You are correct. I hired my first H1-b in approximately 1996. We followed the rules. We only hired this person because they had an extremely unique software skill set and we could not find the person we needed at the prevailing rate which was probably $250/hour. It was costly and time consuming to do it the legal way.
Today, it is for people with very common skills at less than $25/hour. Theses companies like TATA and others bring in Indian workers, pay the $10/hour and room them at like 8 to 10 people in a low rent three bedroom apartment.
This is slavery pure and simple. The worker puts up with it because they want their green card. If you leave the plantation you are deported. The slave master will not transfer your H1-b as that removes their power. Stay and work for $10 or be deported, period. So you have an Indian slave and an unemployed American and a CEO with a sick bonus. When the worker eventually gets his H1-b, he is the meanest, nastiest person to deal with because for 5 years he has been raped and he is not happy about it.
The program is bad, very, very bad. It is causing our demise to accelerate exponentially as it is causing high paid professional jobs to be brought down to the level of minimum wage jobs.
Great write-up. You’ve zeroed in on the worst things about it.
Didn’t Paul Ryan say we couldn’t do away with it because our companies can’t compete globally without it? Maybe Ryan needs to go also.