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

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

591–600 of 679 posts

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

#591

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a Republican and an immigrant and there are millions of others. So perhaps it is more complicated than that.

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I don't mind and of course just being a Republican is controversial enough in an online community.

The ridiculous thing is that people actually don't have the world view / awareness that is compatible with the physical reality of a ton of immigrants being Republicans and Trump supporters - and things shifting even more this way as of the last election.

It's ridiculous both because of your opinion doesn't cover that reality then you obviously can't understand because you can't even imagine - and also if you are really trying to fight it then you need to be real about what's happening.

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

#592
post #541

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A "White House Official" may be saying this now, but it is not what was in the EO that was actually signed. There were no exclusions for current holders, and the start date was explicitly September 21, 2025 (a date that does apply to the "next lottery"). They are more than welcome to roll back this asinine decision, but pretending that everyone else is just mis-interpreting is gaslighting. Either way, until there is…

I agree with the first part, but for the second, this is not an unnamed WH source, it is the Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt

Not even the first time this week that this admin can't keep each other aligned.

I'd follow the words of the proclamation/EO over what the mouthpiece says.

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

#593
post #561
post #518

Update from USCIS: https://www.uscis.gov/sites/default/files/document/memos/H1B... "Clarification" from Press Secretary: https://x.com/PressSec/status/1969495900478488745 1.) This is NOT an annual fee. It’s a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. 2.) Those who already hold H-1B visas and are currently outside of the country right now will NOT be charged $100,000 to re-enter. H-1B visa holders can leave and…

Info from customs agents at airport is aligned with this statement. Specifically that it does NOT apply to current visa holders. How consistent that is, no idea.

I smell another border control catastrophe this week. They already aren't respecting existing ViSAs

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

#594

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Immigration exploded after Brexit. While the official line was "Let's keep the riffraff out". the reality was that the Tories used Brexit to bring in plenty of cheap labour from specific countries, and the income requirements are applied very selectively. Foreign students were also encouraged to study here and remain after studying. Initially even family reunion immigration was encouraged, although that's changed now…

And yet, insanely, the Tories still get called "anti-immigration". They were the most pro-immigration government in British history, by far.

US conservatives had the same issue before this year. They'd regularly vote against stronger immigration policies, because it turns out rich donors like under-paying non-citizens.

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

#595

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>lands 25mins after the deadline I'd rather just have waited until an injunction or something next week. The guidance from my company is either make it back before the deadline, or stay where you are until further notice.

"Further notice" can easily be a firing notice. I understand your position, but it's a bit of a privileged one. Not everybody will have that option.

Rushing to the US and getting detained by border patrol in a foreign country isn't exactly a shinier alternative at this point. I'd take my risks with my job over my life in those shoes.

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

#596
post #215

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel for you. I just wonder, at this point why would someone look to go back to the US "At any price", given how bad are they being treated? From what I can see, it seems most of us non-US people are "persona non grata" in the US. I myself am and live in a so called "shithole country ". But specially because of my Technical skills, I've got plenty of opportunities over here. I would never think on living in the USA…

Consider they have a life, a house/appartment, all things they own,… there. Would you give all that up without at least trying to get back?

Over potentially my life? Yes, I would give up. For now. I can ask for my assets after the fascist regime is overthrown.

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

#597
post #546

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Neither. I am an open minded individual who's traveled the world, and am a dual citizen, highly educated, highly intelligent and successful:) And naturally I was a Democrat through 2016, but as Democrats moved left they left me behind on a lot of issues. And then the fact that your side is now like "you are evil or stupid if you don't agree with us" (eg your post) makes any re-engagement impossible. You seem like a r…

What issues do you feel left behind on? And why do you think the Democratic Party has moved left on them?

The mistake I think you're making is that people want to reengage with the fascists that call themselves Republicans or that their political beliefs are legitimate. Your party is letting an authoritarian president tear our rule of law, customs, institutions, economy, and people apart - and it gets worse everyday. There is no engagement with the insanity that is MAGA.

If you just want an example, I have many friends and family who are gay or trans. Republicans don't believe they should be allowed to exist, and at the extreme ends, advocate violence against them. Why should I pretend that there's any engagement possible on that angle, when one "side" is inherently violent?

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

#598

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you get fired or laid off, you only have 60 days to find a new job or be deported. Also depending on where you are in the green card process, you can lose your place. This creates an incentive for H-1B workers to tolerate working conditions that American workers wouldn't.

Again, if you have terrible work conditions, you as an H1B have the same options as US citizens. You look for a different job and maybe suck it up for a couple of months, just like a US citizen would. And while yes, if have an ongoing green card process which takes 12-18 months, you may have an incentive to stick around to see it to completion, anyone who has their I-140, does not actually “lose their place” in the g…

>anyone who has their I-140

That’s doing a lot of heavy lifting, which is what I meant by depending on where they are in the process.

You have 2 employees at the same company in a bad job market.

If employee A gets laid off or fired, he has enough savings for a 2 year job search and can pay for COBRA for 18 months.

If employee B gets fired or laid off, he has 60 days to find a job and make it through the hiring process.

There’s been 1 round of layoffs and there are rumors there might be another. The boss asks both of them to put in extra hours, which one is more likely to say no?

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

#599

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…

Immigration exploded after Brexit. While the official line was "Let's keep the riffraff out". the reality was that the Tories used Brexit to bring in plenty of cheap labour from specific countries, and the income requirements are applied very selectively. Foreign students were also encouraged to study here and remain after studying. Initially even family reunion immigration was encouraged, although that's changed now…

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

#600
post #597

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Neither. I am an open minded individual who's traveled the world, and am a dual citizen, highly educated, highly intelligent and successful:) And naturally I was a Democrat through 2016, but as Democrats moved left they left me behind on a lot of issues. And then the fact that your side is now like "you are evil or stupid if you don't agree with us" (eg your post) makes any re-engagement impossible. You seem like a r…

What issues do you feel left behind on? And why do you think the Democratic Party has moved left on them? The mistake I think you're making is that people want to reengage with the fascists that call themselves Republicans or that their political beliefs are legitimate. Your party is letting an authoritarian president tear our rule of law, customs, institutions, economy, and people apart - and it gets worse everyday.…

As I alluded to in my prior comment - the fact that you are so ready to call people insane fascists (or in prior post, dumb or evil) is the end of the conversation.

Wherever you live in the US, at least 1 out of 3 of your neighbors voted for Trump. That's a lot of random people to call fascist.

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