Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Visa's use provokes opposition by techies L-1 regarded as threat to workers
sfgate ^ | 5/25/03 | Carrie Kirby, Chronicle Staff Writer

Posted on 05/25/2003 9:19:39 AM PDT by Drango

Edited on 04/13/2004 2:42:38 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]

An obscure work visa known as the L-1 has become the center of a bitter controversy in the technology industry.

Much like the H-1B before it -- an equally obscure visa that rose to prominence when American workers complained they were being displaced by its recipients -- the L-1 is catching the ire of tech workers and the eye of government regulators who disagree on whether the visa is being used legally.


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


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: l1; l1h1boutsourcing
 
Indian workers
   Year      L-1 visas to all nationalities      To Indians      Proportion of 
Indians
   2001      59,384                                  11,908            20%
   2002      57,721                                  17,812            31
   2003      32,416                                  10,447            33
   First 6 months
   Source: State Department
   Top nationalities for visa holders FY 2002:
   India  17,812
   Britain 6,711
   Japan  6,122
   Germany 2,916
   Mexico 2,020
   France 1,995
   Total  57,721
   Source: State Department
   L-1 visa use by Indian outsourcers is increasing:
   Wipro         Infosys
   2000   289           218
   2001   510           292
   2002   1,004         445
   2003   1,157       1,760


1 posted on 05/25/2003 9:19:40 AM PDT by Drango
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Drango
Interesting site...http://www.nomoreh1b.com/


The Visa Count

 Year 

  H-1B Visa

L1 Visa 

1985

  65,349

   47,322

1990

  63,180

  100,446

1995     112,124

  117,574

1996     140,457

  144,458

1998     203,255

  240,947

1999     234,443

  302,326

2000     294,658

  355,605

The L-1 visa does not require the worker to pay taxes
H-1b:  DOL/INS  fails to update the IRS that a worker is here.  We've interviewed dozens where payroll taxes were NOT withheld.  Ask your favorite foreign tech worker if he has a pay stub!


2 posted on 05/25/2003 9:24:10 AM PDT by Drango (There are 10 kinds of people in this world. Those that understand binaries, and those that don't.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drango
After Tata took over the project, Siemens let a dozen employees go, said spokeswoman Paula Davis...

"This is what they call outsourcing. I call it insourcing. Import foreign workers, mandate your American workers to train them, then lay off your Americans," said Michael Emmons, who left Siemens last fall just before his job there was to end. Emmons had worked as a contract computer programmer for the company for six years, first in San Jose, then in Florida.

Interesting....

Siemens is a foreign (or "insourced") company.

3 posted on 05/25/2003 9:32:41 AM PDT by Prodigal Son
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drango
"If an L-1 comes into the United States to work, they're coming to work for their specific company that petitioned for them, not for another company that they're being contracted out to. That would be a fraudulent use of an L-1 visa, " said Christopher Bentley, spokesman for the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services, a division of the Department of Homeland Security that replaced Immigration and Naturalization Services. The bureau is assessing the L-1 and other visa programs for fraud, he said.

Hopefully some individuals in these companies both those bringing in L1 visa people and the companies contracting for them will be prosecuted and do some jail time.

4 posted on 05/25/2003 9:58:21 AM PDT by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Drango
Import foreign workers, mandate your American workers to train them, then lay off your Americans,"

Sounds like a sound business practice to improve your bottom line. It is good for the company, good for the company's consumers, good for the company's shareholders, good for the CEO, bad for the displaced employees, probably good for the non displaced employees.

5 posted on 05/25/2003 10:00:36 AM PDT by staytrue
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: A. Pole
bump
6 posted on 05/25/2003 10:20:51 AM PDT by Feldkurat_Katz (if they are gay, why are they always complaining?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: staytrue
probably good for the non displaced employees

Unless they have to pay taxes to support displaced employees, or accept later layoff because of decreased demand for the product or service.

7 posted on 05/25/2003 10:26:15 AM PDT by A. Pole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Drango
Obligatory "There are no foreign workers taking US jobs for a third of the pay! Never!" bump
8 posted on 05/25/2003 11:47:27 AM PDT by thoughtomator ("There are no liars in our newsroom! Never!" - Baghdad Howie)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: thoughtomator
I'm sure that they're also doing work that Americans don't want to do anymore.
9 posted on 05/25/2003 11:53:31 AM PDT by sarcasm (Tancredo 2004)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Drango
...and Tata Consultancy Services have stepped up their use of the L-1 visa to bring programmers and other professionals from India to work at the offices of U.S. clients

This is no lie. Hillary showed up in Buffalo a couple months ago touting the establishment of Tata Consultancy Services offices here.

Talk about clueless. She was very proud of herself for the "economic development" she was bringing us.

10 posted on 05/25/2003 2:29:18 PM PDT by BfloGuy (The past is like a different country, they do things different there.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: sarcasm
I'm sure that they're also doing work that Americans don't want to do anymore.

Or they cannot if it is not enough to pay the bills and support family. I think that Americans would do any job if the internal market regulated the wages.

11 posted on 05/25/2003 4:27:43 PM PDT by A. Pole
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson