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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
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To: marcusmaximus

Anybody who says H1bs are not substitutes for Americans workers, don’t displace American workers and don’t drive down wages for American workers is lying through his teeth. That’s exactly what they do - and everyone knows it. We’re not stupid. When you flood a labor market with 750,000 foreign indentured servants who are typically paid 30% to 40% less than Americans for the same position, OF COURSE its going to drive down wages for Americans. How could it not? Naturally, companies have every incentive to take as many H1Bs as they can get. They’re significantly cheaper and you know they can’t leave you for a competitor. That puts all the power in companies’ hands.


41 posted on 10/01/2025 7:35:30 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: Flavious_Maximus
I love how they flatter themselves with the ridiculous lie that they're all rocket surgeons doing cutting edge stuff. Uhh no. I've worked for banks for decades and seen what they do. Its not cutting edge. Its mostly grunt work. They're not smarter or better either. They're CHEAP. That's the big virtue companies see in them. Cheapness. Nothing else.

I LMAO when they claim innovation will be slowed or try to huff and puff and talk about how American companies depend on them. Newsflash! America had the largest economy in the world, the most nobel prize winners in science, the most cutting edge technology - by all accounts - prior to the start of the H1B program in 1990. However did we manage without all those H1B Indians? By the way, if they're so super duper smart and cutting edge and all.....how come India doesn't have world beating technology? How come India isn't known for its booming tech sector? What happens to all that intelligence when it stays behind in India?

42 posted on 10/01/2025 7:40:30 AM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: marcusmaximus

It is my understanding that the L-1 program covers people already employed by a company overseas to do work in the USA, such as setting up production equipment for a battery factory.

There might be a weekly fee starting at $10 going up by $10/week with no cap.

After a year, the fee would be over $500/week.

After two years, the fee would be over $1,000/week.


43 posted on 10/01/2025 7:53:26 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: protoconservative
As someone in IT who has worked with H1Bs for 30+ years, I found most of them are do not have a mindset to do a good job, they have the mindset to hide out and do whatever gets them to the next contract renewal.

^^^^^^^ THIS. I ALSO WORK IN THE BIZ. I CAN CONFIRM. ^^^^^^^

(Highlighting is mine)
44 posted on 10/01/2025 7:58:43 AM PDT by Nervous Tick (Hope, as a righteous product of properly aligned Faith, IS in fact a strategy.)
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To: Mr. Jeeves
Right now, there is a claim that IT jobs have declined as colleges, tech schools, and universities have pushed people into IT programs. I am trusting what others are saying that most of these positions are "grunt" work. (of course, where I live, Grunt work means destroying things and killing people/s/) But here is my problem with that. The local computer repair shops and mom and pop computer stores are full of people who graduated from computer maintenance and programming courses, some with Associates' and Bachelor's degrees. They work in these stores because they want to be around computers and programming, but few of those Grunt jobs are available to them. In part because Colleges and Universities do not always impart the correct knowledge, but also because of the H-1B program.

Either reduce the number of H1-B visas or put strict rules on their usage. One rule is that if you have an H1-B, you must work in the United States or its territories. You cannot get an H1-B and work remotely back in your country of origin. That allows companies to pay even less. Eliminate H1-B brokers. They, along with Indians who work in hiring for corporations, are getting significant kickbacks for providing more low-cost Indian workers. H1-B should stipulate that American workers must fill 65% of all tech positions hired. They can only outsource 35% of their actual hard positions. (Companies love to list soft job openings with no intention of hiring) H1-B should only be used to fill a position for which there are no available homegrown workers. Every company requesting H1-B visas is subject to an audit of its hiring practices by the Federal Government. Any company caught violating the H1-B guidelines are looking at stiff fines and if repeat offender no longer authorized H1-B hiring.

45 posted on 10/01/2025 8:04:41 AM PDT by OldGoatCPO (No Caitiff Choir of Angels will sing for me)
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To: marcusmaximus

Unlike Trump’s proposed blank check for college graduate work visas, I would annually limit them to 1/10,000nds of a state’s last completed census count, also approved by the state’s lieutenant governor, and limited to no more than 80% of those nominations submitted to that person, and in such a manner that the lieutenant governor has to exercise genuine discretion.

