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Time is running short to reform the U.S. work visa programs.
President Donald Trump and Congress have said they want to overhaul policies that allow companies to bring employees from overseas to the U.S. But the application deadline for the most controversial visa program is the first week of April, which means new rules have to be in place for that batch of applicants or another year's worth of visas will be handed out under the existing guidelines. The current H-1B visa program has been criticized for hurting American workers and undercutting salaries.
H-1B visas were created about three decades ago to help companies bring in skilled workers from other countries when they couldn't find Americans to fill those jobs. But the program has morphed greatly from its original intent.
Americans are losing their jobs to foreign visa holders, who tend to be paid substantially less. Most of the visas don't even go to American companies, but rather overseas firms that use the program to build up operations in the U.S. India would have the most at stake in any reform.
"I think everyone agrees the system is broken," says Neil Ruiz, an immigration expert at the Pew Research Center and former executive director of George Washington University's Center for Law, Economics and Finance.
One reason is the rise of the outsourcing industry, a nascent business 30 years ago. Outsourcers, like India's Wipro Ltd. and Cognizant Technology Solutions of the U.S., take over and manage the technology systems for corporations in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
In the U.S., outsourcers bring staffers into the country on work visas, train them in the tech departments of leading corporations and then rotate them back to India where pay and living costs are lower. Outsourcing companies now get far more visas than traditional technology companies, according to data collected by Howard University's Ron Hira through Freedom of Information Act requests. Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. received 5,650 H-1Bs in 2014 while Amazon, the largest recipient in the latter group, got 877.
[...] Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, who has tried for a decade to reform the visa program, wrote a letter to Trump this month raising the president's campaign promises to "end forever" the use of H-1Bs for cheap labor. Now Durbin is concerned that Trump won't follow through on the pledge.
"You must act immediately to prevent further harm to American workers," Durbin wrote.
Source: Bloomberg
(Score: 0, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @06:38PM (4 children)
An appeal to Trump is a bridge to nowhere. This is what we get for electing psychopaths to office. The rest of us can only sit and wait until hopefully this blows over more swiftly and less painfully than than last time 90 years ago.
(Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:34PM (3 children)
I mean, have you actually reviewed the bloody, deporting, mass-surveilling, drone-bombing, civilian-killing, authoritarian handiwork of Nobel-peace-prize-winning Obama?
The coercive power of The State draws to it psychopaths like moth to the flame.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:01PM (1 child)
I would much prefer Obama to Trump, at least Obama is capable of compromise and intelligent discussion. Trump just denies and shouts people down. Seriously though, we need to have that Nobel Peace Prize revoked...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:42PM
That's what this world needs.
(Score: 5, Informative) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:46PM
I mean, have you actually reviewed the bloody, deporting, mass-surveilling, drone-bombing, civilian-killing, authoritarian handiwork of Nobel-peace-prize-winning Obama?
Yes, they found it insufficiently murderous and dramatically increased drone strikes and civilian casualties.
U.S. Drone Strikes Have Gone Up 432% Since Trump Took Office [ronpaullibertyreport.com]
Civilian deaths from US-led airstrikes hit record high under Donald Trump [independent.co.uk]
(Score: 2) by cmdrklarg on Tuesday March 28 2017, @06:44PM
The world is full of kings and queens who blind your eyes and steal your dreams.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by nobu_the_bard on Tuesday March 28 2017, @06:54PM (5 children)
I actually would not expect him to change the rules for this April, I would expect him to need time to get them changed for next April. Wouldn't it be particularly mean to change the rules during the period applications are accepted, right at the end of that period? It'd make more sense to change them in preparation for the next cycle.
Not saying I'm fond of the system as-is, or that I think he's going to necessarily improve it; but I'd really expect, if only because of the time needed to do it properly. I hope the previous few fiascos (his travel ban, the healthcare thing) would show he needs to put more effort into politicking and coordinating and less into shoving junk into his outbox.
(Score: 4, Touché) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:46PM (1 child)
Hey, President of the United States of America is a big job, I mean, just look at the length of the title... even the abbreviation: POTUS is 66% longer than CEO.
