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H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

economist.com

141–150 of 467 posts

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thing is, nobody wants that effect. We want the PhDs. What we do not want it companies that bring in cheap barely-qualified labour for cost-cutting. This hurts the people brought in (they are stuck in bad jobs with bad pay and no way out). This hurts the local workers who cost too much compared to this effectively-slave-labour. The hard part changing the rules such that PhDs and other productive uses of H1B do not su…

"This hurts the people brought in (they are stuck in bad jobs with bad pay and no way out)." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ i agree with everything you said except for this part. many of the indian workers are still better off economically than they might otherwise be, even if they are not as well off as their american counterparts. in any case, we should let every person seeking higher education in the US work indefinitely in this…

> in any case, we should let every person seeking higher education in the US work indefinitely in this country

This is the discussion that's always missing whenever H1B is discussed anywhere. It always gets hijacked by Indian IT companies abusing the system. Does the administration have a plan on how to deal with students who get their degrees from US universities, who also seek H1Bs to work? If they don't make this distinction and club every applicant together, I can assure you US universities will become extremely unattractive to foreign students. Guess who benefits then? Not the US.

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#142

I went through the entire comment thread and feel like you guys are missing a lot of the H1B benefits by focusing just on tech and the effect of the Indian consultancies. Most PhDs, specially in STEM, math, stats, econ, etc. are not American. And almost all of them end up with a H1B visa at some point if they remain in the US. It might be lottery based if you go to work at any firm, or quota-free if it is in academia…

Thing is, nobody wants that effect. We want the PhDs. What we do not want it companies that bring in cheap barely-qualified labour for cost-cutting. This hurts the people brought in (they are stuck in bad jobs with bad pay and no way out). This hurts the local workers who cost too much compared to this effectively-slave-labour. The hard part changing the rules such that PhDs and other productive uses of H1B do not su…

"we"

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#143
post #86

unemployment rate ... 2.5%. This study has 5.6% unemployment and under employment at 12.6% http://www.epi.org/publication/class-of-2016/

The article is talking about college graduates in general. The study you linked to is about young college graduates (age 21 to 24).

I graduated in 2011 with a non-STEM degree, and I still don't have a job. I won't be employed until 2020 at this rate (in pursuit of a C.S. M.S.). The "job numbers" after the Great Derecession are lies. Pure lies. The unemployment rate is probably more closer to 25%. You can't survive in this economy if it's not STEM. A lot of people here defending the H1-Bs sadly. One guy said "if you can't compete in this economy get another job"...seriously? That's what you're going to say to your compatriot? Get a job in a different field after slaving for a decade in under and non-employment? That's how we view each other? As obstacles to further a company's bottom line?

We should unequivocally be "America First". Period. Especially after a great depression like we just had. Maybe when we're prosperous and on-top again economically, we can lax the rules. But when shit hits the fan one should generally keep the doors closed.

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is an extremely nutty addition to the article, and it is editorializing at its most blatant.

I mean, it's the Economist. Editorializing in favor of the global Capitalist order is kind of their premise.

only when they can get some finger-wagging in and finish with a poor pun or end with a non-sequitur smart-aleck sentence

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#145

Regardless of where these jobs are going, H1-Bs are used for the cheap labor, not the best skills. This system has been abused especially by the financial services corporations. First hand experience: If you have an open request to hire, you are required to first look to one of the few outsourcing firms we have a contract with. You cannot post the job for external until you have searched for the "best" person within…

Agreed. The current system has been abused by Indian out-sourcing companies such as TCS, Infosys. The vast majority of highly skilled workers cannot get H-1B visas at all.

As abhorrent as the situation is, the body shops are only taking advantage of a legal windfall that American corporate greed has lobbied for. The system has been rigged. You can't completely blame the actors taking advantage of it.

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#146

Americans don't get PhDs because graduate schools are flooded with applications from those trying to gain entry to the US. Once in industry foreigners tend to hire only members of their own race further discouraging Americans from pursuing advanced degrees. I think it's disgusting that you say you're contributing to my country as though, without you, these positions would go unfilled because Americans aren't intellig…

> Americans don't get PhDs because graduate schools are flooded with applications from those trying to gain entry to the US. Once in industry foreigners tend to hire only members of their own race further discouraging Americans from pursuing advanced degrees.

That's not true. The American Universities don't choose to admit foreign students just because. The good schools always try to balance the mix of students admitted into the program.

> you're not welcome

This makes me sad.

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#147

I went through the entire comment thread and feel like you guys are missing a lot of the H1B benefits by focusing just on tech and the effect of the Indian consultancies. Most PhDs, specially in STEM, math, stats, econ, etc. are not American. And almost all of them end up with a H1B visa at some point if they remain in the US. It might be lottery based if you go to work at any firm, or quota-free if it is in academia…

I also do not understand why Indian consultancies need to be demonized so much. Their practices might be a bit shady but then as the complexity of law grows the value of pushing the limits of law also goes up.

1. Indian consultancies have provided valuable labor in large quantity to US firms. 2. This has helped US firms remain competitive in the world. From ATT or Bank of America to Toyota and Sears everyone has super large outsourcing centers in India which help them keep costs low for American consumers. 3. Cheap labor with high skills coming to USA is a good thing. It makes the economy get more efficient and grows the size of pie where everyone gets employed. 4. US Tech sector has outperformed all sectors in terms of both growth and employment numbers. Most of the H1Bs goes to tech companies and guess what ? They have the lowest unemployment rate.

There are no job losses because of H1B. If H1B program is completely shut-down US economy would take a pretty bad hit and total number of jobs in USA will go down and more jobs will simply move to India.

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#149
You should also be looking at B1 visas. Argentina's Globant (NYSE:GLOB) paid $1 Million to settle allegations of visa fraud days ago. The largest number of B1 visa applicants in the Argentina US Embassy come from employees of that company (and IBM and others too).

source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/information-technology-...

Re: H-1B visas mainly go to Indian outsourcing firms

#150
post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> which are temporary work visas; but easy to get I wouldn't say that the L1 visas are easier to get. The only material differences I've noticed between L1 and H1B visas are * the first is not lottery based, * you must have worked for the company in another country for at least a year (time spent in the US while working for the company doesn't count), * that an L2 holding spouse can have an Employment Authorization D…

L1 visas are easier for the company to get, because there is no cap on the number issued. The employee on an L1 is just as qualified as an H1, but less free -- they cannot switch jobs, and if they get fired they must leave the country within 15 (!) days.

L-1As are included in the recent USCIS guidance that establishes a 60 day grace period when employment ends.

https://www.uscis.gov/news/news-releases/uscis-publishes-fin...

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