members may join action, person says NOTE: Argentina has subjected growing number of imports to licensing regulations since 2008, drawing objections from EU, U.S., Japan, other WTO members
Things are starting to unravel super-fast for Global Trade (next up The US in an Election Year vs China) and with it-Global Growth and the Electronics Industry too bites the Dust...
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
While no one really can accurately predict the future, we can take guidance from another Drucker saying which is the best way to predict the future is to create it.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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