Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Here’s why experts think Trump took ‘a sledgehammer’ to the H-1B visa worker program
PBS ^ | 9/30/2025 | Hannah Grabenstein

Posted on 10/01/2025 5:49:05 AM PDT by marcusmaximus

-snip-

Many H-1B visas are awarded to foreign graduates of U.S. universities. Visa holders can generally stay in the country for up to three years, with an additional three-year extension, and H-1Bs have the additional benefit of being able to be converted into a green card. That’s a common path foreign professionals use to establish permanent citizenship, Glennon said.

How does Trump want to change the H-1B program?

During the COVID-19 pandemic and near the end of his first term, Trump suspended the H-1B visa program, saying he wanted Americans to be able to find jobs in a fragile labor market. Though he extended the suspension through March 2021, President Joe Biden revoked the order and restored the visa program that February.

-snip-

“It may, I fear, end up shutting down the entire program, because I’m not sure that even stars are worth $100,000,” she said. Companies may worry about paying huge fees for employees who may come for a short time, hate living in the U.S. and then return to their home country. In the worst case scenario, she said, fewer talented workers in the U.S. would “mean less innovation, less patenting, and therefore less economic growth.”

Generally, experts worry that the Trump administration’s changes to the H-1B visa program will throttle the flow of young talent.

“The $100,000 tax by itself would already sharply reduce demand for entry-level employment, because [an] entry-level worker, by definition, you don’t know them well. You haven’t tested them. You don’t have a relationship with them,” Clemens said.

But it might also discourage more experienced and highly sought workers from pursuing opportunities.

“It’s signaling sort of an unwelcoming environment, so that top talent may not be interested in coming to the U.S.,” Glennon said.

(Excerpt) Read more at pbs.org ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: gayforindia; h1b; h1btruth; india; kiryandil; kiryandil4india; kiryandilisawesome; modi; remaininindia; sendincash; sendthemback
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 next last
To: Dr. Sivana

This isn’t about silly phone support jobs. How ignorant are some of you?


21 posted on 10/01/2025 6:28:03 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: caddie

Medicare-funded residences should be limited to US citizens.

It is my understanding that there is a shortage of Medicare-funded residences.


22 posted on 10/01/2025 6:28:26 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

Now’s the time for the H1B visa program to be dismantled.


23 posted on 10/01/2025 6:30:55 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

I want 20 posts a day on H-1B visa abuse. The more the better. Even if these posts make globalist uncomfortable because they have a guilt conscience.


24 posted on 10/01/2025 6:31:10 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus

Then burn the deep staters setting quotas and facilitating this abomination at the stake.


25 posted on 10/01/2025 6:33:20 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 23 | View Replies]

To: central_va
This isn’t about silly phone support jobs. How ignorant are some of you?

I was responding to someone who asked specifically about "silly phone support jobs". That's why his question was italicized.

In any event, I have worked in IT for 40 years, and when you get to level three phone support, they are not supposed to be silly anymore. Companies like Cisco, Dell, IBM, and HPE all employ off-shore help for high-end phone/on-line support jobs. Some of them are very good, others, not so much.

You do not help the conversation by calling people ignorant.
26 posted on 10/01/2025 6:37:07 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye." (John 2:5))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus

re: “mean less innovation, less patenting, and therefore less economic growth.”

I call BS. I have worked with a lot of engineers who were born in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh - some educated there and some here. While most of them were competent engineers, they were NOT innovative. As long as they were given extensive specs and detailed instructions as to what they were being asked to do -— they did well. But they were not the type to create new stuff or to create based on vague requirements.


27 posted on 10/01/2025 6:43:25 AM PDT by PortugeeJoe
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana

Ok fair enough but it is an insult to IT professionals when discussing the H-1b travesty.


28 posted on 10/01/2025 6:50:42 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: PortugeeJoe

That isn’t the point. That globalist tripe is a lie. When you try to counter a lie you give credence to their BS.


29 posted on 10/01/2025 6:52:19 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Dr. Sivana

* You are out of luck. Those folks are already off-shore.*

I realized that after I commented.


30 posted on 10/01/2025 6:54:27 AM PDT by sgt_lau (Islamophobic? No. I reject a 7th century death-cult that demands non-believers like me, dead.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus

It’s an extremely corrupted system. A lot of H1b “bodyshop” agencies hire H1bs and place them as “temporary” workers at companies while the bodyshop skims their salary. The “temporary” job lasts many years. The switch in the way immigration runs the H1b lottery only made the situation favor these kinds of scenarios even more. It’s all legal enough that they have been getting away with it for many years. The government has tried to address it before, but small reforms haven’t worked. They managed to crack down on a few of the worst outright scams, like mail-order college degrees and outright violation of the wage requirements.


31 posted on 10/01/2025 6:54:52 AM PDT by ReagansShinyHair
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus
Actually Trump took a sledgehammer to lots of things that needed to be smashed.

It's the 21st century version of the slashing of the Gordian Knot.

