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U.S. Visa Limits Hit Indian Workers
Washington Post ^ | April 6 2009 | Emily Wax

Posted on 04/06/2009 3:59:02 AM PDT by angkor

MUMBAI -- With his master's degree in electrical engineering at North Carolina State University almost complete, Ravi, 24, received a promising job offer from a technology firm. He called his parents back in India, happy that he was on track for an H-1B work visa, which is seen as a steppingstone to U.S. citizenship.

But just before Thanksgiving, Ravi got a call from his future employer.

"They told me that because of the economic downturn they couldn't hire me in anticipation of tougher times ahead. They were laying off other American employees, and cutting my job would be a proactive measure," said Ravi, who gave only his first name because he did not want his job prospects affected. "I do feel bad for anyone losing a job, whether it's an American or an H-1B foreign worker. But for foreign students, if we don't get a job, we have to go back to our home countries. When I talk to my parents, they tell me not to worry, to just come home. [snip]"

As the U.S. economy slows, highly skilled foreign professionals seeking work under various visa programs are finding it harder to get jobs. President Obama's stimulus package stops U.S. companies, largely in banking and financial services, that take federal bailout money from hiring H-1B visa holders for two years if they have laid off American workers in the previous six months. The administration has vowed to tighten restrictions and step up oversight of all work visa applications.

The H-1B program brings in about 85,000 skilled foreign workers every year, ostensibly to fill jobs that U.S. workers cannot or will not do. But some companies in the science and technology fields, afraid of a backlash over hiring foreign professionals rather than American ones, are rescinding job offers.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: h1b; immigration; india
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Too much to say about this, but it's too early.

The sense of entitlement that Indians have toward American visas and citizenship is staggering.

And the H1B visa program is greatly abused by employers largely to the benefit of Indian tech workers. I have seen this personally, there are just too many stories to recount. I'd be happy if H1B visas were shut down forever.

Read the article for some choice quotes, even Vermont socialist Bernie Sanders is in there, with a barbed comment by the Post reporter.

1 posted on 04/06/2009 3:59:04 AM PDT by angkor
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To: angkor

The quality of H1-B workers has dropped dramatically too, once we scraped the cream of the crop- now we get tose who feel ‘entitled’ to an american job.

Just like anyone else on an entitlement program, they don’t feel the need to actually do anything.

H1-B are killing amercian tech workers


2 posted on 04/06/2009 4:04:38 AM PDT by Mr. K (physically unable to proofreed (<---oops))
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To: angkor

Here we allow any freak show who claims harassment in their own country to come here. Yet if you are say a valuable immigrant like say a guy with a master’s degree in electrical engineering?
Nahhhh, we’re saving those slots for other freaks shows.
Educated and valuable and a contributing member of society need not apply.
Cuban crazies and killers just step on our soil.
Mexican, Guats and Hondurans uneducated step right this way


3 posted on 04/06/2009 4:07:01 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Joe Boucher
Mexican, Guats and Hondurans uneducated step right this way

ACORN targets

4 posted on 04/06/2009 4:09:06 AM PDT by Doogle (USAF.68-73..8th TFW Ubon Thailand..never store a threat you should have eliminated))
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To: angkor
America for Americans... the Indians are good people and are lucky to have gotten so many of their brothers and sisters into our nation. The time is now to shut the door until grownups can rewrite our immigration laws and limit our immigration to maintain our way of life. We are not the repository for the World's losers... hate to be that way but we just need to be like every other nation in the World... protect our own FIRST!

LLS

5 posted on 04/06/2009 4:10:08 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (hussein will NEVER be my President... NEVER!!!)
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To: angkor
The sense of entitlement that Indians have toward American visas and citizenship is staggering.

Here's a thought - eliminate the program.

And replace it with a fast-track to citizenship for individuals with advanced degrees earned either oversees or a simple undergrad degree earned here in the states.

These people are an asset. Make them take an oath of allegiance, integrate them (Indians integrate pretty well and are fantastic workers), and put them to work.

This might surprise you, but the wealthiest ethnic demo in the states isn't Jews - it's Indians (dot, not feather).

6 posted on 04/06/2009 4:10:15 AM PDT by mbraynard (You are the Republican Party. See you at the precinct meeting.)
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To: angkor

I’d like to see them do away with the program. People say we don’t have high quality US workers, but that’s not the issue. Employers take advantage of lower wages and the fact that a H1B visa holder can’t change jobs if someone offers a high salary elsewhere.

I know one young man who’s looking for an engineering internship for the summer (he’s at GATech)...many programs are cancelling their summer internship programs because of the slowdown. My kid’s about to finish his master’s and jobs are few and far between (compared to last year this time)...so why not give jobs to US citizens.


