Strapped Employers Hope to Expand Visa Program

Computerworld ^ | March 15, 2004 | Strapped Employers Hope to Expand Visa Program

[Mini-14]

- WASHINGTON -- Manufacturers and high-tech companies are starting a long-shot effort to persuade Congress to boost the number of visas allowed for foreign workers with advanced degrees from U.S. universities as a way to get around a cap on visas.

Given the growing political concern about sluggish job growth in the U.S., companies that depend on foreign workers say it's unlikely that they can win a direct expansion of the number of H-1B visas from the current limit of 65,000 a year; all of the visas for fiscal 2004 -- which began Oct. 1 -- were handed out by February. Instead, the companies are looking to circumvent the limit by carving out exceptions for the most highly educated employees, figuring there will be less opposition to those workers.

Proponents are also tapping into fears that U.S. jobs will be outsourced abroad as a selling point, arguing that if more foreign workers aren't admitted into the country, U.S. businesses will ship the work to other nations instead.

"It's counterproductive for the U.S. to train foreign scientists and engineers and then send them home to compete against American businesses," said Sandy Boyd, a vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers and chairman of a coalition dedicated to expanding the number of H-1B visas.

H-1B visas are a class of employer-sponsored visas that enable specialized workers to remain in the U.S. for a maximum of six years. During the late 1990s, after intense lobbying from high-tech firms that complained of labor shortages during the Internet boom, the cap on the number of workers given the visas annually was raised above 65,000, reaching 195,000 by 2001. But the cap reverted to 65,000 after efforts to retain a higher level failed last year as unemployment rose in the high-tech sector.   continued>>

[BikePacker]

If you cannot afford the market value of labor, you should not be in business.

[TopDog2]

Well, gee. Let's see. I have a degree in CIS. I also have an MBA. I can probably do as well, or better, than those H1b's you want to bring in. I'm 55. Want to hire me instead?

I didn't think so...

[TXBSAFH]

And the shafting of the American middle class continues.

[taxed2death]

Isn't this sickening? Knowing your own government, which you pay taxes to, will soon dig the knife in yet deeper?

[KarlInOhio]

They shouldn't have wasted their 65,000 cap on hiring the Raji the Tapechanger. Now they'll just have to wait until October to hire those PhDs they want.

[itsahoot]

high-tech firms that complained of Cheap labor shortages during the Internet boom.

Better

[AreaMan]

I'm 55. Want to hire me instead? I didn't think so...

You are correct. This is not a supply problem.

This country has plenty of home-grown talent many of which were immigrants but are now citizens.

This is a question of companies trying to undercut the existing cost of labor.

Why can't I go to Canada or Mexico to buy my meds. cheaper, I can petition the Feds. to import a cheap engineer?

[NavyCaptain]

You know if the unions were smart, they'd get ahead on this issue and support it. These future immigrants may be "tailor-made" union slobs. But, don't tell them! OK?

[mabelkitty]

There is no shortage - just a shortage of people to work for food instead of a living wage.

[hopespringseternal]

Not just cheaper, but longer. The non-westerners will gladly work 60-100 hour weeks as a norm.

Of course, there is the fact that 40 hours of productivity is not the same as 40 hours of warming a chair. If the boneheads hiring the imports knew the difference in real productivity levels...

[nightdriver]

More than 100,000 out-of-work computer engineers in the Bay Area alone and American companies claim that there's a SHORTAGE?

Someone needs to buy a vowel. Sounds to me like there should be some serious head-knocking done.

[lelio]

More than 100,000 out-of-work computer engineers in the Bay Area alone

"Mass laziness breaks out in the Bay Area!" / typical free trader headline

[valkyrieanne]

The "shortage" is a lie, pure and simple.

Besides, why should we encourage foreign students to study at US universities, when the state ones, especially, are set up *by taxpayers* of that state for their own *resident children?*

[oceanview]

I do not believe Bush can do this via executive order. So contact your congressperson now to stop this nonsense.