H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
Summary: The H-1B visa is not working well for visa holders, certain U.S. workers or the U.S. government. A report published by the AFL-CIO is a fascinating read on the subject.
Get a cup of coffee and read this report.
The AFL-CIO has weighed in on the U.S. visa situation (i.e., the situation involving L-1, H-1B and other work permits). They have produced a report titled, Gaming the System, and it is an interesting 52-page read.
This report looks at the effect of U.S. visa policies, especially around H-1B visas. The authors focus much of their research on the STEM occupations (i.e., Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and on the education sector. The authors did a fairly good job of chasing the policy, law, lobbying and results of same since the mid-1990s.
Some of the points this paper makes are pretty hard to dispute. For example:
1) It’s hard to argue that job shortages exist when wages have failed to rise in many professions. If scarcity really existed, why have average salaries flat-lined or declined?
2) Visa holders are getting taken advantage of by individuals and companies on both sides of the transaction. There are many documented examples of abuse in this report. One story of Filipino teachers being forced to live 4-8 in a single, roach-infested apartment is tough to forget.
3) Businesses that argued just a few years ago that the U.S. would face a shortage of skilled graduates in STEM disciplines never took into account that other technologies (e.g., low-cost telephony and ubiquitous Internet access) would permit offshore workers to do many of the tasks previously performed within the U.S. by workers in STEM professions. As this report documents, the expected shortages never appeared and wages never rose. These same businesses could actually be at fault for driving away potential college graduates into these fields by their deep layoffs, lack of career path and usage of lower cost offshore workers.
Some of the material in this report is intended to provoke a reaction. One sidebar certainly got my attention. It is found on page 14 and it refers to seminars offered by Cohen and Grisby. It purportedly suggests methods firms might use to avoid hiring U.S. citizens.
Yes, this report is by the AFL-CIO but it’s a pretty good read and anyone who thinks the U.S. visa process is working well or correctly needs to get this report. Beyond the rhetoric, the report definitely leaves you with one very spot-on conclusion: the U.S. visa system is broken, poorly managed and needs an overhaul.
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Talkback
Another report from H-1B oppn camp
"Purportedly"!?
http://www.kermitrose.com/econ200706.html#Best2007
from that point down through the month, and
http://lyrelyrepantzandfier.com/
It's not just Cohen & Grigsby, but Fragomen et al., and the
immigration lawyers' association. They all seem to believe it's
perfectly OK to game the system, and even feel put upon that
they aren't just allowed to bring in the cheap, pliant labor
straight-away without bothering with their admitted "charade"
of advertising the jobs for the US labor markets.
http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/eta20080752.htm
DoL auditing permanent labor certification applications filed by
Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy LLP, the largest filer of
PERM applications in the USA
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
That's one of the key issues the AFL-CIO is addressing in Congress and in this paper.
This employment discrimination has created an overabundance of experienced professionals who can "hit the ground running" and new STEM grads who aren't even considered for US job openings.
Senator Sanders bill, Employ American Act (S.2804), will prevent downsizing companies from forcing us to train our foreign replacements; the CIR bill will restore our ability to compete for job openings in our own country.
But establishing US policies that address this oversupply will be the only effective way that we can stop this culture of bypass.
Donna Conroy, Director
www.brightfuturejobs.com
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
If we were talking about soybeans or crude oil, the negative effect of this increase in supply would be a foregone conclusion.
The H-1B program is large; it suppresses career growth for domestic high-tech workers; it hurts job security; it discourages students from entering this field.
We should have public policy that raises our standard of living. The H-1B program lowers our standard of living.
H1B Visas are 65,000 not 150,000 per year
year.
Correction 65,000 is the low number
H-1B Visa program needs to be immeditely suspended
The fact that DoL can't tell you how many people are in this country under the program means that it's out of control, not in the best interests of the country, and a major security risk.
Re: H-1B Visa program needs to be immeditely suspended
1B visas. DHS (Department of Homeland Security)
manages them.
Doesn't matter
It's time to change these slave labor conditions, NOW.
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
Millions of IT professionals are out of work.
Millions of IT graduates never got a chance.
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
The two artists who, eventually, took my job were nice guys and very talented. They came from a Russian equivalent of Disney and were highly professional. They spoke almost no English, but one of them managed to explain to me that, by regulation, they were not even allowed to look for another job for three years lest they be sent back to an area where they were subject to being sniped at (and where they made starvation wages). Not much chance any of them were going to demand better working conditions (which were abominable, with 30 hour work days and the like), higher wages, or form a union.
When I and scores of others were laid off (some of whom had moved here from other states for the job) there were not five workers left whose native language was English, and two of those were Canadian. No doubt workers all over the world desperately need US jobs, but charity begins at home.
Sat in on a conf call just yesterday...
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
Hahahaha,,,,
# H1b Visa Employer
Official USA Visa Lottery Plan for Success in Your Future.
www.usagc.org
# Immigrate to Canada
Canadian Immigration Canadian Point System
optus.ca
So you either employ foreigners or emigrate to Canada.. hahaha LOLROTF
When (if) you grow up, you might want a job.
outside North America. Instead of flipping burgers (which several
American older IT workers are still doing), you could get a meaningful
job someplace that actually VALUES talent at something other than
manipulating people - like the semi-mythical USA that I grew up in.
First, destroy education (Jarvis-Gann). Then, destroy competitive
media (your radio choices are now NPR and ClearChannel, with less
and less differentiation every day). Once people have forgotten how
to read and get all their "information" from the same talking heads,
you can proceed with the largest transfer of wealth in the history of
humanity - to the ultra-rich.
To see what it's likely to be like if the US continues as it is, visit
Singapore. But if you do, bring lots and lots of money - and be very
careful not to talk to anybody who doesn't absolutely fawn over the
ruling family. It's safer that way for all of us.
"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" - an obsolete concept?
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change
I'd rate that up there with..
RE: H-1B Visas, the AFL-CIO and the Need for Change