Bill adds 20,000 H-1B visas

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The annual cap of new H-1B visas was 195,000 in fiscal year 2003.

"Although a number of factors are affecting high-tech employment, including an improving economy and the migration of engineers out of the technical work force, statistics indicate that U.S. professionals have benefited from a reduction in H-1B visas," IEEE-USA President John Steadman said in a statement. "Because U.S. industry has been more restricted in its ability to bring overseas guest workers into the country, it has had to hire more U.S. citizens to fill open positions."

Citing government figures, IEEE-USA said more than 100,000 workers in major high-tech career areas remained out of work in the third quarter.

The legislation includes a number of worker protections, according to Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., who pushed for visa program changes. Chambliss said the bill increases the H-1B application fee to $1,500, with the money to be used for education and training programs for U.S. workers. The measure also expands the Department of Labor's authority to conduct investigations and enforcement actions against inappropriate uses of the H-1B visa program, Chambliss said.

The L-1 changes, Chambliss said, are aimed to fix the problem of firms using the L-1 visa to act as international "job shops" that bring in foreign workers essentially for their labor and outsource them to third-party companies--resulting in the displacement of some U.S. workers.

The measure requires that any "specialized knowledge" L-1 visa holder who will be located at an off-site workplace be controlled and supervised by the petitioning company and provided in connection with an exchange of a product or service, Chambliss said.

In addition, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide statistics about which L-1 workers are employed off-site in order to discourage fraud, Chambliss said.

[Crunchy Doodle]

Job Stealing from Americans

Yeah, it's that simple. For those companies who are willing, they can get cheap high-tech workers for way less than they'd pay any American. I've seen those ads for someone with a Masters who will work for what might be slightly above poverty wages. They will get no Americans answering the ad, but can get dozens of Asians or Europeans wanting to get into the USA who are willing to be indentured slaves. Then the company can say, "Hey, no American wants this job."

I'm just glad I work for an aerospace company that requires people with security clearances. For now, no H1-B could take my job. I'm waiting for the day when H1-B people can get a DOD clearance so I can retire.

[jmaximus9]

Security Clearance

They recently discovered that a prime contractor for the Oak Ridge Nuclear Lab in Tenn. hired a bunch of illegals.

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[bockmon]

Right on target

Your comments portray the situation precisely. I would only add that the foreigners who are being pursued, and who take these jobs, may have the required degrees; however, my experience is that these individuals do not have sufficient communication skills nor an adequate sense of American job culture, and my experiences with them have ranged from negative to downright frustrating. I believe I could take any US born citizen off the street and train them in 6 months to perform more efficiently than a foreigner with a Masters Degree (any field).

no of foreigners from US universities applying for H1 per year ?

Does anyone know how many foreigners with masters or higher degrees from US universities, apply for H1 B visa per year ? I am just trying to understand if exempting thses people really makes a difference for them (masters or higher degree holders) ?
Thanx.

[Tony_I]

Reply

I thought people with student visa were allowed to work on year after school in the US. I also thought it was fairly wasy to sponsor a Green Card for a student. Because of this, I have always viewed the H1-B visa is a way for employers to chew up and spit out people. Also, it is fairly easy to immgrate to the U.S. as a learned professional, but for some reason, all of the technical people go the same route as everybody else. Something tells me that there are strings attached with this route.
I think a simple way to stop the H1-B visa abuse is to make them cost $50,000, which is nothing for a company. If an employer really needs a person, we then say okay, but you basically have just created a 4 year scholarship in the technical fields for a native. The funds should go directly for Associates, Bachelors, and Master scholarships.

[stephenrgentry]

How much does a better bottom-line cost?

This country has spent a immeasurable amount of money and blood to protect it from enemies within and without, but continues to kill its own working class because of single-minded, money-hungry, cut-throat corporations who intend to drive this economy to ruins all to save their bottom line. My computer programming job was outsourced to India 7/25/2003. My manager thought no more about me than, I quote, Buying a foreign car. Over 400 applications later and I still cant find suitable employment. How is the government going attest that an H-1B worker will not displace a U.S. worker? The government has never cared how many Americans are losing their jobs to outsourcing. They dont even know how many American jobs are being outsourced. We have to make a change.

Something is not right

If you a person who does not need work permit (H1) cannot find a job in such a long period of time while I, a person who does need H1 has several employers chasing me from all over the country (edges and coasts only).

You didn't get into computers after 1998 by any chance? Do you have a masters degree in computer science? Do have domain expertise in critical fields like bio-informatics, finance or healthcare? What is it that you have (or don't have) to offer to employers that is making it difficult for you to land a job?

Sincerely,
A potential H1B

[jmaximus9]

They Won't!

They will enforce this law about as forcefully as keep illegal immigrants out of the country. At last report there is an est. 20,000,000 illegals living in the US.

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[bockmon]

Better Times Must Come

Stephen,
All your points are well-taken. As an amateur philosopher and economic historian, I can say that Things Will Change. During times of prosperity, the rich and large corporations (paper entities) dominate. In America, we have been in a period of illusionary prosperity for decades. The powers that be have juggled the facts and changed the criteria for economic data for so long, that it must eventually come into balance. My guess is that it will begin with Alan Greenspan's retirement, which is soon.

A lot of economic suffering is ahead of us, but the tide will turn as the rich and powerful lose their money and influence, leaving "the people" to pick up the pieces, abolish the policies that have destroyed our economy, and rebuild our nation on solid principles. I only hope we're up to the task.

Is the problem at the University level?

The article states that "Foreign students make up 50 percent or more of attendance in many advanced math, science and engineering programs." Perhaps this is where the problem begins? I also agree that $500 is not much of a dis-incentive for most companies. And how in the world will companies be able to prove they are not displacing a US worker? This seems like MORE government regulation and paperwork.

[jmaximus9]

Go where the money is.

Americans aren't going to take classes in droves for subjects that have little hope of getting a job in that field. This why computer classes are way down in attendance. People look in the help wanted sections of the papers and see few if any IT jobs. In my local paper's help wanted section, there used to be a whole page of computer/networking jobs. Now there is one maybe two columns.

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[jmaximus9]

Fraud Report - H1B visa

In the story it says [http://"Among the visa program changes in the bill are a requirement that companies attest that an H-1B worker will not displace a U.S. worker and a $500 "antifraud" fee tied to visa applications."|http://"Among the visa program changes in the bill are a requirement that companies attest that an H-1B worker will not displace a U.S. worker and a $500 "antifraud" fee tied to visa applications."] this is really just paying lip service to pissed off IT workers who lost their jobs. There is a law against hiring illegal immigrants too, look how well they inforce that. They just put that in there for political gain, but have zero, zip, nada intentions on enforcing it. Bush and the republicrats are destroying the middle class and America.

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