The lieutenant governor typically is less politically vulnerable and has more time for scrutiny. It would be asking too much of Newsom to screen ~4,000 applications annually.

Mississippi would have less demand for computer scientists, but greater demand for educational & medical people to supply unpopular rural areas.

The US has about 330 million people, so that would be ~33,000 college graduates annually allowed for as long as they are employe (with breaks of no more than seven weeks in any 12-month period) and meet the pay minimums below, with 20% exempt by state [to allow in talented artists and performers].

Minimum required graduate annual pay formula:
$38K any qualifying degree+
$9K any qualifying H-1B degree+
$9K for masters, without Ph.D.+
$18K for Ph.D.+
15 times HUD monthly one-bedroom fair market rent+
$6K degree field wherein certification normally commands a premium+
$10K employee works with technology+
$11K uncommon technical skill useful for national defense possessed
[microwave, radar, integrated circuit, cryptography, signal/image processing and other Secretary of Defense listed]+
$10K management or management degree+
$15K if project management+
$8K employer’s workforce has more than two H-1Bs+
$5K employer’s US full-time workforce exceeds 10+
$5K employer is a publicly traded entity, or controlled by one+
10% graduate program usage premium+
state income tax adjustment

These would get adjusted for inflation as with tax brackets.


46 posted on 10/01/2025 8:06:36 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: marcusmaximus

Trump went after H-1B visas because India refused to stop buying Russian oil.


47 posted on 10/01/2025 8:08:00 AM PDT by MinorityRepublican
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To: Lurker

PBS has a sad that America might be for Americans....


48 posted on 10/01/2025 8:16:55 AM PDT by Bigg Red ( Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.)
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To: Brian Griffin

Your retread idea is a loophole machine.


49 posted on 10/01/2025 8:19:29 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: FLT-bird

Your posts are a treat. You know how to make a point. It saves me from having to do it.


50 posted on 10/01/2025 8:21:54 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: kiryandil

“Send in some cash.”

Not everyone allows their name to be posted.

I hopefully contribute enough to cover my bandwidth costs.

Fairness is a core value to me.

We should be thankful for Marcus’ posting contributions. They give us a chance to discuss matters.


51 posted on 10/01/2025 8:24:20 AM PDT by Brian Griffin
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To: FLT-bird

I have travelled the world. Open sewers mean the society is corrupt and low IQ. India stinks.


52 posted on 10/01/2025 8:24:25 AM PDT by central_va ( I won't be reconstructed and I do not give a damn...)
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To: Brian Griffin

Quit covering for freeploaders.


53 posted on 10/01/2025 8:26:44 AM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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To: marcusmaximus

PBS referring to “experts” sends my skepticism meter off the scale.


54 posted on 10/01/2025 8:39:47 AM PDT by libertylover (The HBM (Has Been Media) is almost all AGENDA-DRIVEN, not-truth driven.)
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To: marcusmaximus

H1Bs are scams on so many levers from so many industries beyond where they are working. Real estate, apartment rentals, car loans, restaurants, grocery stores, clothing stores, wire transfer companies,, colleges, banks, etc. All in on the grift of importing “skilled” workers. Coding can happen anywhere in the world. I have worked a lot with very specialized engineers from all over ther the world and most of their work is done in their home countries and they will get temporary visas when they need to be in the shop. But coders and the like can be done anywhere.


55 posted on 10/01/2025 8:47:19 AM PDT by Organic Panic ('Was I molested. I think so' - Ashley Biden in response to her father joining her in the shower.)
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To: Organic Panic

Yes, my next-door neighbor is a high-dollar IT guy who does most of his work from home.

I used to work from home as an IT guy for 2 out of 3 weeks for a couple of years.


56 posted on 10/01/2025 8:59:34 AM PDT by kiryandil (No one in AZ that voted for Trump voted for Gallego )
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