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Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

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Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a way of justifying keeping salaries as low as possible for engineers, but somehow managing to cough up more money in some locations. An equally good engineer in Chicago should be worth the same amount as an engineer in SF, but they're paid less... simply because the employer has more negotiating power in both cases. In both cases, the employer pays enough to give the engineer a reasonably good living for the lo…

Why the hell should he be paid the same amount of money? It's a different location, different demand for engineers — this just makes no sense.

Some people think that employees should be paid somewhat proportionally to the amount of value they provide to their employer. If you accept that, then a good engineer should always get about the same amount of money, regardless of the cost of living, because they always produce a similar amount of value for the company.

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the hell should he be paid the same amount of money? It's a different location, different demand for engineers — this just makes no sense.

Some people think that employees should be paid somewhat proportionally to the amount of value they provide to their employer. If you accept that, then a good engineer should always get about the same amount of money, regardless of the cost of living, because they always produce a similar amount of value for the company.

Value is subjective: it's determined as agreement between seller and buyer. Engineer of the same ability is more valuable for an average SF company than an average Chicago company.

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#154
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure that it makes sense to target STEM graduates in this way. Most of them would receive visas based on their high salaries whereas an explicit rule would only serve to increase the number of low quality STEM degrees.

Yeah that did cross my mind, and now that it's been brought up, I'm inclined to think you are right. I just learned that a bunch of acquaintances lost out on their H1B lotteries and will be shipped out of the country to international offices once their OPT terms end in 1-2 months. Since they were employed by strong companies, their salaries likely would have been high enough to qualify them for H1B visas under a syst…

Actually I wonder if entry level employees would be crowded out completely in an auction system - wouldn't it end up being all senior engineers?

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#155
post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You're aware that not every H1B is a developer right? Your proposal would change the whole basis of the program in a way that doesn't seem particularly thought out. What about people who are botanists, or harpsichord teachers?

Universities already have an unlimited quota for H1Bs, so at least the teachers can get it.

Hmm, cite? People I know at universities aren't on H1B visas.

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>Are you seriously saying that foreign students subsidize the education of US citizens? That is one of the most absurd statements I've ever read on HN. US student's educations are paid for by student loans, they fund their own tuitions I can assure you. The GP is correct, domestic students rarely, if ever, pay the true cost of attendance at colleges and universities (hereafter, called 'schools') [1]. The are taxpayer…

What tax payer subsidies? Please explain because I am not aware of any. If you are talking about the 501c3 status that some Universities have that has not reduced tuition costs for anybody in state or otherwise. Additionally the state contributes very little these days to a state university, case in point the UC system. As far your link that only concerns Pell Grants. Pell Grants are only available to "people of need…

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/06/12/study-us-high...

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#157
post #6

I rarely comment but this story makes me happy enough to do so. I'm a former H1-B with an American Masters degree in STEM. I think this conviction will go a long way in making the system fairer. Here is what happened. H1-Bs must be legally employed all (well most of) the time they are in the USA. To get past that rule, these H1-B shops act as employers and then farm out the employees to other companies. Employers nee…

7 years is a very harsh sentence for a non-violent crime.

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a way of justifying keeping salaries as low as possible for engineers, but somehow managing to cough up more money in some locations. An equally good engineer in Chicago should be worth the same amount as an engineer in SF, but they're paid less... simply because the employer has more negotiating power in both cases. In both cases, the employer pays enough to give the engineer a reasonably good living for the lo…

Why the hell should he be paid the same amount of money? It's a different location, different demand for engineers — this just makes no sense.

> different demand for engineers

That was the point that was made upthread. Lower demand -> no shortage -> no need for H1B.

Re: Judge sends two to prison for 7 years for H-1B fraud

#160
post #159

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the hell should he be paid the same amount of money? It's a different location, different demand for engineers — this just makes no sense.

> different demand for engineers That was the point that was made upthread. Lower demand -> no shortage -> no need for H1B.

Yes, and it's the same point I'm trying to defend against a communistic idea of some kind of universal "value" of labour which is equal regardless of location or circumstances.
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