Obama's administration may hike H-1B visa cap

Times of India ^ | 2/5/2009

[bruinbirdman]

US President Barack Obama's new pick as commerce secretary, Senator Judd Gregg, may well become the White House lead for expanding the cap on H-1B visas, a bulk of which go to Indian firms.

Gregg, who strongly supported expanding the H-1B visa programme in the Senate, is among a group of people in top White House posts that also see offshore outsourcing as a plus for the US economy, the Computer World magazine reported.

Obama himself voiced support early in his campaign for increasing the 85,000-visa cap, which includes 20,000 visas set aside for advanced-degree graduates from US universities. But he has not addressed the issue in recent months.

In a talk last April at the Cato Institute, a libertarian policy research group, Gregg pointed to comments by Bill Gates that for every H-1B worker who comes to the US, five jobs are created, the tech publication noted.

"It's not like... we are taking jobs from Americans, which is what you hear from labour unions. We're actually creating jobs by bringing bright people into this country," Gregg said.

Many in Congress are divided on the H-1B issue. For instance, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley believes H-1B workers are being used to displace Americans.

Gregg acknowledged that there has been some abuse in the H-1B programme, "especially involving Indian-related companies and their basic flooding of the market in this area and then having people return to India with knowledge that they gained here."

But, he argued, that's an issue "that can be corrected fairly easily with minor adjustments in the programme."

Indian offshore firms are the largest users of H-1B visas and consider it critical to their delivery model for moving IT functions offshore. It's a point they have made repeatedly in US Security and Exchange Commission filings.

Apart from Gregg another one of Obama's choices, Diana Farrell, may be just as important in shaping White House policy, the Computer World said.

The former director of the McKinsey Global Institute, McKinsey & Co.'s economics research arm, Farrell has been tapped to serve on the National Economic Council and as deputy economic adviser to the president.

McKinsey, a management consulting firm, has published research that argues that offshore outsourcing to low-wage countries brings "substantial benefits" to the US. Its studies and reports have been cited by the tech industry in support of the H-1B visa programme.

Tech industry groups praised Gregg's appointment in statements. TechNet, a bipartisan political network of tech-centric CEOs, said Gregg "will no doubt be a strong ambassador for America's workers, businesses and our dynamic economy."

[UCFRoadWarrior]

Gregg is nothing more than an Anti-American Free Trader....

With our unemployment rate as high as it is, we do not need foreign workers.

Liberal Globalism just wont die. Economic Treason will kill this country

[UCFRoadWarrior]

You know nothing about our schools...

We spend billions each year training Americans in the high-tech fields. Go visit your local tech school or community college.

It is Anti-American Propaganda to say we are not training Americans for high tech

[cmj328]

I hire whoever I want. Got a problem with that?

And H1-B's can't quit when they want without having to move out of the country within 10 days. I've got a big problem with your use of government-sponsored indentured servants.

[sergeantdave]

“We need high tech employees.”

Without engineers, we’d be living in caves and using pointy sticks to dig up grubs for breakfast.

That’s why I found Robert Reich’s statements on experienced workers so stupid, though I would be in favor of sticking all leftists on an island without a single engineer. Maybe I’d give each one a bologna sandwich and two hand grenades and let them sort out a pecking order.

[bcsco]

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[autumnraine]

:”It’s not like... we are taking jobs from Americans, which is what you hear from labour unions. We’re actually creating jobs by bringing bright people into this country”

CREATING JOBS FOR PEOPLE WHO AREN”T AMERICANS????

Oh dear God. Why was I worried about this man not being in the Senate anymore. I no longer worry about losing a Republican in the Senate, I see we have gained a MORON in the Commerce Dept.

I have been fighting a tinfoil hate conspiracy that somehow MOST of our government is on a INTENTIONAL bend to destroy America. How many years did it take to get people in place?

This is beyond insane.

[autumnraine]

Did you really say call President Obama....

The days of politicians actually caring about Americans, especially what they think, is long long gone my friend.

[autumnraine]

Yeah, it’s gone so beyond absurd, I’m considering going back to the days when my only concern was missing my favorite sitcom.

Doesn’t seem to matter KNOWING what is going on, doesn’t change because they don’t care.

So I can just be obvlious while the US goes to crap.

[NonValueAdded]

Outrage bump

[The Duke]

I hire whoever I want. Got a problem with that?

You absolutely should hire anyone you want, within the constraints of the law. It's up to good government (in very short supply these days) to define those laws, and the appropriate penalties for violating those laws.

[WakeUpAndVote]

Holy crap FRiend!

I can totally relate!

But, I like being a Tech.

Problem is, I have 10 years in with this company and I don't think I will make 11 because of downsizing. I will be competing with HB1’ers then to keep a roof over my head.

[hellbender]

Remember the clips from the Law firm that specifically told companies how to avoid hiring Americans for H1-B positions.

I had just been thinking that this offshoring crap will not stop until someone figures out a way to offshore lawyers.

People are not a "fungible commodity." They are citizens of nations, and the job of any national govt. is to protect the lives and property of its citizens.

[hellbender]

I don’t think many are majoring in art history. They are majoring in much worse crap, like political science, “human development,” sociology, psychology, and the like.

[EEDUDE]

Well said and right on target.

It’s a damn sad situation, and the US will pay dearly for it.

[MyTwoCopperCoins]

I was surpised to find so many American students taking political science and psychology, even when the few fellow Americans who had taken up engineering, were getting good-paying jobs in tech.

Besides, this is not in the defense / aerospace sectors where most foreign students without permanent residentship are kept out of the selection process.

This was in a prominent Texas university- A&M.

[Mike Darancette]

Simply Brilliant! Heading toward double digit unemployment and we import more technical types. I’m not worried though, the displaced programmers can get jobs on the construction projects created by the stimulus package (if no illegals can be found).

[DiogenesLaertius]

I think all this talk about not majoring in science and whatnot is exaggerated. There is a shortage in the high-tech industry in general though some sectors might have a surplus.

I think a more major problem than evil american companies is that many of our students today are simply not that good. A generation ago, we had the best-educated work force. Now ... its not so certain with massively declining educational standards.

Also the millenials (of who I am a member) are incredibly lazy. I got promoted twice in 2 years before going back to professional school because I worked hard and put in the hours to increase my ability to serve my company and others. During that time, I saw no less than 2 dozen hirees from my generation either get laid off or quit because they were, IMHO, incredibly lazy and unfocused.

The young generation takes so many things for granted. They assume that the good economic times of the last 28 years can be taken for granted and that the tech boom of the 90’s when everyone could get a job is the permanent state of society.

America doesn’t only have an education gap. It has a work ethic gap among the young.

[jimt]

I’m not worried about H1B visas. And yup, I’m an engineer they’d compete with.

I’m terribly worried about the 30 million f’n illegals who suck up government socialist services and spew out anchor babies at taxpayer expense.

How about a deal ? Increase the H1Bs and deport all the illegals - and their anchor babies.

[Non-Sequitur]

How about a deal ? Increase the H1Bs and deport all the illegals - and their anchor babies.

How about increase H1Bs but use them only for unskilled jobs?

[Fred]

In your dreams maybe, besides you have to have money to hire someone.

Have you being swimming around Alcatraz lately with Mike Phelps while using your bong as a flotation device?