32 posted on 10/01/2025 7:10:24 AM PDT by Savage Beast ("Break free from the temptations and shackles of this world." Erika Kirk, September 21, 2025)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Sirius Lee

True that!


33 posted on 10/01/2025 7:12:25 AM PDT by Tommy Revolts
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Lurker

Yep. This all started prior to Y2K when companies were screaming for help with the date code conversion. I saw it 1st hand it’s Union Pacific. These morons were brought in and put into a bull pin. I Tod my fellow workers the t when Y2K is done, so are we. I was right.


34 posted on 10/01/2025 7:23:07 AM PDT by DownInFlames (P)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus

I’m so tired of the story line that we will dry up talent. That is a cover story. It’s all about cheap. We have plenty of talent in the US but it is out of work replaced by ineffectual foreign cheap labor with poor work habits and difficulty communicating.
Don’t pee on my leg and tell me it’s raining. That goes for Forbes, the author and all those others who stand to lose the money they were making by undercutting US citizens.


35 posted on 10/01/2025 7:24:26 AM PDT by JayGalt (For America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus

My suggested H-1B system:
1. replace the existing system with a salary-based, monthly in 2025 and weekly thereafter, auction system
2. start with 330 openings per bid period day
a. increase openings by 10 per day, up to 500 openings per day, if the winning bid threshold goes higher
b. decrease openings by 10 per day, down to 200 openings per day, if the winning bid threshold goes lower
[to make the system employer demand responsive]
3. get rid of the bogus can’t find an American nonsense
4. limit H-1Bs to 10% of the number of full-time, directly employed, PPACA-regulated health care cost coverage plan covered employees of the employer having a college degree
5. must work on employer’s premises on employer’s project
6. may not ever serve as a chain migration anchor [at most children/spouse]
7. fees
a. $2,000 per bid fee [to deter bogus/duplicate bids & prevent auction system denial of service], plus
b. $5,000 winner fee [to compensate for reduced domestic search costs],
c. an annual inverse salary fee of 10% of the salary amount less than $200,000 plus 20% of the salary amount less than $120,000, plus
d. a payroll health coverage cost savings fee of $8 per week per year of age under age 65 [so highly experienced Americans not replaced by cheap, healthy young foreigners]
8. The Secretary of Labor shall compile computer software development language lists each December and May [college course completion months]
and shall only list languages it found to have been in existence for at least one year
9. H-1B persons can’t start working on coding in a software development project in any Secretary of Labor-listed language

The person must have at least a four-year degree in a statutorily specified subject from a Secretary of Education list of selected, respected educational institutions.

The minimum salary amount should be 120% of the most recent DoL salary survey average for the degree and (interpolated) years of experience.

The H-1Bs should be bid out and awarded based on the salary premium to the minimum.

The bidder must have paid FICA in excess of $50,000 for the penultimate year per winner (to block out scammers). The Secretary of Labor may waive this requirement for up to 1,000 people per year. The bidder must have already won at auction. Auction fees would not be refunded if the waiver is not granted. The waivers will permit startips to import talent.

There would be no requirement beyond common sense to seek domestic talent (as the idea that no domestic person can be found to do a lawful high-tech job is ridiculous). The $5,000 USCIS fee per winner will encourage paying for a search for domestic talent.

A subsequent employer of a person would have to have a subsequent winning bid for the person.

Allowing an imported person to find a better employer would discourage employer abuse of imported employees.

The previous employer would have a qualified (subject to then current law) right to import a replacement person at the bid salary or higher if the person left within one year of auction close.

After six years of salary payment at the person’s initial winning bid level or higher, the H-1B person might then be awarded permanent residence if the law in effect at the time allows for it.

[If the salary is $80,000, the annual inverse salary fee would be $20,000 ($12,000 plus $8,000).]

[The software body shops need to set up partnerships with American colleges to meet most of their staffing needs.]


36 posted on 10/01/2025 7:25:56 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Lurker

My nephew was in IT and MIS for several years at a Fortune 500 company.

His company then fired his entire team, hired an outside consultant, which immediately brought in a team of Indian H1B.


37 posted on 10/01/2025 7:26:05 AM PDT by PGR88
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus
By contributing at least $30/month (or $360/year) to Free Republic you can be a member of the Free Republic Dollar-A-Day club.

"You can contribute any combination of monthly and/or one-time contributions to reach this goal."

Or you can be like marcus, and not contribute ANYTHING but spam, rooterspimpink and blogpimping to Free Republic!

38 posted on 10/01/2025 7:28:32 AM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus
Jump on the Free Republic donations train, freeploadusmaximus.

“Hey, marcus, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know.”

39 posted on 10/01/2025 7:30:55 AM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: marcusmaximus
Send them back.

Send in some cash.

FREEPATHON Q4!!

“Hey, marcus, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort of maintaining Free Republic so's you got a place to spam and troll, you know.”

40 posted on 10/01/2025 7:34:48 AM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-56 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson