Posted on 03/04/2016 5:06:54 PM PST by Mariner
Trade tensions between India and the United States intensified on Friday as New Delhi filed a complaint with the World Trade Organization over steep fee increases for U.S. non-immigrant temporary work visas.
The WTO said in a statement that India has disputed the doubling of the fees for H-1B and L-1 work visas and limits on their numbers. The visas are typically used by thousands of Indian nationals hired by information technology services firms operating in the United States.
The complaint comes just days after the United States won a WTO ruling in favor of its challenge to India's domestic content rules for its solar power subsidy program after months of negotiations failed to produce a settlement.
In its filing, India said the new U.S. visa measures seemed inconsistent with the WTO commitments the United States had made, because the moves treat Indian IT workers in the United States less favorably than their American counterparts.
In December, the U.S. Congress doubled the cost of sponsoring H-1B visas to $4,000 each and L-1 visas to $4,500 each as part of a major spending bill. Indian business lobby NASSCOM estimated that would inflate costs for Indian IT export firms by $400 million a year.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
This is what Free Trade has wrought, the "duty free" importation of labor.
you will be enlightened if you read the entire article. Of note: IT Outsourcing accounts for 3/4 of Indian revenue in trade with the US.
Scandalous.
Indian workers - (++)
US government - (++)
US workers - (- - -)
Pretty slick deal..! Uncle Same and Rajiv split up the LUNCH of honest Americans..!
Picture getting very clear!
So India’s complaint that their economic warfare against America isn’t profitable enough?
Fine, GTF OUT.
Make your own damn companies if you’re so freaking smart.
...[India complains that] the [American government] moves treat Indian IT workers in the United States less favorably than their American counterparts.
Try THIS one on:
The US complains to India that Indian measures treat American workers less favorably than Indian workers.
Doesn't that sound ridiculous...? Cuz it SHOULD.
It’s so stupid, it’s baffling how a nation can ever hope to survive.
The $4,000 H1b processing fee is paid by the US company, or intead by an Indian company..?
Both are bad, sure, but one is worse.
Anyone know?
I used to process twenty or thirty I-9 work forms a week for mostly Indian and Pakistani workers mainly for Microsoft or for other software firms. Some spoke decent English, some were way out there, very hard to understand. They were on an 18 month visa. Whether they returned or not, not sure.
They do all their recruiting in India, then pay the fee for each they are able to place.
The outsource company pays the worker's transport and temporary accommodations in the US and keeps at least 30% off the top for profit.
They will bill $100 an hour for top talent (US IT Pro firms bill $200+/hr).
The Indian worker will get $30-$40/hr. And they cannot work for anyone but the original firm that paid the fee.
So that gives the company INCREDIBLE leverage over the candidate.
Primarily I feel sorry for the unseen American victim, but that must be sheer hell for the placed worker.
Usually I reject terms like “exploitation” or “usury”, but that does seem usurious to me, egregiously so.
If programmers can cost $200 per hour, clearly we need a large supply to meet such a demand. Programming is not a high level skill, compared to, say, a pharmacist, chemical engineer, scientist or a EE. That they command such high hourly fees means that the skills are scarce, not that they are high. If so, the IT industry is right to lobby for more workers.
Well, it sounds like there is a duty on them. And doubled in December. Trump effect?
H1B visa is for US company to use. Why Indian Govt had get involved?
H1B visa fee is for US company. If US companies hires foreign nationals, they have to pay fee.
Why its giving heart burn to India?
I think some of them make them pay back the fee.
Yes, I have known some of them, worked with them. Perfectly nice people. Absolutely the indentured servant of the company. Just like with the Mexican illegale situation half the problem is the terrible exploitation of these people they pipe up here.
That’s for top tier consulting firm fees. You can hire a programmer, permanent or as a contractor, for far far less.
Screw India and these HB-1 visas. There are plenty of Americans that can do this job competently. This is just a way for American businesses to put Americans last. They should be ashamed of themselves.
It’s true. In many ways, it destroyed my career.
I remember when Qwest brought in these half wits to replace us. They caused more rework with there shoddy workmanship, but Qwest rather get rid of the American IT workers for these idiots.
The bull$hit the hope feeds us is nothing but lies. There are plenty of IT professionals in this country that perform far better than these invaders, but the companies and chamber of commerce rather pay half wits.
the moves treat foreign nationals less favorably than American nationals (while the foreign nationals are making a month's worth of salary back home in one day here)? boo hooo
They don't. For bulk code one offshores at $25/hr.
$200/hr is for CCIE, Security, Data Architects, SAN Engineers etc.
The good one's in that class of worker have invested as much time and learning as any MS at MIT.
And they actually know how to do something.
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