There's been lots to do, people to meet, decisions to decide, a lot to do. This H1B Visa thing, that's important, but not the most important thing, it's a thing that can wait. We'll do the more important things first.
Like golf, a lot gets done in a round of golf, and 13 rounds of golf later, we've gotten a lot done. Executive orders, and golf...
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:25PM
If we really want action on H1Bs, just tell Fox News how good a topic it is...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:40PM
> Wouldn't it be particularly mean to change the rules ...
Of course it would be mean to make a change at the last minute, but that's always been a Trump specialty (being mean). He started out mean and then had a real schooling from Roy Cohn:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Cohn [wikipedia.org]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/former-mccarthy-aide-showed-trump-how-to-exploit-power-and-draw-attention/2016/06/16/e9f44f20-2bf3-11e6-9b37-42985f6a265c_story.html [washingtonpost.com]
For a longer version of the story, read "The Making of Donald Trump".
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:41PM (1 child)
> Wouldn't it be particularly mean to change the rules during the period applications are accepted, right at the end of that period
There are only a small number of rules that they can change by executive order. They can't reduce the number of visas, but they can change them from a lottery system to some other method. A lottery is pretty random to begin with so unless these companies were gaming the system (like submitting 100x more applications than they actually needed) then they didn't have any expectation of getting any visas in the first place. And it they were gaming it, then fuck'em.
(Score: 2) by nobu_the_bard on Wednesday March 29 2017, @04:30PM
That is, in fact, precisely what they do. They figure they'll get X% of their requests for visas confirmed, so if they want Y visas they submit Y+Z requests where Z is the expected number of failed attempts. It's because they have the resources to do this that individuals have lower than expected chances to succeed.
It needs reworking badly, but I don't think it's the kind of rework you hammer out in an afternoon and actually have a useful impact.
(Score: 4, Funny) by DannyB on Tuesday March 28 2017, @06:57PM (12 children)
What if Americans were educated enough to take high tech jobs? Imagine that! Critical thinking skills. STEM.
Oh, wait. That can't happen.
Then who would there be to vote for presidents like Trump.
Nevermind.
When trying to solve a problem don't ask who suffers from the problem, ask who profits from the problem.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:01PM (4 children)
Most visa workers are used as relatively cheap and docile labor because they are essentially indentured servants trying to collect a nest egg for use back home. I've been in such shops and see how things go down. The current visa program is a "shortage" lie. I don't like T, but hope he at least improves the visa system. Even jerks sometimes accidentally fix things.
(Score: 2) by Sulla on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:06PM (3 children)
"It took Nixon to open China"
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:01PM (1 child)
Or... Nixon just happened to be the one in the whitehouse when it was no longer feasible to ignore china.
(Score: 2) by bob_super on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:29PM
You're not allowed to point out that correlation/causation thing.
Example: "Obama blew up the deficit, since he was in office when the economy hit the bottom."
(Score: 4, Informative) by Bogsnoticus on Tuesday March 28 2017, @10:38PM
"It took Gough Whitlam to open China"
FTFY
Genius by birth. Evil by choice.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Sulla on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:03PM (6 children)
And yet there is unemployment among American citizens who graduate with STEM degrees because they are unable to compete with visa holders.
Go ahead and mod me down and say [citation needed]. I think it is fair to say this without sources when we have had an article about the lack of employment opportunity in STEM fields every other month going back to the days of the other site.
Ceterum censeo Sinae esse delendam
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:25PM (1 child)
No citation needed, I agree. There are plenty of graduates who can't find jobs because all the companies are requiring 2-5 years of experience in the field and with their specific suite of tools (software or otherwise). Gone are the days where an employee starts at the bottom and works their way up, the only way forward now is the ever-popular "internship" which is just an easy cop-out for employers to pay someone less for a while, then bump up their salary to a smaller amount than the market average.
That reminds me, I gotta find a new job...
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday March 29 2017, @06:44AM
Perhaps there's other source of income than work for fiat currency?
