
Lets talk about the H1-B visa - fwiwm2c
https://medium.com/@fwiwm2c/lets-talk-about-the-h1-b-visa-6e5d5def2b00#.y3hx5twkq
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PerturbedPundit
Re: H-1B

The author scapegoats foreign outsourcing firms, but gives “domestic” (i.e.,
non-outsourcing firms) a pass. This is a common mistake. The H-1B visa
legislation is what is at fault here, and ALL companies use and abuse the
weaknesses of the legislation.

While lobbying Congress for more H-1B visas, industry says H-1B workers are
“the best and brightest”. Come payday, however, they’re entry-level workers.

The GAO put out a report on the H-1B visa that discusses at some length the
fact that the vast majority of H-1B workers are hired into entry-level
positions. In fact, most are at “Level I”, which is officially defined by the
Dept. of Labor as those who have a “basic understanding of duties and perform
routine tasks requiring limited judgment”. Moreover, the GAO found that a mere
6% of H-1B workers are at “Level IV”, which is officially defined by the US
Dept. of Labor as those who are “fully competent” [1]. This belies the
industry lobbyists’ claims that H-1B workers are hired because they are
experts that can’t be found among the U.S. workforce.

So this means one of two things: either companies are looking for entry-level
workers (in which case, their rhetoric about needing “the best and brightest”
is meaningless), or they’re looking for more experienced workers but only
paying them at the Level I, entry-level pay scale. In my opinion, companies
are using the H-1B visa to engage in legalized age discrimination, as the vast
majority of H-1B workers are under the age of 35 [2], especially those at the
Level I and Level II categories.

Any way you slice it, it amounts to H-1B visa abuse, all facilitated and with
the blessings of the US government.

The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has never shown a
sharp upward trend of Computer Science graduate starting salaries, which would
indicate a labor shortage (remember — the vast majority of H-1B visas are
granted for computer-related positions). In fact, according to their current
survey for Fall 2015, starting salaries for CS grads went down by 4% from the
prior year. This is particularly interesting in that salaries overall rose
5.2% [3].

The visa laws need an overhaul so that the visa is only used for it’s stated
purpose — to attract (and pay accordingly) TOP talent.

References: [1] GAO-11–26: H-1B VISA PROGRAM — Reforms Are Needed to Minimize
the Risks and Costs of Current Program [2] Characteristics of H-1B Specialty
Occupation Workers Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report to Congress October 1, 2013
— September 30, 2014 [3] NACE Fall 2015 Salary Survey, NACE Salary Survey —
September 2014 Executive Summary

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dudul
Another improvement would be to allow a H1B worker to change company more
easily. Today, it is not difficult per se, but there are some legal procedures
that often scare companies. Basically, it is as simple as filling a H1B
petition that is guaranteed to be approved since the worker is already in the
US (i.e. no lottery, it's a sure thing). We're talking a few grands in
legal/processing fee. Much cheaper than a recruiter but a lot of companies
just don't want to deal with this.

