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Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

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Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#171

Post by intended »

ericmay wrote: post #98
Igrom wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While you're making a point in response to a specific post (and the OP), and so you're making a point strictly about Microsoft, an implicit premise that's supposed to strengthen your argument is that only the deep-pocketed Microsoft or its equals are subject to penalties. What about other companies for which this is a less manageable expense? And is it respectable and okay to switch up the law over the weekend if, an…

I agree with you with respect to timing, but I don't think it's too much of one thing or another, and just chalk it up to typical Trump Administration "move fast and make things dumb" approach to various policies. I guess it's possible they chose this weekend to enact the highest shakedown possible on H1B visa holders outside the United States, but I'm reluctant to give them that much credit. I think they just said h…

What you wrote reminds me of descriptions of the Soviet Union.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#172

Post by rayiner »

jacquesm wrote: post #27
Muromec wrote: post #20

This is not what functioning bureaucracy in a functioning democracy looks like.

The democracy stopped functioning a while ago, this is just the bills being presented.

You’re using the term “democracy” in an Orwellian way. The people voted for the guy who promised mass deportations. There were signs and everything. Multiple surveys have found that, if everyone had voted, he would have won by an even larger margin. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5447450/trump-2024-elec...

A non-functioning democracy would be if the people voted this way and mass deportations didn’t happen. Like how immigration went up in the UK after Brexit.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#173

Post by [deleted] »

lotsofpulp wrote: post #105
jacquesm wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The democracy stopped functioning a while ago, this is just the bills being presented.

Unless you mean the electoral college overriding popular vote nonsense, and disproportionate Senate power, which was there since the beginning, I don't know what you mean. The voters apparently wanted more of this per the Nov 2024 elections, when we still had a credible election process.

[deleted]

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#174

Post by 8organicbits »

rjh29 wrote: post #111
0xy wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

H1Bs are slave labor and the program is used primarily by sweat shop consultancies who pay them less than Americans. This will be incredible for Americans looking for work. They don't have to compete with artificially cheap workers.

When I think of slavery I usually think of working for free, not H1B tech worker salaries which are insanely high on a global scale. It's also something people actively sign up for.

To echo a sibling comment: freedom, not salary, is under question. Agreement should not be given one time at sign up, it needs to be given continuously. High cost associated with being compelled to leave the country upon quitting, low mobility between employers, etc. reduce that freedom.

Worth reading about https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forced_labour, it's not just the practice of chattel slavery, and various forms are still legal in the US.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#175

Post by jacquesm »

omarqureshi wrote: post #170
jacquesm wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the focus should be first and foremost on the damage to personal relationships rather than their ability to keep working, even if that will become more important soon after. You can't just drop crap like this on people without warning, this whole governing by proclamation is idiotic.

This is absolutely a mean AF law. This is pure Trump in his element with no depth of thought. However Big Tech does not care about your feelings, there are two realistic options. To send you back where you came from (severance). To send you somewhere where you have the ability to keep doing what your doing. Some may fork out the fee for a year for exceptional staff, thats about it. Anyway, forget the tech sector. The…

Yes, from the US economy's point of view this is a massive own goal. But I'm far more concerned with the people affected than with the US economy or the companies. Having to re-schedule your life on a 48 hour notice is a very hard problem in logistics, finances and various paper tigers. I'd focus on personal safety first and sort out the details bit-by-bit, the one thing I would not do is to try to get back in to the USA in a situation where I would expose my family to ICE and their penchant for cruelty. Anything better than that.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#176

Post by milch »

phyzix5761 wrote: post #5
ericmay wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Microsoft can also just pay the fee right? My understanding is that it’s on the employer to pay, not the individual. Given that these are incredibly skilled folks this would certainly be annoying if you’re Microsoft (like any other tax or fee) but given the value they get from each employee it seems like $100,000 isn’t much.

Incredibly skilled? More like incredibly low paid. H1Bs are mostly used now to save money not to fill high skilled jobs. I know US citizens who have 10+ years of experience as software engineers and have been out of work for a year now. The $100k will try to take that advantage away from employers.

10 YoE means nothing. Let's not pretend there isn't a massive skill gap in software engineering. I've interviewed and worked with 10+ YoE people in my company that I wouldn't trust with junior work on my team.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#177

Post by AaronAPU »

rayiner wrote: post #172
jacquesm wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The democracy stopped functioning a while ago, this is just the bills being presented.

You’re using the term “democracy” in an Orwellian way. The people voted for the guy who promised mass deportations. There were signs and everything. Multiple surveys have found that, if everyone had voted, he would have won by an even larger margin. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5447450/trump-2024-elec... A non-functioning democracy would be if the people voted this way and mass deportations didn’t happen. Lik…

Democracy is when my candidate wins and does things I want.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#178

Post by brador »

rayiner wrote: post #172
jacquesm wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The democracy stopped functioning a while ago, this is just the bills being presented.

You’re using the term “democracy” in an Orwellian way. The people voted for the guy who promised mass deportations. There were signs and everything. Multiple surveys have found that, if everyone had voted, he would have won by an even larger margin. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5447450/trump-2024-elec... A non-functioning democracy would be if the people voted this way and mass deportations didn’t happen. Lik…

It's Tyranny of the Majority - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyranny_of_the_majority

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#179

Post by gdulli »

rich_sasha wrote: post #169

UK around Brexit time thought kind of similar: let's keep the "riffraff" immigrants out by applying higher criteria. The narrative also changed this way: we don't want immigrants in general, but you , with your highly paid PhD-requiring job, you can go in, on a 2 year rolling basis. Then everyone's a winner, except for unwanted, unskilled labour. But a lot of skilled labour left anyway. Partly because the general atm…

It should be the most obvious thing in the world that whether you take a fundamentally welcoming and positive mindset towards people vs. a negative and unwelcoming mindset, the effects of either will propagate and magnify themselves over time.

But when you're insecure the feelings you get from the latter are more comforting in the short term.

Re: Microsoft has urged its employees on H-1B and H-4 visas to return immediately

#180

Post by jacquesm »

rayiner wrote: post #172
jacquesm wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The democracy stopped functioning a while ago, this is just the bills being presented.

You’re using the term “democracy” in an Orwellian way. The people voted for the guy who promised mass deportations. There were signs and everything. Multiple surveys have found that, if everyone had voted, he would have won by an even larger margin. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/26/nx-s1-5447450/trump-2024-elec... A non-functioning democracy would be if the people voted this way and mass deportations didn’t happen. Lik…

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