More Visas for Foreign Engineers

Consulting Specifying Engineering Magazine ^ | Mar. 8, 2005 | Consulting-Specifying Engineer

[madfly]

A massive omnibus spending bill passed by Congress in December and signed by President Bush raises the annual cap on H1-B visas, according to a report in the January issue of the National Society of Professional Engineer’s Engineering Times.

Congress added the provision at the last minute, says the report, and legislators approved the bill. NSPE had gone on record as being opposed to raising the visa cap.

The agreement increases the number of H1-B visas for foreign workers in specialty occupations, such as engineering, from 65,000 to 85,000 per year. Theadditional 20,000 H1-B visas would be available only to foreign workers who have advanced graduate degrees from U.S. universities.

The new law increases the fee for processing an H1-B application from $1,000 to $1,500, and the fee for businesses with fewer than 25 full-time employees would be 50% of the full fee, or $750. The increased proceeds from the fees will be earmarked for retraining displaced U.S. technology workers and for scholarships to low-income students studying mathematics, engineering, or computer science.

For more information click here.

[madfly]

ping

[Finger Monkey]

What's the friggin' deal, man. When I was in college, the place was lousy with engineers. I hung out with them. Where'd they go?

[thoughtomator]

They stopped teaching math and science in public school in favor of anti-drug and pro-homosexual propaganda, so now they turn out only journalists and lawyers.

[taxcontrol]

The fees should be based on a percentage of total workers. For example if you have <2% of your work force as visa workers, then one rate. If you have >5% higher rate and if you have more than 10% higher still. Make it more and more expensive to bring a visa worker in. Also require that the visa worker be paid at least at the 50 percentile of like positions within the company.

[Criminal Number 18F]

The purpose of H-1B is so that companies can lay off a $90k US citizen and replace him or her with a $40k Indian or Ukrainian. The company is ahead, the foreigner is ahead, US Government is ahead the $1500 kickback, excuse me, filing fee, and the Congressmen who just voted this are ahead the bribe money, excuse me, campaign contributions.

So, where did the engineers go? A lot of them are working in other fields now because of salary depression in some parts of engineering.

But H-1B is not about a critical shortage of anything but people who Will Work For Food.

d.o.l.

Criminal Number 18F

[Finger Monkey]

They stopped teaching math and science in public school . . . now they turn out only journalists and lawyers.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Math and science are hard (go ask Barbie). Vouchers.

[ScreamingFist]

When I was in college, the place was lousy with engineers. I hung out with them. Where'd they go?

You must be old ;). I just retired from a large defense contractor, they're BEGGING to get new engineers from the universities, I offered to place 3 different kids I knew into company payed scholarships, but nooo..., they all went through college in the arts or law. Sigh.....

[Finger Monkey]

What the frick business does government have with this? Free market. Laissez faire, man. Revolution. Revolution. Crap, I'm probably going to have to become a politician. And I smoked pot. And REALLY enjoyed it. Crap. Crap-ola.

[AntiKev]

What's the friggin' deal, man. When I was in college, the place was lousy with engineers. I hung out with them. Where'd they go?

Being a freshman engineer I'll tell you where they all went. My school (University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada) fails 1/2 of the engineers that enter first year. Another 1/3 of what's left fail out after second year. Looking at the makeup of the graduating class...it's mostly foreign students who take their North American education and use it at home.

[Buffalo Bob]

But H-1B is not about a critical shortage of anything but people who Will Work For Food

One of the most truthful assertions I have ever seen on FR. I applaud your intellect on this issue!

[ScreamingFist]

My school (University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada) fails 1/2 of the engineers that enter first year. Another 1/3 of what's left fail out after second year.

Well, basic math and science obviously eludes 80% of the students enrolled in your university. Basics are essential for engineering.

[Finger Monkey]

Old, me? Nope, I'm a yunggun. You just retired. I was in college in the 80's (ick).

college in the arts

I was an art major when I left college to help my dad (who was a lawyer). Ah, the irony.

[ScreamingFist]

You just retired. I was in college in the 80's (ick).

LOL. I went to college in the '80s also. I retired because I could, not because I'm old ;). My university had very few engineering types, so maybe it's just a location thing.

[Finger Monkey]

I retired because I could

You know, I thought about that just as I posted. Congratulations my man, well done. (applause)

[AntiKev]

Well, basic math and science obviously eludes 80% of the students enrolled in your university. Basics are essential for engineering.

I think the problem is more that the Canadian engineers decide to go out partying rather than study while the foreign ones always spend more time studying. That and the University added a class to the freshman curriculum this year designed to weed out even MORE people from the program.

And if you find any typing/spelling/grammar errors, you'll realize why I went into engineering ;)

[velocityguy]

Well, everyone of us would have to work for food in one way or the other. But the point is, when I was in the USA on several business trips, I had a chance to talk to some college students every now and then. What is interesting is, while America has the most sophisticated technology in its Engineering schools, very few Americans are interested in getting their degrees in Engineering. I think this is what is the main problem. As a result, it is easy for foreign students from Indo-China regions and from other countries to get admitted into the US Universities. They work hard to graduate from the Master's program or Bachelor's program in Engineering because they are expected to perform well enough after investing their entire energies to get that admission/education into a/at a US University. Hence obviously, majority of the US schools' Engineering programs are FILLED with non-US citizens.
For these graduates -

1. a dollar is always mightier than a Rupee or a Yuan, any time.

2. Demand for these H1-B high-tech worker due to lack of enough Americans willing to work under a company's given financial conditions also works in favour of them after their graduation.

3. No enough American students interested in the Engineering programs across American Universities is also proving to be beneficial to Foreign Students.

Therefore, it is expected to see many foreign origin Engineers/Scientists working in American companies besides the other big problem of Outsourcing of jobs to India, Taiwan, Russia, China etc countries.

This is not a good situation to be in for any country.

A foreign born citizen will never be as loyal as someone born in the USA because of several family,financial and other commitments to their motherlands.

[dljordan]

"What's the friggin' deal, man. When I was in college, the place was lousy with engineers. I hung out with them. Where'd they go?"

They laid them off and hired H1b's. They're doing it at my company now while saying they just can't find Americans to do the work.

[ScreamingFist]

I think the problem is more that the Canadian engineers decide to go out partying rather than study while the foreign ones always spend more time studying. That and the University added a class to the freshman curriculum this year designed to weed out even MORE people from the program.

Well said. University has become more of a expensive party than an education, it seems. Some students, however, go there to learn, and they tend to be much more successful, obviously.

[QQQQQ]

"The additional 20,000 H1-B visas would be available only to foreign workers who have advanced graduate degrees from U.S. universities."


This is not all bad -- if they are educated here, we might as well take advantage of it, rather have them go back to their native countries.