Cringley discussed the L-1B issue on Feb 6:
http://www.cringely.com/2017/02/06/trumps-upcoming-move-h-1b...
Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
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Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#12This'll be interesting. Tech workers hate Trump, and have been forcing SV bosses to say bad things about him. But this move is clearly going to benefit us (well, I'm in Australia so not affected directly, but "us" as tech workers). Raising tech salaries and reducing the ridiculous exploitation of immigrant tech workers is good. SV bosses would clearly like to continue paying less for tech workers, and the visa progra…
> Raising tech salaries and reducing the ridiculous exploitation of immigrant tech workers is good.
Why not keep the H-1B floor at 60,000, but require employers to contribute another 60,000 to a fund to pay for Americans to be retrained as tech workers?
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#13130k.. big raise.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#14I'm in favor of vastly raising the H1-B cap, or eliminating it altogether. But. If we are going to have an H1-B cap, I think awarding the visas to the highest-paid applicants is probably the most fair way to administer it. I know of no better way to objectively measure "in high demand" than "well-paid."
Does this mean that any applicant can set their salary requirements at $300,000 and nobody else can be hired until they are?
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#15Cringley discussed the L-1B issue on Feb 6: http://www.cringely.com/2017/02/06/trumps-upcoming-move-h-1b...
L-1B suppresses wages more than H-1B because it is not transferable. Not getting any raises? Only option is to go back home or accept it.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#16This'll be interesting. Tech workers hate Trump, and have been forcing SV bosses to say bad things about him. But this move is clearly going to benefit us (well, I'm in Australia so not affected directly, but "us" as tech workers). Raising tech salaries and reducing the ridiculous exploitation of immigrant tech workers is good. SV bosses would clearly like to continue paying less for tech workers, and the visa progra…
> Raising tech salaries and reducing the ridiculous exploitation of immigrant tech workers is good. Why not keep the H-1B floor at 60,000, but require employers to contribute another 60,000 to a fund to pay for Americans to be retrained as tech workers?
I don't think that's particularly fair on immigrants. It sets a double standard as to what people are worth.
PS. Also Australian... yeah, we're awake at this time.
EDIT:
To clarify, I'm not at all suggesting screw over Americans either. I'd not be thrilled working in any industry where I'd spent years getting qualifications, just to be constantly undercut by any group of people.
However, I don't think encouraging companies to underpay a certain segment of humans is an ethical way to resolve the problem.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#17I'm in favor of vastly raising the H1-B cap, or eliminating it altogether. But. If we are going to have an H1-B cap, I think awarding the visas to the highest-paid applicants is probably the most fair way to administer it. I know of no better way to objectively measure "in high demand" than "well-paid."
>I know of no better way to objectively measure "in high demand" than "well-paid."
Sure, if the entire US had uniform costs of living. However, it's only the Bay Area that has costs (and local competition and investors) that keep those salaries at their current heights.
Every other company not based in Southern California who can't find workers will suffer, whereas before they'd at least have a chance, albeit a slim one.
So with this requirement in place, sure, it'll be hard for Disney to sell out American jobs... but it'll also make sure that only Bay Area companies will be able to justify importing workers.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#18This'll be interesting. Tech workers hate Trump, and have been forcing SV bosses to say bad things about him. But this move is clearly going to benefit us (well, I'm in Australia so not affected directly, but "us" as tech workers). Raising tech salaries and reducing the ridiculous exploitation of immigrant tech workers is good. SV bosses would clearly like to continue paying less for tech workers, and the visa progra…
Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#19I'm in favor of vastly raising the H1-B cap, or eliminating it altogether. But. If we are going to have an H1-B cap, I think awarding the visas to the highest-paid applicants is probably the most fair way to administer it. I know of no better way to objectively measure "in high demand" than "well-paid."
Does this mean that any applicant can set their salary requirements at $300,000 and nobody else can be hired until they are?
I was wondering about this same thing. Highest paid doesn't equate to highest skilled at all.
The scheme seems more designed to punish companies from hiring immigrants than actually ensuring only high quality employees make their way to Silicon Valley.
Admittedly, I think increasing the $60,000 figure seems reasonable. It should be set at a figure (and updated regularly enough) such that it's slightly above the average wage in the industry. That way it's really targeting skilled workers, as opposed to cheap workers.
Re: Trump's visa plan leaks: American techies first
#20What about non-tech workers that come to the US through an H1-B? Scientists come to mind. If you don't have a PhD, your starting salary isn't going to exceed $100K. Are they just out of luck?
There's already a good number of US-citizen PhDs in non-CS/"tech" fields who are being underutilized. Perhaps such moves will help prioritize them and adjust some of the supply/demand issues.