
Visa program for ‘best and brightest’ also used to fill low-wage jobs - greenburger
https://beta.cironline.org/reports/visa-program-for-best-and-brightest-also-used-to-fill-low-wage-jobs/
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DigitalSea
As someone who is currently going through the process of trying to get a
working visa in the US as an Australian, I find this story appalling. They
make it beyond difficult for someone like myself who is a self-taught
developer with 8 years experience to get a temporary work visa in the USA to
get experience working at a company like Twitter or startup, yet people who
lack any kind of skill that would warrant obtaining a skilled-worker visa can
easily get one? I don't get it.

Why is it so hard for someone like me who might not hold a bachelors degree
nor have the experience to substitute, but I have the skills and experience to
do my job well, yet it isn't good enough?

~~~
crusso
It's a tragedy.

The worst thing is that you're trying to do things legally within the US
system but those who intentionally break the law have a much easier time of
it.

Whether or not someone believes in more open or less open immigration,
corruption of the system and disregard of the rule of law will lead to much
larger problems down the road.

~~~
phillmv
If by "have a much easier time of it" you mean live with terrible insecurity
and none or limited social services, then sure :P.

~~~
crusso
I mean that once you are across the border, you can claim "persecution"
without any evidence and won't be deported.

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kevin_thibedeau
How about the H-1B employer petition form includes a check box:

"Upon penalty of perjury, and imprisonment of no less than 5 years, I certify
that this petition is for a highly skilled worker"

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HarryHirsch
You'd think it would be enforced just as much as it is on the other end of the
wage scale. _La migra_ raids the meatpacking plant only when the illegals
threaten to organize or when the owner fell out of favour with a local
dignitary.

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mabbo
Simple solution: Unlimited visas for people being paid $125,000 or more
(adjust for inflation over time), and people on such visas pay 2% extra income
tax. That 2% goes to funding whatever department is looking into visa fraud.

Companies that are trying to fill low-wage jobs won't have access to these
visas. Companies attempting to abuse the system have a well-funded group of
people trying to find them and stop them.

There's also an incentive for people with such visas to work hard to try to
get a green card, and eventually become citizens, to get rid of the 2% tax
hike.

~~~
vonmoltke
In other words, bias the process to the needs of Silicon Valley. SV gets all
the great foreign engineers and screws over all of us in the Midwest, where
$125,000/year in base salary is nearing executive-level compensation at many
companies.