7 posted on 04/06/2009 4:12:59 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: Mr. K

>>H1-B are killing amercian tech workers

Quite simply, Indian developers are the worst. If I never seee another one, that would be fine with me.

I have been working with them for over 15 years and have yet to see a single one that could write code that is sustainable or maintainable. It is always crap and it includes tons of “hard coding” that will need rewriting if the smallest thing changes.

Pull all H1-Bs, if you ask me.


8 posted on 04/06/2009 4:18:59 AM PDT by freedumb2003 (Communism comes to America: 1/20/2009. Keep your powder dry, folks.)
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To: Doogle

Future DemocRAT voters.


9 posted on 04/06/2009 4:22:26 AM PDT by Joe Boucher (An enemy of Islam)
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To: Mr. K

>>>> The quality of H1-B workers has dropped dramatically too, once we scraped the cream of the crop <<<<<<

An Indian tech guy (long a U.S. citizen) has used those exact words with me: “30 years ago the cream of the crop came to America.”


10 posted on 04/06/2009 4:29:37 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Joe Boucher

>>>>> Yet if you are say a valuable immigrant like say a guy with a master’s degree in electrical engineering? <<<<

Sorry, no cigar.

I’ve personally seen an entire tech team fired “according to salary level.”

Surprise surprise, the only techs left standing were the Indian H1B hires.

This company then turned around to bid on Dept. Of Defense contracts.


11 posted on 04/06/2009 4:34:14 AM PDT by angkor
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To: angkor

The U.S. is still getting the cream of the crop of Indian immigrants. It’s just that the demographic pyramid wasn’t quite shaped as had been expected.


12 posted on 04/06/2009 4:37:00 AM PDT by cmdjing
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To: angkor
Nations such as Canada, Singapore and Australia have created "fast-track" immigration policies and incentives to attract foreign professionals.

So, seems obvious to me that they need to look for jobs in Canada, Singapore & Australia.

13 posted on 04/06/2009 4:41:24 AM PDT by elli1
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To: angkor

If I’m reading the story correctly, ol’ Ravi was caught up in the economic downturn and not any limit on H-1Bs. The position he was being considered for was eliminated and not filled by another. Hard times are hard times for all, there isn’t any racial factor in this.


14 posted on 04/06/2009 4:41:50 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: mbraynard

>>>>> This might surprise you, but the wealthiest ethnic demo in the states isn’t Jews - it’s Indians (dot, not feather). <<<<<<<<

It doesn’t surprise me one single iota.

I’ve personally known at least two Indian tech “entrepreneurs” whose businesses were made possible by one and only one thing: cheap Indian labor.

It was through a combination of (a) outsourcing client work back to India, and (b) getting more H1B hires into America. Once guy built his entire tech services company in NYC on H1B Indian tech labor, which he then sold for a couple $million$. He was NOT an American citizen, but he knew how to pump that H1B system.

Oh, he did have that “advanced degree”, a PhD from some Indian university.

If you look underneath the covers you will find that many many Indian-run or Indian-managed companies in America are entirely based on obtaining even more cheap Indian tech labor. Or outsourcing.

I’ve seen the Indian scam up close and personal, more than once, and it ain’t pretty.


15 posted on 04/06/2009 4:43:04 AM PDT by angkor
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To: dawn53

>>>> I’d like to see them do away with the program. People say we don’t have high quality US workers, but that’s not the issue. <<<<<<

Microsoft is the biggest immigration lobbyist in Washington DC, and it is entirely for H1B labor, and that is a fact.

Check it out on www.opensecrets.org under “lobbyists.”


16 posted on 04/06/2009 4:44:47 AM PDT by angkor
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To: freedumb2003; Mr. K

>>>>> Quite simply, Indian developers are the worst. If I never seee another one, that would be fine with me. <<<<<<

Some are OK, but I’ve worked with some Indians who are the laziest good-for-nothings I’ve ever encountered.

And that’s just for starters!


17 posted on 04/06/2009 4:46:07 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Joe Boucher; Doogle

>>>>> Future DemocRAT voters. <<<<<<

Correction: CURRENT DemocRAT voters.

Indians are (were) huge supporters of Zer0, financially and at the voting booth.

Of course now they’re deeply embarrassed, and even angry when it’s pointed out that they voted for him, and were running around giddy on Nov 5th.


18 posted on 04/06/2009 4:48:33 AM PDT by angkor
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To: cmdjing

>>>>> The U.S. is still getting the cream of the crop of Indian immigrants. <<<<<<<

Simply not true.

Can’t believe you’d say such a thing.


19 posted on 04/06/2009 4:50:03 AM PDT by angkor
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To: Non-Sequitur

>>>>>> Hard times are hard times for all, there isn’t any racial factor in this. <<<<<<<

Yes, but playing the race card is a time-honored custom in modern America.


20 posted on 04/06/2009 4:52:19 AM PDT by angkor
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