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New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#31

Post by webmaven »

This is a good but flawed move.

In very high COL places like NYC and SFBA $130k is barely a living wage unless you can put up with a 2h commute.

OTOH, in low COL markets (eg. KC) this eliminates H1-Bs from consideration for most entry-level positions.

For many markets in the middle (an example doesn't come to mind, perhaps Los Angeles?) where $130k+ is a decent salary for an entry-level position this new minimum works.

What's really needed to make H1-B work on a national scale for a broad range of professions while still limiting abuse is something like a COL adjustment, or scaling the minimum with some formula like 75% of the median salary, or the 30th percentile, or something similar.

Edited to add: I am assuming that no more than 30% of your salary is spent on rent, you save 10% of your salary, that you are working in downtown San Francisco, that your commute is under 30m door to door via public transportation, and you live in a 2-bedroom apartment.

Also: https://smartasset.com/mortgage/what-is-the-cost-of-living-i...

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#32

Post by thr1234567 »

ones_and_zeros wrote: post #25

Here is the summary straight from the horses mouth: https://lofgren.house.gov/uploadedfiles/high_skilled_bill_sx... A few points: - This does not raise the salary requirement to $130k/yr. This only applies to employers that do not want to do the extra paper work for "attestations regarding recruitment and non-displacement of U.S. workers" - It takes a "market based" allocation strategy which allows "cash bonuses and…

^This. Thanks for taking the time to dig through the legislation. I wish news articles were this critical.

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#33

Post by thr1234567 »

webmaven wrote: post #31

This is a good but flawed move. In very high COL places like NYC and SFBA $130k is barely a living wage unless you can put up with a 2h commute. OTOH, in low COL markets (eg. KC) this eliminates H1-Bs from consideration for most entry-level positions. For many markets in the middle (an example doesn't come to mind, perhaps Los Angeles?) where $130k+ is a decent salary for an entry-level position this new minimum work…

> NYC and SFBA $130k

Really ? Surely it can't be that expensive ?

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#34

Post by reacharavindh »

Isn't this discriminatory on states with lower cost of living? 130k is not very high in Bay area for big companies and non entry level engineers.. However, at emerging cities in the US, that may be unattainable until say director positions for now.. So government powers more immigration and bias to CA at the cost of other cities developing cities? (Disclaimer) H1B from big co in the east coast, senior SE making 110k. Will make > 130k if bonus and stock compensation could be included though.

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#35

Post by thr1234567 »

readhn wrote: post #22

Whoever is working on the bill is disconnected from reality and the damage it is doing long term here. Why's everyone so focused on IT? Everyone can learn how to code, it's not a real science.. Oh it's hacker news :) Now walk into any major university science department. See who the newly minted PhD students are in biology, chemistry, physics, math ... Most are foreigners. This bill will send them home after they gra…

I don't think academic jobs are covered in this. The current system also has exemptions for academic H1-B workers (no lottery).

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#37

Post by perseusprime11 »

reacharavindh wrote: post #34

Isn't this discriminatory on states with lower cost of living? 130k is not very high in Bay area for big companies and non entry level engineers.. However, at emerging cities in the US, that may be unattainable until say director positions for now.. So government powers more immigration and bias to CA at the cost of other cities developing cities? (Disclaimer) H1B from big co in the east coast, senior SE making 110k.…

I don't think we as a country have figured out cost of living adjustments to compensation and taxes in general. I know first hand that there are certain jobs that pay you very similarly no matter where you are. So the guy in NYC pays more in taxes and cost of living while the gal in Texas saves a lot more especially with no state income tax, low property taxes, and lower cost of living.

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#38

Post by gregw2 »

I think the existing system foments a covert lie-rewarding fear-inducing form of indentured servitude and depresses native nonmanagerial salaries of actual programmers.

I was told early in my career by at least two CEOs that I shouldn't waste my time doing programming (and should join the managerial class) because it would be done overseas or by low cost labor onshore. I do think it's a bummer for those hoping to move/live here from overseas and may slightly reduce US tech industry competitiveness, but it looks to me to be a removal of a capital-favoring wage-surpressing distortionary loophole in our immigration policy that at the end of the day is probably a good thing.

Re: New H1-B Visa bill doubles the salary requirements to $130K/yr

#40

Post by matwood »

webmaven wrote: post #31

This is a good but flawed move. In very high COL places like NYC and SFBA $130k is barely a living wage unless you can put up with a 2h commute. OTOH, in low COL markets (eg. KC) this eliminates H1-Bs from consideration for most entry-level positions. For many markets in the middle (an example doesn't come to mind, perhaps Los Angeles?) where $130k+ is a decent salary for an entry-level position this new minimum work…

> OTOH, in low COL markets (eg. KC) this eliminates H1-Bs from consideration for most entry-level positions.

Isn't that the point? I thought H1-Bs were supposed to only be used when the skill set required could not be found locally. This does not match up with entry-level positions unless there are no programmers in the area.

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