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USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

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Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#341
post #13

Conservatives may generally view this as "good" regardless of the impact because (according to arguments I've heard) "the less globalization, the better." In my mind, however, it boils down to two pretty simple points: Given that (1) the US is lagging far behind every developed nation in education, and higher education in the US is prohibitively expensive compared to other developed nations, (2) the only way for the…

To add something I think is overlooked, many people from China feel very unsafe in the US due to all the news about mass shootings. The previous generation of immigrants came for a better life and a sense of safety is an important part of that.

China: + Cultural familiarity, closeness to family. + High pay for engineering. - Pollution - Lack of work/life balance culture.

US: - Lack of safety. - Culturally lost. + Higher pay + Better natural environment. + Better future for kids. Schools & stuff.

Censorship is a minor concern for the most part except for political activists. It's arguable that that the US is becoming more draconian in this regard, especially due to police being able to do whatever they want once they decide you're guilty of something.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#342

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It already is. H1B visa holders are required to be paid more than the prevailing wage for citizens working the same SOC job classification in the same region.

I wish that was the case, but it is not. You can verify this yourself as H1B salary data are publicly available http://h1bdata.info . Take a look for example at Wayfair in Boston. Majority of their H1B Developers make around $50k-$70k. This is significantly less than the prevailing wages around Boston, so it is quite clear that they are using H1Bs as cheap labor source.

Why don't you just link the query results?

http://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=Wayfair+Llc&job=Software+En...

Any while we're at it, why don't we pull the prevailing wage data?

http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesQuickResults.aspx?area=71654...

Level 1 Software Engineers are paid on average $67k in that area, so by paying them $68k, Wayfair is still paying more than the average wage for U.S. citizens working the same position.

Wayfair is not driving down wages.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#343
post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish that was the case, but it is not. You can verify this yourself as H1B salary data are publicly available http://h1bdata.info . Take a look for example at Wayfair in Boston. Majority of their H1B Developers make around $50k-$70k. This is significantly less than the prevailing wages around Boston, so it is quite clear that they are using H1Bs as cheap labor source.

Wow - Juniper Networks got approved with $63,960 for "Software Engineer" in Sunnyvale just this year while LinkedIn is paying ~$125k for the same title.

That's probably because the website is only showing "base" pay. Juniper does performance packages that go well into six figures, which Linkedin might not do.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#344

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wish that was the case, but it is not. You can verify this yourself as H1B salary data are publicly available http://h1bdata.info . Take a look for example at Wayfair in Boston. Majority of their H1B Developers make around $50k-$70k. This is significantly less than the prevailing wages around Boston, so it is quite clear that they are using H1Bs as cheap labor source.

Why don't you just link the query results? http://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=Wayfair+Llc&job=Software+En... Any while we're at it, why don't we pull the prevailing wage data? http://www.flcdatacenter.com/OesQuickResults.aspx?area=71654... Level 1 Software Engineers are paid on average $67k in that area, so by paying them $68k, Wayfair is still paying more than the average wage for U.S. citizens working the same positi…

interesting. That is close to the salary I was starting with more than 10yrs ago...Either the wages have stagnated around Boston or that number seems low. Glassdoor reports ~$80k which is closer to what my current employer has been hiring at, thats why the Wayfair numbers seems low to me. https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/boston-entry-level-softwa...

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#346

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could put them on reservations or something where they can enjoy their simpler way of life undisturbed by the forces of progress.

This sort of attitude is why Trump is president.

It's a factual description of how European sttlers treated the indigenous tribes, and you can find plenty of people who continue to express animus towards Indian tribes.

Don't dish it out if you can't take it.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#347
post #340

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow - Juniper Networks got approved with $63,960 for "Software Engineer" in Sunnyvale just this year while LinkedIn is paying ~$125k for the same title.

That's probably because the website is only showing "base" pay. Juniper does performance packages that go well into six figures, which Linkedin might not do.

In theory performance performance packages can be $0? makes no sense to approve h1b based on performance packages.

Also, LinkedIn does give out performance bonuses.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#348

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can retrain and redistribute resources to them, but for some reason the people who are most concerned about short term profits are the least willing to share them with others. You might like to ruminate on teh fact that while Trump demonizes immigrants out of one side of his mouth, the resort he owns at Mar-A-Lago- was able to get 70 H1-B visas to hire hotel staff, despite the availability of some 5000 such people…

Right, it's a partisan point but it shouldn't be. I know perfectly well Trump is often full of shit and do-what-I-say-not-what-I-do. But unpartisanifying the discussion of pros/cons of immigration vs outsourcing vs insourcing vs how to help other countries vs what to focus on in our own borders would be beneficial.

It might, but I can't help feeling you're assuming your conclusion a bit by treating migration as the problem. Maybe it's something else in the nature of the economic system. Other species seem to get OK without our hyper-territoriality.

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#349
post #336
post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're right. "Multiple programming languages" and RDBMS skills aren't exactly rare. Those are very poor reasons to hire someone. Here are the real reasons they probably wanted to hire him: He's smart enough to do well on his SATs/GREs and go to a good university. He's hard working and conscientious enough to get a good GPA while in University. He's got great recommendations from his classmates, former employers and/…

That's a nice appeal, but on reflection that case isn't actually virtuous. What you have described is not an employer who is just violating letter of the law in some harmless defiance of red tape... No, that employer is deliberately breaking the spirit of the law too. The H1-B exemption is intended to allow for immigrant workers when domestic supply doesn't exist. Not "when you really really like a dude."

We can think of numerous instances where the law is sufficiently dysfunctional, that citizens take it upon themselves to work around it. On the trivial side, most Americans knowingly drive over the speed limit, and consume alcohol when they are underage. On the more serious side, today's sanctuary cities and slavery-era underground-railroads are both intended to subvert federal laws in support of deportation/slavery. Do you think that it's immoral to disobey the law under any circumstances? If not, how do you go about deciding when it's ok to disobey the law?

Re: USCIS is challenging an unusually large number of H-1B applications

#350

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This sort of attitude is why Trump is president.

It's a factual description of how European sttlers treated the indigenous tribes, and you can find plenty of people who continue to express animus towards Indian tribes. Don't dish it out if you can't take it.

Why is it people on the left are so intent on having a civil war?
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