Live data from Hacker News

H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

rss.slashdot.org

21–30 of 39 posts

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

ive heard of this rumor but ive never actually seen it in action. having hired h1bs before, i’m skeptical that anyone but a massive corporation could do something like this. the expenses, rules, process would prohibit most teams from accomplishing and maintaining this. and a corporation large enough to pull it off likely wouldn’t derive enough benefit to actually make it worth it given the risk of exposure from eithe…

It’s not a “rumor”. Disney layed off over 100 IT staff and had them train their Indian replacements [1]. Southern California Edison layed off 400 and had them train their Indian replacements. [2] [1] https://www.computerworld.com/article/2915904/it-outsourcing... [2] https://www.computerworld.com/article/2879083/it-outsourcing...

The jobs aren't getting transferred to H1Bs, they're getting contracted out to TCS and Infosys who are known for abusing the program by "lending" out their employees as contractors.

They're akin to the predatory hiring agencies that provide workers to Amazon's warehouses. Good for Amazon's bottom line and the agency, not so much for the employees or the community.

imho, increasing base salary requirement and mandating that employees either work on-site only or are free to jump ship to any company (visa is not associated with the employer) would fix majority of the issues.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#22
Why is that everybody talks about H1B abuse when it involves bringing Indians from India by companies like Infosys, TCS etc, but nobody mentions about how students from India come to study in US, join fake consultancies and get fake experiences and resumes? These students are more eager to get a visa sponsor and they will be willing to settle for a lower salary. I have seen so many such cases. If they loose a job, there are consultancies who will keep them in payroll in exchange for money while they look for another job (otherwise you have to leave US immediately). And some of the companies I know actually prefer hiring those than bringing people from India because they are already in US and can work for 1-2 years in OPT while the company can take its time to file h1b as opposed to wait hoping to get the lottery.

http://www.firstpost.com/world/18-more-andhra-students-sent-...

http://www.hindustantimes.com/education/25-indian-students-a...

https://splinternews.com/hundreds-of-indian-students-are-bei...

https://www.murthy.com/2017/08/03/h1b-workers-denied-entry-b...

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#23
Finally, a nice uncontroversial subject amenable to logic and data.

You either believe:

1. That a person is good for the country because they work, earn, spend and contribute to productivity.

2. They are taking a job that would have otherwise gone to an American, and are transferring money from laborers to the corporation.

It seems to be a matter for economic theory. What do studies show? Does a worker produce as many high paying jobs as they displace?

It seems odd that we aren't pulling out references, debating over statistics and methodology and so on. There is an actual answer to the question: does immigration add to productivity or reduce consumption. (Both you say? Great, show me a study!)

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#24
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not a “rumor”. Disney layed off over 100 IT staff and had them train their Indian replacements [1]. Southern California Edison layed off 400 and had them train their Indian replacements. [2] [1] https://www.computerworld.com/article/2915904/it-outsourcing... [2] https://www.computerworld.com/article/2879083/it-outsourcing...

The jobs aren't getting transferred to H1Bs, they're getting contracted out to TCS and Infosys who are known for abusing the program by "lending" out their employees as contractors. They're akin to the predatory hiring agencies that provide workers to Amazon's warehouses. Good for Amazon's bottom line and the agency, not so much for the employees or the community. imho, increasing base salary requirement and mandatin…

Isn't this a side effect of adding more regulations onto full-time workers? Seems like if the overhead for a full time employee keeps going up and the regulations keep getting more strict, we'll see more that risk and cost outsourced more and more to companies that specialize in circumventing things and keeping the extra expenses as low as possible.

The intent behind these regulations, whether healthcare or immigration control, is really beside the point. I'm wondering if these things are really enforceable in the long run.

On top of everything else, as has already been mentioned, the rules seem to provide competitive advantages to large companies (or at least those willing to outsource to them) over small ones. This probably decreases the level of innovation, dynamism, and entrepreneurship in the economy.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#25

Isn't the H1-B program ripe with abuse? I've read dozens if not hundreds of comments here and reports from all over where teams were laid off in favor of H1-B counterparts. If that's really the case, challenging the applications is the first deterrent to this sort of behavior. I doubt anything will eliminate 100% of the abuse but if we can cut it significantly, I'd call that a win.

>If that's really the case, challenging the applications is the first deterrent to this sort of behavior. I doubt anything will eliminate 100% of the abuse but if we can cut it significantly, I'd call that a win.

The problem is that is not really what is happening. USCIS is challenging nearly every single application with challenges that do not match the requirements for an H1B and then dragging those challenges with red tape.

They are probably aware that in the end almost all of these challenges will be won by the applicants. So the (likely intentional) result of this is that many people who won the H1B lottery are now in an awkward situation where their previous work visa has expired but their H1B hasn't started yet because of all of these challenges. So many of those people cannot legally work since there is now a gap in work authorization and are being fired or relocated back to their home country, despite the fact that they would likely have gotten their H1B in the end.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#26
post #25

Isn't the H1-B program ripe with abuse? I've read dozens if not hundreds of comments here and reports from all over where teams were laid off in favor of H1-B counterparts. If that's really the case, challenging the applications is the first deterrent to this sort of behavior. I doubt anything will eliminate 100% of the abuse but if we can cut it significantly, I'd call that a win.

>If that's really the case, challenging the applications is the first deterrent to this sort of behavior. I doubt anything will eliminate 100% of the abuse but if we can cut it significantly, I'd call that a win. The problem is that is not really what is happening. USCIS is challenging nearly every single application with challenges that do not match the requirements for an H1B and then dragging those challenges with…

This kind of explain a friend who is on H1B leaving their job preemptively for a new one. This person is really good but they can't take a risk because their current employer is not on solid footing.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#27

Why is that everybody talks about H1B abuse when it involves bringing Indians from India by companies like Infosys, TCS etc, but nobody mentions about how students from India come to study in US, join fake consultancies and get fake experiences and resumes? These students are more eager to get a visa sponsor and they will be willing to settle for a lower salary. I have seen so many such cases. If they loose a job, th…

There are also cases of applying "future green cards". That is, applying for green cards when the beneficiary is residing in India, or working with another employer in the US.

These kind of body shops which are setup solely for applying future greencards are prevalent in New Jersey. They have their back offices in Hyderabad India.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#28
post #6
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What makes you think a computer run system won't be subject to biases (in particular of the implementors)?

I agree partially - I think it's easier to audit the biases an implementor has encoded into an automated system, especially since the pressures a high-level official exerts are often verbal and unrecorded.

We can barely understand existing machine learning systems, what makes you think that we will understand those that run a global bureaucracy?

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#29
Young, European, High-skilled worker here, who've been working on core Kubernetes products for three years. Got several job offers for key infra positions in various companies @ 200-250k+. Trump administration came in, decided to RFE+NOIR my H-1B with a bullshit reason, had to go back to my country, which is not my really home anymore whatsoever (wife/friends here). So yeah, that just happened. It's not only about abuses and 'Indians'.

Re: H1-B Administrators Are Challenging an Unusually Large Number of Applications

#30
post #29

Young, European, High-skilled worker here, who've been working on core Kubernetes products for three years. Got several job offers for key infra positions in various companies @ 200-250k+. Trump administration came in, decided to RFE+NOIR my H-1B with a bullshit reason, had to go back to my country, which is not my really home anymore whatsoever (wife/friends here). So yeah, that just happened. It's not only about ab…

Am in same boat as you. Its effecting individuals more than the companies they are aiming for.
Post reply on HN