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America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

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Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#81

Post by QuercusMax »

2_listerine_pls wrote: post #61
mohaine wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe on the west coast but here in the Midwest we often have issues finding candidates that can write fizzbuz. We recently had a candidate who's main language was python but failed to even run his code on the command line. Saddly this isnt overly rare.

Anyone with a CS degree can write a fizzbuz

Wow, didn't realize this was a comedy site.

Speaking from personal experience, the number of people with multiple years of experience and multiple degrees in CS (usually BS and MS) who can't pass FizzBuzz is really high.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#82

Post by ransom1538 »

firedrakerage wrote: post #11

I do not typically post, but these suggestions seem like genuine improvements to the existing system: "Kerr suggests allocating H-1Bs not by lottery as they are now, but by salary — the more that a company is willing to pay for a foreign worker, the quicker they can get a visa." "A second change would be to allow H-1B workers to apply for permanent residency green cards on their own, without having to be sponsored by…

I just wish it was reciprocated. I would like to work in Spain (no really). If I work in Spain, the US should open a spot for someone from Spain to work in the US. You want to hire someone from Turkey? No problem, find someone in the US to move to Turkey. You could allow companies to even grease the wheels, "Work from Turkey and get a 30k / year extra free bonus stipend!! yay!!"

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#83

Post by rhexs »

enraged_camel wrote: post #54
protonfish wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That and a complete unwillingness to educate and mentor your workforce. I don't understand why the government should step in to help employers because they want training to be somebody else's problem.

Companies don't train their workforce because said workforce then leaves and joins another company, which then benefits from that training. ...that's how it was explained to me by an executive at my former job (a big part of the reason why it's my former job).

The workforce leaves because the company doesn't raise the salary to account for new training.

You can't have it both ways.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#84

Post by bduerst »

pmalynin wrote: post #43
bduerst wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem is that pay isn't uniform across skilled labor demand, and the purpose of the H1B program is to fulfill demand in the economy. If you set a quota and give to the highest bidder, you're going to see private sector executives and financial roles being filled in cities with high costs of living and competitive wages. Salary is a function not only of demand but also location and industry. This will discrimina…

The supply / demand in the economy is specifically determined by the salary. If the demand grows high enough so that salaries go up, then you can obviously compete with other highly paid professionals. There is no reason Tata and Infosys should be hiring 70k contractors to do shitty jobs.

>The supply / demand in the economy is specifically determined by the salary.

Salary is a function of location, industry, and demand. Discriminating against American businesses that need skilled labor and are not in the most competitive industries or locations is not the purpose of the H1B program.

>There is no reason Tata and Infosys should be hiring 70k contractors to do shitty jobs.

This is a different problem, which is being solved as USCIS is cracking down on consultants who are registered in one region but work in another.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#85

Post by dkhenry »

I have a modest proposal to help with the need for skilled labor. Reject all skilled applicants for visa's. Only accept the unskilled and uneducated. If you have an advanced degree and specialty skills you are not allowed in and have to remain in your country of origin. If you get a visa to study in the US you have to return to be employed in your home country. I think this will have two primary effects.

1. It will create a huge shortage of skilled professionals in America and will significantly drive up their costs and salary. This will result in more people choosing to enter those fields.

2. It will increase the global support of skilled persons as those who remain in their country of origin will be able to train and support more professionals.

My basis for this is looking at number of engineers per capita, the developed world produces an order of magnitude more engineers and doctors and scientists then the developing world, but then we take the few they do produce which inhibits future growth.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#86

Post by dx87 »

duxup wrote: post #50
firedrakerage wrote: post #11

I do not typically post, but these suggestions seem like genuine improvements to the existing system: "Kerr suggests allocating H-1Bs not by lottery as they are now, but by salary — the more that a company is willing to pay for a foreign worker, the quicker they can get a visa." "A second change would be to allow H-1B workers to apply for permanent residency green cards on their own, without having to be sponsored by…

I always thought H1B should simply be $100k or $120k+ plus jobs only. I was looking through online records and found folks being brought in for sub 50k jobs that looked like low level ... customer service roles.

That's what I thought too, then I saw my company use an H1B to fill a junior web developer job at 70k in the DC/Metro area, which is basically the area's going rate for a 0 experience, straight out of college software developer.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#87

Post by creaghpatr »

ransom1538 wrote: post #82
firedrakerage wrote: post #11

I do not typically post, but these suggestions seem like genuine improvements to the existing system: "Kerr suggests allocating H-1Bs not by lottery as they are now, but by salary — the more that a company is willing to pay for a foreign worker, the quicker they can get a visa." "A second change would be to allow H-1B workers to apply for permanent residency green cards on their own, without having to be sponsored by…

I just wish it was reciprocated. I would like to work in Spain (no really). If I work in Spain, the US should open a spot for someone from Spain to work in the US. You want to hire someone from Turkey? No problem, find someone in the US to move to Turkey. You could allow companies to even grease the wheels, "Work from Turkey and get a 30k / year extra free bonus stipend!! yay!!"

Underrated idea

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#88

Post by ivl »

dkhenry wrote: post #85

I have a modest proposal to help with the need for skilled labor. Reject all skilled applicants for visa's. Only accept the unskilled and uneducated. If you have an advanced degree and specialty skills you are not allowed in and have to remain in your country of origin. If you get a visa to study in the US you have to return to be employed in your home country. I think this will have two primary effects. 1. It will c…

> This will result in more people choosing to enter those fields.

I think for skilled labor in the US there are way better ways to accomplish this. Lower the cost of education, and work to improve education on the whole.

But your idea is punitive of people in poor countries who have skills, yet are limited in how much they can improve their lot in life due to lack of demand for them.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#89

Post by pmalynin »

bduerst wrote: post #84
pmalynin wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The supply / demand in the economy is specifically determined by the salary. If the demand grows high enough so that salaries go up, then you can obviously compete with other highly paid professionals. There is no reason Tata and Infosys should be hiring 70k contractors to do shitty jobs.

>The supply / demand in the economy is specifically determined by the salary. Salary is a function of location, industry, and demand. Discriminating against American businesses that need skilled labor and are not in the most competitive industries or locations is not the purpose of the H1B program. >There is no reason Tata and Infosys should be hiring 70k contractors to do shitty jobs. This is a different problem, wh…

Arguably, the salary (and price in general) is measure of marginal utility. Hence if one job pays 140, 000 over 70, 000 we can argue that the one that pays more provides more marginal utility to society. That is, the United States as a whole gains more value from that job.

Re: America’s Need for Skilled Immigrants Isn’t Going Away

#90

Post by belltaco »

dudul wrote: post #71
dkhenry wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

you can get the same effect on salary by making it easier for a H1B recipient to leave the company that brought them over. Right now its very hard for a visa recipient to move companies so they can be given sub market rate salaries, if you make it so once they show up they can move to get a market rate salary then the companies who make a pratice of hiring foreign talent and paying them below market rates will end. T…

In theory it is not very complicated for a H1B to change employer. It simply requires the employer to file a petition to sponsor the H1B. It doesn't count towards the "seats" available yearly, and it's almost guaranteed to be granted. There is a small cost, maybe a few grands. If you think about it, it's way cheaper than paying recruiter fee fo example. In practice you're right though. Most companies have limited exp…

Much of the green card process has to be redone though.
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