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Updates to H-1B

uscis.gov

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Re: Updates to H-1B

#311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's enabling companies to bring highly skilled individuals to work in the USA rather than having them open offices in other countries.

For the “highly skilled” there’s the O-1 visa.

Not really, O-1 is essentially a visa to bring a specific person to the US. While H1B is a wide net (yes, visa given to a specific person, not what I'm saying).

o-1 is to bring Albert Einstein and h1b is to bring some physicist that matches criteria.

As in, O-1 is person-focused, while H1B is role-focused.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#312

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US is only 4% of the world's population, so there's an enormous number of extremely smart people who live outside its present borders. I don't think anyone believes that even the world's greatest educational system can bring all of its students up to an extremely high level of general intelligence. We should be letting very smart people born outside the US emigrate here, which is a win-win for everyone involved

Sure. But the government of the United States is, allegedly, there for the benefit of its citizens. I'm not really following where this "should" comes from. "Should" in what volume? "Should" over what time frame?

Letting in a lot of smart people benefits the citizens of the United States, that's why I said it's a win-win. Do you think we'd be better off if we excluded Musk to hire a native-born American instead in our aerospace industry?

Just going back in time, do you think the US would be better off if we'd excluded Irish immigrants? Italians? Germans? If blocking immigration somehow benefits native-born citizens, you'd logically have to think our population should have stayed the same as it was when we broke away from Britain. We'd be about the size of say Colombia, maybe with a bit higher GPD

Re: Updates to H-1B

#313

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Another complication - H1Bs are valid for 6 years. However, the physical paper stamp given on passports is only valid for 3 years at a time. So if I chose to stay in the US (and not travel internationally) I'd be fine to continue working without renewing my physical visa paper stamp. But to get a new physical stamp, I have to re-enter the country every 3 years. How does that make sense?

> But to get a new physical stamp, I have to re-enter the country every 3 years. How does that make sense? Why do you need a new physical stamp at all if you are not re-entering? I think your argument is backwards here. What I think you’re asking is “why can I stay in the country without taking this step, but I have to take this step to re-enter.” Well, because when you leave the country you are subject to certain la…

Visa is valid for 6y, entry visa for 3. You decide to visit Europe in year 4, you have to travel to southeast Asia or South America to renew your entry visa before you can get back to work? Sounds stupid.

Another incredibly stupid thing of the American system is the fact that your spouse cannot work while you're subject to it.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#314

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does "The US" siphon that money off? Or Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, etc. siphon that money off? And where and to whom does it go from there? The major benefit of reducing or eliminating the H1B visa program is that those companies can continue to do well, and Americans can do well along with them.

The money this siphon brings in is benefiting not just tech workers and tech shareholders. When the money is spent it turns the wheels of our economy, which leads to prosperity for all Americans, not just the 8% or so that work in tech. The tech industry vacuums up money from foreign countries and pumps it into the economy of our country. The beneficiaries include all Americans, including those who work in restaurant…

What you are referring to is the velocity of money. Compared to wage income the velocity of money from capital is quite low.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The program exists to brain drain other countries of talent. It's very successful at that.

65k or 80k or say even 250k GLOBALLY per year is going to “brain drain” 8+ billion Global population? Yup, you got it, that’s what US is doing…

What make you think that majority of that 8 billion population is worth to drain?

Re: Updates to H-1B

#316
post #94

Cancel the program. It's not needed. It's used to game the system. It's not supposed to be a backdoor to a green card.

Guy who born with natural citizenship is too privileged to imagine how hard it is to get a green card.

This is a hideous tone that will do nothing but antagonize proud citizens and sour voters on the idea of generosity.

Thoughtful discourse is predicated first on basic respect.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#317

A supposed shortage of qualified US applicants for tech jobs, especially software developers, doesn't jibe with the huge numbers of US developers currently looking for work, including highly experienced older workers suffering from age discrimination. I'd be surprised if more than 5-10% of H-1B positions are ones where the hiring company has even looked for US applicants.

Well, tech companies claim that they cannot find good enough workers to fill their positions. But "good enough" is a subjetive classification. I can always create a test for which you are not good enough, it doesn't matter how much knowledge you have. And that's what tech companies have done for years. They'll aways craft a contrived interview process that will classify most people as not "good enough" and use this as evidence that there are not enough workers available, so they will get the opportunity to expand the pool of workers as much as they want.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#318
post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if this shortage has to do with the recent strong swing back to in-office work

Well, what is a company supposed to do if local candidates do not want RTO? It seems logical to hire workers who are OK with RTO, especially if they are outside of the country and clearly willing to relocate for RTO.

It just takes the negotiation power from the employees though. The question is, whether it’s more important to make the employees happy or the businesses. Both have valid cases.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#319
post #68

It’s never been clear to me why this program exists in the first place, other than to put downward pressure on US STEM wages. What am I missing?

Global competition exists. If US companies can't hire the best, others will. I hope you don't assume that all the best workers/researchers are born within US borders.

The best people are in no small part a product of their environment. You can have the best people but with no resources they won't be productive.

Re: Updates to H-1B

#320
post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is not having a per-country cap going poorly in Canada?

Because there are an overwhelming number of immigrants from the same state (or two) in India.

Is this bad due to the hypothetical loss of diversity? ie, it'd be better if there were a mix of Indian, Chinese, Brazilian, Mexican, etc immigrants, vs only immigrants from a single state in India?
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