Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

71–80 of 487 posts

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

#71

Post by mhurron »

trishume wrote: post #29
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…

I grant you this is in fact not the perfect reform bill, the question is, is it better than the current situation? To me it looks like it's at least somewhat better, so as a Canadian who may want to move to the US at some point, I'm hoping it passes.

> so as a Canadian who may want to move to the US at some point, I'm hoping it passes.

Why would it affect you?

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

#72

Post by agumonkey »

itshoptx wrote: post #63

This increase in salary is not for the H1-B workers benefit; rather, it's to make hiring them more expensive so American workers will be considered first--as they should be. I would support any law that REQUIRED American companies to hire Americans first and then consider foreigners ONLY if no qualified Americans can be found in the 50 US states. If America wants to do good by her workers, she needs to put Americans…

I had this discussion with a French guy who calls for similar policies there. I'm a bit surprised that homeland companies hiring foreign workers for cost reasons aren't seen as damaging thus justifying that kind of policies.

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

#73

Post by School-Cotton »

itshoptx wrote: post #63

This increase in salary is not for the H1-B workers benefit; rather, it's to make hiring them more expensive so American workers will be considered first--as they should be. I would support any law that REQUIRED American companies to hire Americans first and then consider foreigners ONLY if no qualified Americans can be found in the 50 US states. If America wants to do good by her workers, she needs to put Americans…

The reason top companies (FB, Google, major SV startups, etc.) exist primarily in the US is because the US is able to attract talent from all over the world.

If these companies had never been able to hire the best people, there wouldn't now be the same companies hiring more Americans. They would simply exist in other countries, instead of the United States.

By the way, I work at one of these companies and have had frank discussions about compensation with many of my coworkers and I can guarantee you that H1-B holders are NOT being paid less than Americans.

Obviously none of this applies to body shops like Infosys and Tata.

> On immigrating here... I'm not opposed to immigration if it's done the old fashioned way like my dad did it. Come here, apply, wait your tenure for green card, and eventual citizenship.

This suggests to me that you don't actually know what an H1-B visa is. Getting an H1-B is the first step to coming here, waiting for green card, etc. How else do you propose people do it? Out of curiosity, what papers did your dad have that allowed him to come?

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

#74

Post by LordKano »

pkd wrote: post #10
hocuspocus wrote: post #7

Color me surprised, I commented on many related threads recently but this sounds actually pretty good! $130k is maybe a little high for seed stage startups but given that we're talking about relocating engineers to the most expensive region in the world, I believe it's fair. And the path from F-1 to Green Card will solve companies taking advantage of people on OPT status, at least partially.

Thing is that the whole of US isn't Silicon Valley or Seattle. Startups in upcoming hubs like Portland and Boulder will suffer(sic) because the salary requirements are too high for them to satisfy given the living costs. It basically means that the only companies who are gonna be able to hire through H1Bs are the big cos or unicorns.

It basically means that the only companies who are gonna be able to hire through H1Bs are the big cos or unicorns.

It also means that there is an economic incentive at all levels to consider hiring Americans first. Which is the point.

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

#75

Post by BhavdeepSethi »

lokithor wrote: post #27
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…

Yup. The fact that compensation is included, is useless. Companies give you unvested shares worth tonnes that take > 4 years to fully vest. The attrition rates are so high, the sweat shops can get away with it.

None of the sweat shops offer equity.

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

#76

Post by itshoptx »

agumonkey wrote: post #72
itshoptx wrote: post #63

This increase in salary is not for the H1-B workers benefit; rather, it's to make hiring them more expensive so American workers will be considered first--as they should be. I would support any law that REQUIRED American companies to hire Americans first and then consider foreigners ONLY if no qualified Americans can be found in the 50 US states. If America wants to do good by her workers, she needs to put Americans…

I had this discussion with a French guy who calls for similar policies there. I'm a bit surprised that homeland companies hiring foreign workers for cost reasons aren't seen as damaging thus justifying that kind of policies.

I'm also surprised. We shall see...

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

#77

Post by geodel »

koolba wrote: post #46
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…

> - Startups and small businesses will get 20% of the visas. It'll be interesting to see how this is gamed Probably the old fashioned way: Tata Startup Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Consulting Services.

Yep. When money is to be made they need no invitation.

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

#78

Post by marcosdumay »

perseusprime11 wrote: post #37
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.

> I don't think we as a country have figured out cost of living adjustments to compensation and taxes in general.

I'm not sure you should. There's a reason for the cost of living to change so much from one region to another, and compensating that change with government money can have severe economic impacts.

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

#79

Post by Gigablah »

pc86 wrote: post #21
hocuspocus wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're absolutely right, and I've said it myself in the past, this heavily favors one kind of companies in a few high CoL areas. You're better off selling ads than trying to cure cancer or solve the energy crisis, and sadly that's not only true when hiring foreign talent.

Nobody is solving the energy crisis by writing a React CRUD app.

Well, I'm fairly sure even Tesla needs CRUD apps.

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

#80

Post by jdhn »

itshoptx wrote: post #63

This increase in salary is not for the H1-B workers benefit; rather, it's to make hiring them more expensive so American workers will be considered first--as they should be. I would support any law that REQUIRED American companies to hire Americans first and then consider foreigners ONLY if no qualified Americans can be found in the 50 US states. If America wants to do good by her workers, she needs to put Americans…

I believe your second point (considering foreigners only if no qualified Americans can be found) is already codified into law, or is at least highly suggested. From what I understand, companies will tailor the job description in such a manner that the only person who fits the description is the candidate from the outsourcing company.
Post reply on HN