Debate on Immigration, H-1B Visas

[Dan J 277]

There are some skilled industries were there are just not enough Americans with the education or experience for those types of jobs. There is also a diffrence in quality too. There is a huge productivity/quality difference between a programmer who is really good in the field and someone who just went into the field because they thought they could make lots of money.

The people good in thier field will be able to find a job competeting against immigrants or not. But the others may have difficulty. Should we be protecting the not so good workers? Should businesses be allowed to get the best workers if they want it?

The problem is primarly with the education of our students. We are more concerned about creationism or sex ed being taught in schools than giving our students a strong math and science foundation.

Edited April 15, 2008 by Dan + Gemvita

[HAL 9000 96]

There are some skilled industries were there are just not enough Americans with the education or experience for those types of jobs. There is also a diffrence in quality too. There is a huge productivity/quality difference between a programmer who is really good in the field and someone who just went into the field because they thought they could make lots of money.

The people good in thier field will be able to find a job competeting against immigrants or not. But the others may have difficulty. Should we be protecting the not so good workers? Should businesses be allowed to get the best workers if they want it?

The problem is primarly with the education of our students. We are more concerned about creationism or sex ed being taught in schools than giving our students a strong math and science foundation.

That's why idiot design has been allowed to permeate into some science curricula when it is in fact, non-science. Much in the same way we petty ourselves with limiting skilled-worker visas while dumbing ourselves down and outsourcing what talent is educated domestically.

[Gaby&Talbert 1]

So big companies want more visas to take GOOD jobs away from Americans. I dont care about landscape and construction work.

[Mononoke28 135]

I really don't think it's all in the quality of education or lack good worker vs. bad worker. It might be the case now but when a big company sees that outsourcing to India or Latin America is just as productive and saves them tons of money, they'll go that route. And this will only get worse as the communication gap lessens with the use of the internet.

Diana

[Caladan 19]

I think there's a case to be made for bringing smart, educated people here on a path to permanent residency, but I'm familiar mostly with the academic end of hiring, and it's definitely to our advantage to be able to hire the best people.

[kerewin21 2]

I think there's a case to be made for bringing smart, educated people here on a path to permanent residency, but I'm familiar mostly with the academic end of hiring, and it's definitely to our advantage to be able to hire the best people.

The people who come here on these visas will contribute *significantly* to our economy through tax dollars and creation of new jobs (I heard Bill Gates talking on the radio in support of more H1-B visas; for every one highly skilled immigrant hired, *dozens* of jobs are created around that person in terms of support staff.) If the H1-B visas that are available were snapped up that quickly, clearly employers WANT to hire people to do the jobs in the US but are unable to due to the cap on visas.

I know this is a family immigration forum so it's not a popular view, but wouldn't a highly skilled immigrant contribute more to the economy than someone's uneducated mother who comes here after being sponsored by their child?

[Mononoke28 135]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

[kerewin21 2]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

It would be a lot harder for him/her to do that if we changed our immigration priorities in favor of those who will contribute to our economy.

[HAL 9000 96]

So big companies want more visas to take GOOD jobs away from Americans. I dont care about landscape and construction work.

And most Americans don't care much for making informed decisions when it comes to their politicians, so it all evens out. Besides, the way the work visas are implemented are actually for highly-qualified personnel, and not everyone wants to be highly qualified.

I really don't think it's all in the quality of education or lack good worker vs. bad worker. It might be the case now but when a big company sees that outsourcing to India or Latin America is just as productive and saves them tons of money, they'll go that route. And this will only get worse as the communication gap lessens with the use of the internet.

Diana

Exactamente.

So what do we do? Legislate? That goes against what the companies want...

[HAL 9000 96]

I think there's a case to be made for bringing smart, educated people here on a path to permanent residency, but I'm familiar mostly with the academic end of hiring, and it's definitely to our advantage to be able to hire the best people.

The people who come here on these visas will contribute *significantly* to our economy through tax dollars and creation of new jobs (I heard Bill Gates talking on the radio in support of more H1-B visas; for every one highly skilled immigrant hired, *dozens* of jobs are created around that person in terms of support staff.) If the H1-B visas that are available were snapped up that quickly, clearly employers WANT to hire people to do the jobs in the US but are unable to due to the cap on visas.

I know this is a family immigration forum so it's not a popular view, but wouldn't a highly skilled immigrant contribute more to the economy than someone's uneducated mother who comes here after being sponsored by their child?

Well the idea is popular with me. Besides, I actually tried to get my then fiancee over on an academic H1-B only to get stonewalled by regulations and a lack of will to have someone better suited for the job at hand.

[Sofiyya 1,687]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

It would be a lot harder for him/her to do that if we changed our immigration priorities in favor of those who will contribute to our economy.

If we're only interested in people who contribute the economy, then it won't be long before less well-educated Americans will find themselves being deported. The way things are going, this ain't no stretch.

[Ban Hammer 13,620]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

It would be a lot harder for him/her to do that if we changed our immigration priorities in favor of those who will contribute to our economy.

If we're only interested in people who contribute the economy, then it won't be long before less well-educated Americans will find themselves being deported. The way things are going, this ain't no stretch.

with illegals taking the jobs we allegedly won't do at one end and worker visas taking jobs we allegedly can't do at the other, it won't be too long before an american can't get a job at all.

[HAL 9000 96]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

It would be a lot harder for him/her to do that if we changed our immigration priorities in favor of those who will contribute to our economy.

If we're only interested in people who contribute the economy, then it won't be long before less well-educated Americans will find themselves being deported. The way things are going, this ain't no stretch.

with illegals taking the jobs we allegedly won't do at one end and worker visas taking jobs we allegedly can't do at the other, it won't be too long before an american can't get a job at all.

Funny how it works out no-

We have a choice to be able to do both.

Those that come illegally are happy to get what they can.

[Ban Hammer 13,620]

And who's to say that that skilled immigrant won't bring in his/her uneducated mother?

Diana

It would be a lot harder for him/her to do that if we changed our immigration priorities in favor of those who will contribute to our economy.

If we're only interested in people who contribute the economy, then it won't be long before less well-educated Americans will find themselves being deported. The way things are going, this ain't no stretch.

with illegals taking the jobs we allegedly won't do at one end and worker visas taking jobs we allegedly can't do at the other, it won't be too long before an american can't get a job at all.

Funny how it works out no-

We have a choice to be able to do both.

Those that come illegally are happy to get what they can.

i'm failing to see the humor in the situation......

[cieloazul 0]

I don't see a problem with companies who hire for a position in which they cannot fill with an American with a similar skill set. Unfortunately, I think most of the time it is more about hiring someone with a lower salary. Americans seem oblivious that their standard of living is gradually being eroded by greedy corporations lobbying to increase their profit margins so that they can pay their upper management astronomical salaries. Around 2000 through 2002 the H1B limit was approximately 300,000 compared to the 65,000 under the current cap. During that time, I knew several IT graduates that had difficulty finding work even though the IT field was booming.

If you don't think it is fair for the USA to keep the cap at its current levels, then take a look at the policies of other countries where most of the H1B visa holder originate. Most are very restrictive on any 'foreigner' working in their countries.