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from the so-highly-skilled-we-need-second-jobs dept.
The Obama administration announced plans to permit the spouses of certain, "highly-skilled" H1B visa holders the right to work too. The backlog of green-card applications for H1B holders can be as much as 11 years. If the goal is to attract and keep more high-quality talent within the USA (rather than H1B off-shoring), it seems like streamlining the "green card" permanent residence process would be more effective. Making the H1B visa a mandatory path to a green card within a very short period, such as 2 years might be a much better way to encourage highly talented individuals to stay in the country compared to requiring more than a decade of uncertainty.
Some claim that this will actually have the perverse effect of enabling IT salaries to fall even further. The New York Times article notes there are representatives who question the wisdom of the proposal and that there is a 60-day comment window.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by TheGratefulNet on Wednesday May 07 2014, @06:21PM
if 'we' means 'the 1%' then yes, they are EXTREMELY overpaid. banksters, lawyers, ceo's - all worth much less than they get paid.
workers, otoh, have had shrinking incomes ove the last 10 years or more. I'm actually backwards compared to where I was just 10 or 15 yrs ago! my savings is mostly hand to mouth with very little saved each month. I cannot change the cost of rent, food, gas, insurance (health included), etc.
the real problem is the collusion of all the corp's getting together and doing ALL THEY CAN to lower wages, put people out of work and rehire them as contractors (with NO benefits) and still ask them to work far more than most of the rest of the world works, hours per week wise.
no, americans are not overpaid. we're underpaid. not by accident, either.
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
(Score: 2) by The Mighty Buzzard on Wednesday May 07 2014, @07:26PM
My rights don't end where your fear begins.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Thexalon on Wednesday May 07 2014, @07:52PM
The median worker has actually gained, over the last 35 years, approximately nothing in terms of income. The median American has had negative income for about 25 years, and now has a negative net worth. But for some reason, this situation only became a "crisis" when it started affecting rich people in 2008.
The Reagan-era argument that "a rising tide lifts all boats" is demonstrably hogwash.
The only thing that stops a bad guy with a compiler is a good guy with a compiler.
(Score: 2) by Angry Jesus on Thursday May 08 2014, @12:30AM
> The Reagan-era argument that "a rising tide lifts all boats" is demonstrably hogwash.
More like a tidal wave crushes all boats except the yachts out in deep water.