Technocrat

Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas

zogger
Wed Mar 12 10:17:52 -0700 2008
Jobs.
manage

Bill Gates has been testifying in front of Congress saying that the US needs a lot more H1B visas so that foreign workers can come to the US and get the jobs that aren't being done, because there aren't enough techs here to do them. One way he said was to immediately allow foreign students who receive degrees here to just stay and work. He is also calling for more federal money for research, a greater emphasis in science and math, etc.

.."Mr. Gates also highlighted what he considers the three policy pillars the U.S. must focus on if we are to retain our position as the world’s innovation leader over the next 50 years: strengthening America’s education system; fixing America’s immigration system; and increasing federal funding for basic research."..more at the press release, full transcript link there and other statements

a different opinion

asdfg
Wed Mar 12 10:46:50 -0700 2008
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Is There Really an IT Labor Shortage?
By Ericka Chickowski

IMHO, it seems more likely that there is a shortage of people at the desired salary level.
a different opinion
Uncle Entity
Wed Mar 12 17:07:42 -0700 2008
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He and his students at Duke went straight to the hiring source, the human resource department, at a number of top companies employing IT workers.

They went to *top* companies, places where a lot of people would like to work presumably, and from that concluded there is no shortage -- in fact there is a surplus of people willing to work for the *top* companies.

All I really hear is protectionism, lower the 'import' quota to keep price levels high. Also making a case against exporting the work for exactly the same reason.

Just calling it like I see it.
a different opinion
asdfg
Thu Mar 13 05:13:30 -0700 2008
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Bill Gates is talking about raising the limit. The article I referenced makes a case that they cannot discern a shortage. I don't know where you got "lower" the quota. I'm just not sure the limit needs to be raised...

 
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Farrell J. McGovern
Wed Mar 12 11:14:32 -0700 2008
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ya, and Mars needs guitars!

If society didn't treat smart people and computer people like a bunch of freaks, people would consider more science and technology careers.

ttyl

     Farrell
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Farrell J. McGovern
Wed Mar 12 11:27:36 -0700 2008
 manage

But then we would have a surplus...nevermind!

ttyl

     Farrell
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Ian Gibson
Wed Mar 12 14:08:09 -0700 2008
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So you think that computer people aren't smart? You must have been reading Slashdot!
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Farrell J. McGovern
Wed Mar 12 15:41:07 -0700 2008
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Actually the opposite, although Slashdot can lead to spurious data points...:-) And I can say that, being Slashdot user #563...I remember when it was fab...:-)

 ttyl

      Farrell

 

homegrown techs run off the job by fat cat scum

rubycodez
Wed Mar 12 12:10:21 -0700 2008
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Some  Damn Lies for light reading

H1B has been system for destroying IT job market for U.S. techs since sept 11, even while noise made about dropping "caps", that was only a third of visas granted if "exempt" categories included.  Caps were raised in 2000 to 195,000 from 115,000 and then "dropped" to 65,000 in 2004 BUT "exempt" categories used to pump up total granted number (reapplication, research, etc.)

 

Total H1B's granted:

2000: 355,000

2001: 331,206

2002: 370,490

2003: 360,498

2004: 387,147   (cap dropped to 65,000 but exempt categories pumped up)

2005: 407,917

Result:  many IT people completely driven out of the IT industry, while in 2002, for example, 9 out of 10 new IT jobs taken by H1B holders.

 

There is ongoing huge problem with H1B workers being farmed out to other companies illegally, and visa holders illegally staying on to work elsewhere.

 

 

 
homegrown techs run off the job by fat cat scum
zotz
Wed Mar 12 14:47:31 -0700 2008
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"There is ongoing huge problem with H1B workers being farmed out to other companies illegally, and visa holders illegally staying on to work elsewhere."

 

Is that how those visas work? Sounds something like our work permits. I don't know about the other similarities, but I have always felt that our way of doing this was nasty for the employers and the employees.

People should be allowed to work elsewhere. We don't allow that. Not allowing that opens them up for abuse. The most I think that should happen is to restrict them to the same sector. Perhaps as far as the same job description, but that might be pushing it.

Now, granting them in the first place, especially if it is to drive down salaries in the sector is another issue. But is the alternative to have those jobs done in another country instead?

Here is an article discussion "similar" issues we are facing:

Globalisation, the EPA and Bahamian Education

all the best,

drew

http://zotzbro.blogspot.com/
homegrown techs run off the job by fat cat scum
Uncle Entity
Wed Mar 12 17:22:21 -0700 2008
 manage
Sounds like y'all need to import some teachers and jumpstart the education process so you can compete on the global market.

Let's see, freshly minted teacher has a choice of teaching in Podunk, Kentucky or the Bahamas...
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Bill McCartney
Wed Mar 12 14:59:11 -0700 2008
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The H1B Visa program seems like it has hurt American IT workers, but it still remains an excellent path to citizenship. Where I work, a majority of the engineers started on a H1B Visa. Here has been my experience on who gets hired, and how Americans could lose...
1. Most of the H1B Visa's we hire are EXCELLENT engineers. All of these people operate as if their H1B is just a path to citizenship.(that we know of)
2. We (usually) only hire based upon someone knowing the individual personally. This is not that rare on small-medium sized businesses. All of the people on H1B's that we have hired were known (and vouched for) before even interviewing - this is not the case with an American employee, but often is...
3. During our hiring process, we come up with the work we need done, and a budget we are willing to pay. One thing we find, is that we may find someone with a Masters degree willing to take lower pay then they are worth (probably about 10%) in exchange for H1B Sponsorship. Usually, after they get their visas, some ask for more money - and usually get it.
4. For a direct customer facing job, the people on visa's aren't as compelling (usually cultural/language barriers)
So yes, it is in companies best interest to hire the best people for the job. So if we need some embedded firmware development - we may hire (and just have) an H1B with a masters degree and some related experience over an unexperienced American with and undergraduate degree. If the candidate is willing to take a position they are slightly overqualified for - to get the visa - this is not a "hurting Americans" problem.
Think about this... as soon as their visa comes in (I think it takes about 6 months), they can actually switch jobs. YES THEY CAN SWITCH JOBS. Typically, people don't want to hire non-Americans because of the paperwork/skin color/accent/etc... to me, this is discrimination (but it might be legal).
I am not commenting on how H1B consulting work is done (many of these schemes are basically slavery) - these should be illegal. But the country overall becomes a better place if we keep bringing in the world's best and brightest. And the H1B program is the most common way to bring them in!
Also, this is the "Best" way to expand legal immigration - and as an engineer, I WELCOME more engineers in the general population - I am not so insecure about my own abilities (or my children's future abilities) that I don't want them to compete.
I do believe that some Americans will lose out in terms of how the job market plays out. Especially when a worker is under-qualified for their current position, or if they are not credentialed well. This segment of workers (the lowest tier of the market) could be hurt the most. I don't really know about how the IT market works - but in engineering the effects are not spectacular.
Bill Gates-US Needs More H1B Visas
Thornton
Thu Mar 13 05:04:46 -0700 2008
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Mr. Gates wants cheap labor and wants the government to help pay for R&D, and he sees the H1-B program as a way to achieve that.
 

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