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Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

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Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#191

Post by manuelabeledo »

oceanplexian wrote: post #113
delfinom wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because both political parties have donors that benefit from H1Bs and it's beyond just tech companies. Even the angry orange man has his hotels applying for H1B visas. Fucking hotels.

Trump actually tried to end H1B, and suspended the H1B program with an executive order. One of his policy decisions I support. Actually the entire platform was centered around immigration. As soon as it happened though, there were news stories left and right about how "Immigration is our strength" and "The US is a country founded by immigrants". All these sob stories about why we need cheap, exploitable labor to unde…

Trump didn't try to "end" the program. His administration straight up wanted to close the borders to interns, skilled workers, and their relatives. That goes far beyond H-1B visas.

> All these sob stories about why we need cheap, exploitable labor to undercut American workers.

This is not how the H-1B program works.

Also, they didn't try to stop agricultural workers from entering the US. If you really want to focus on "cheap labor", you may want to start there.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#192

Post by paint »

dudul wrote: post #165
Zetice wrote: post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why are Americans more deserving of jobs then other people?

Because this is in America.

I know you're joking but some people actually think that way and it's so disgusting. No borders no nations no walls

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#193

Post by isaacremuant »

ajmurmann wrote: post #116
afavour wrote: post #56

Earlier quoted context omitted.

“Modern slavery” is definitely an exaggeration but many are also not quite so free to quit. The H1B is a “dual intent” visa, meaning you can apply for permanent residency while you have it. But you must maintain your H1B the entire time, which can be a decade or more for folks from places like India. You can transfer an H1B but it’s not easy and if you quit your job you must line another one up in 60 days or say good…

This is what creates more downward pressure on everyone's comp than just getting foreign workers. It artificially creates a group of workers for whom it's significantly harder and more risky to change jobs or simply quit when they are unsatisfied. I think everyone in tech would be better off if you wouldn't lose the H1B quickly if unemployed and if you wouldn't need to rely on an employer doing extra work to sponsor…

> There is no real downside to this change for anybody in US society.

Well, the downside is for the companies exploiting migrants and those are the ones donating money to the people who make decisions. Lobbying is legally bribing them and the effect is that the politicians don't represent the people who vote for them but the corporations.

And No, this is not a cynical take but a factual one.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#194

Post by dotnet00 »

ajmurmann wrote: post #135
afavour wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not as if it’s directly attributable to an H1B but if a group has eight Indian people on it chances are they’ll converse in their native language from time to time and it’s quite possible they’ll have a group chat and a close relationship (given their shared similar circumstances). Not difficult to see how an outsider might feel excluded. That said, that same group often faces exclusion in the wider company (and…

"chances are they’ll converse in their native language from time to time" This needs to be a big No No. Everyone should speak the language everyone else can understand in the workplace at all times. I natively speak German, but I never speak German at work even when I temporarily was only working with someone visiting from Germany. It would have been rude to everyone around us. But then I'm also weird in that I disli…

Agreed, I'm Indian and thus often it is the case that other Indians try to speak with me in Hindi, but I end up having to insist on English in certain contexts.

It's unnecessarily rude and exclusionary towards others to speak a language others cannot understand in an environment where they have an interest in participating. All it does is form cliques and encourages toxic dynamics to form.

But on the other hand, I previously encountered the opinion that people who insist on speaking in English (especially without the "quirks" and accent of Indian English) despite being able to do Hindi are just trying to be pretentious.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#196

Post by esalman »

argiopetech wrote: post #127
matheusmoreira wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's only exploitation if those workers have to live in the US. Something like 50kUSD/y is laughable to an american but is actually a ridiculous amount of money for a lot of people due to exchange rates. More than worth it so long as they can work remotely without paying US cost of living.

I know plenty of US families who gross less than 50k. They live comfortably, but not extravagantly, and not in California. I also know a handful of people who make less than $25k/yr. They struggle more, but they still get by. $50k/yr, $25/hr may be chump change to a big tech company engineer with a degree from a prestigious university, but it's a very normal hourly (non-overtime) wage (maybe even on the high side) fo…

$25k is close to what international students in the US get paid on average. Postdoctoral fellows get $50k on average. All of them get by, many with families.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#197

Post by zapdrive »

afavour wrote: post #56
chii wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> H1B at big tech is modern slavery that's putting it too far - they are free to leave or quit as they wish. Unlike the true modern slavery of which is migrant workers (like described here https://www.antislavery.org/world-cup-2022-the-reality-for-m... ), where their passports are confiscated, etc. H1B is exploiting the rules for cheap labour. It does benefit the H1B holder - since they would otherwise not have signe…

“Modern slavery” is definitely an exaggeration but many are also not quite so free to quit. The H1B is a “dual intent” visa, meaning you can apply for permanent residency while you have it. But you must maintain your H1B the entire time, which can be a decade or more for folks from places like India. You can transfer an H1B but it’s not easy and if you quit your job you must line another one up in 60 days or say good…

> which can be a decade or more for folks from places like India.

The current estimate for Indians is 140 years [0].

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/united-states-green-ca...

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#198

Post by rhaway84773 »

This article is a nothingburger.

These companies laid off a bunch of people. Some of whom were H1Bs. And they’re hiring a bunch of people. Some of whom are H1Bs.

That’s simply a commentary on large companies hiring even after doing layoffs which is pretty standard.

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#199

Post by wildrhythms »

batch12 wrote: post #28

I believe for H1B they have to post the jobs and demonstrate no qualified American could be found. I've seen companies do this quickly and quietly to satisfy the requirement. I wonder if there a way to identify these opportunities and take advantage of the low applicant pool.

These companies have already found their H1B hire before they even craft the job description. The description will be carefully written to match exactly that candidate's specific expertise and experience, so they can easily decline all other candidates. Also look up a "bench and switch"[1] scheme where foreign hires are lined up in positions that don't even exist to form a defacto H1B staffing agency.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/executives-staffing-compa...

Re: Google, Meta, Amazon hiring low-paid H1B workers after US layoffs

#200

Post by viknesh »

Where in the article does it justify "low paid"?? Given that H1B salaries and job titles are public, and so is levels.fyi, its trivially easy for the authors to be able to fact check this. Unless it's just a scare piece designed to feed into a narrative.

And then they managed to put the two indian FAANG CEOs in the picture, without even mentioning one of their companies? This is really junk journalism...

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