(Score: 2) by zocalo on Tuesday March 28 2017, @07:56PM (2 children)
UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @11:11PM
Most H1B's that come over here are probably not recent graduates but rather have some practical experience. You seem to be comparing green graduates to relatively experienced IT employees.
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Wednesday March 29 2017, @06:27AM
Are you referring to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan or India, China etc? I suspect there's a difference.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by mobydisk on Tuesday March 28 2017, @11:43PM
Yeah, I really would like some citations on this one. What STEM fields are you referring to? I haven't seen any articles about lack of employment opportunity in STEM fields. What articles are you referring to?
I did a google search of soylentnews.org [google.com], and all I found was one article from October 2015 that kinda meets your criteria [soylentnews.org]. The article points out that many STEM grads don't go into STEM fields. But it doesn't really make a case that visa holders are the cause. Most of the articles on this topic say the opposite [soylentnews.org], pointing out how quickly they get employment and how much higher STEM salaries are.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday March 28 2017, @06:58PM
I'm sure that Goldman-Sachs infested cabinet of his is going to get right on that one!
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday March 28 2017, @08:09PM
That's a big swish on healthcare and H1-B reform is shaping up to be out looking.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:06PM
Will Trump be able to finish out the term?
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday March 28 2017, @09:57PM (2 children)
Yeah right. Trump can't even pass a coherent healthcare bill which would benefit his cronies. Even then, you think he cares about people like us? We're ants to him and his banker buds.
The immigrants aren't going anywhere. Neither are H1B Visas. His racist rhetoric just appealed to rural and suburban racists in states where peoples' votes are weighted heavier in the electoral college from lower population density, and he knew that. He also knew that once he got into office, all he had to do was continue to pay lip service to those same dummies who voted for him.
And, to top it all off, people complaining about H1B Visas are for the most part racists, anyway.
(Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday March 28 2017, @11:01PM
Trump can't even pass a coherent healthcare bill which would benefit his cronies.
Turns out he's not so great at the "coherent" bit.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday March 29 2017, @03:03AM
It's not like is his fault he chose cronies with conflicting interests... Or is it?
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 1, Troll) by NotSanguine on Tuesday March 28 2017, @10:21PM (4 children)
You think that L'Orange is going to come out on your side? That's rich! Perhaps you'd like to purchase some oceanfront property in Nebraska? I can give you a great deal!
Cheeto Jesus [nytimes.com] is on no one's side but his own. Any other reading of his history, rhetoric and actions make other conclusions delusional [google.com].
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 5, Funny) by DeathMonkey on Tuesday March 28 2017, @10:59PM
Perhaps you'd like to purchase some oceanfront property in Nebraska?
Given the current state of the EPA I might take you up on that offer!
(Score: 2) by Joe Desertrat on Wednesday March 29 2017, @08:05AM (1 child)
Cheeto Jesus is on no one's side but his own. Any other reading of his history, rhetoric and actions make other conclusions delusional.
It's amazing how few seem to get this. He's not going to do anything that benefits consumers, workers or small businesses except in the most incidental cases. He is strictly of the belief that the rich should be allowed to become richer no matter who they hurt or what they destroy.
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Wednesday March 29 2017, @01:08PM
It's amazing how few seem to get this. He's not going to do anything that benefits consumers, workers or small businesses except in the most incidental cases. He is strictly of the belief that Donald Trump and his cronies should be allowed to become richer no matter who they hurt or what they destroy.
There. FTFY.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 2) by NotSanguine on Wednesday March 29 2017, @07:35PM
Modding me troll, eh?
Let's see. Troll [wikipedia.org]:
I'm just expressing my somewhat informed opinion here. Not seeking to derail the discussion or upset people. Just pointing out what is glaringly obvious to anyone that's been paying attention.
That you're unable to mount a reasonable refutation to my observation and instead are reduced to modding me down just proves my point, IMHO.
This post should probably be modded off-topic, though. Just a suggestion.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 3, Insightful) by kaszz on Wednesday March 29 2017, @06:33AM
Just add a law that stipulates that all H1-B applicants must earn as much as the median American CTO. The ought to drain a lot of the perverted incentives.