LOBBYING FAILS, H-1B VISA CAP FALLS to 65,000

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 01, 2003 12:53:47 PM ]via India TImes ^ | OCTOBER 01, 2003 12:53:47 PM | K YATISH RAJAWAT/ECONOMICTIMES.COM

[11th_VA]

MUMBAI: The annual cap for H-1B visas will now be 65,000. This is a sharp drop from the earlier limit of 195,000 visas.

The US plans to enforce this rule from October 1, 2003.

The Indian IT industry has been lobbying hard to freeze H-1B visa limits at current levels. However, these efforts which had the support of some US corporations to retain H-1B visa limits have failed. (Will Europe be the next big hunting ground for Indian IT pros?)

Indian IT professionals are among the largest users of H-1B visas, as US Big Tech shops big from this technical pool. The H1-B visa cap was raised to 195,000 in 02. This particular legislation had a 'sunset' clause. According to this clause, the limit would have (automatically) lapsed on October 1, 2003. Ergo, the H1-B visa annual cap will now fall back to 65,000 visas.

The H1-B visa issue has generated a lot of controversy in the US. Several trade unions representing (local) technology workers have been lobbying against these work permits. The slowdown in the high-tech industry combined with an overall drop in US economic growth has resulted in a number of job losses.

H1-B visa users have been at the receiving end of criticism from unemployed American professionals for taking away their jobs. These visa users are also seen as representative of the trend towards offshore outsourcing trade jargon for moving to cheaper locations like India which is also under flak for spiriting away US jobs.

The visa was created in the early 1950s to give skilled foreign workers a permit to reside in the United States. The H1-B category was added in 1990 to give foreign workers an opportunity to pick up a job with the intention of remaining permanently in the United States.

In 1999, under pressure from high-tech companies and other manufacturers, Congress expanded the limit from 65,000 to 115,000. It raised the cap again to 215,000 in 00 and to 195,000 in 01 and 02.

Top Indian companies have been curtailing the use of H1-B visas for sending employees to the US. Ergo, it unlikely that the offshore outsourcing trend will be affected. Most companies have shifted to the use of L-1 visas (used for intra-company transfers). However, companies whose basic revenue model is supplying manpower to US corporations, ( body-shoppers, are likely to be hit by this move.

[BabsC]

It's not dollar for dollar - often more like dollar for 50 cents.

What I noticed was a number of young men from India come here, they mostly have arranged marriages back home waiting for them, and live together. The older more experienced guys bring their families here later and work to get other Indian's back home work via the internet doing outsourced, grunt work coding.

Personally the only way to stay employed in the high-tech field is to stay "high-tech". This means learning something everyday, all the time. Reading the trade journals and staying aware of what's coming down the pike.

I timed my computer career to last 25 years. I started in the early '70s. I got 27 years of good work then retired. Right on time too, this new PC coding is so messy compared to my neat, indented, commented, top/down structured logic with I/O isolated, modulated easy to maintain and modify code.

[Cogadh na Sith]

I'm a stockbroker.

So, you actually don't produce anything at all. You add no value to the market at all.

I'd be willing to do your job for a third of what you make. I'm sure I'd be more efficient too.

I'll bet I could churn more accounts per hour and make more 'cold calls' in an hour than you do for 1/3rd your pay.

Please put me in touch with your management so I can offer my more efficient services at 1/3 your salary.

[Lazamataz]

I timed my computer career to last 25 years. I started in the early '70s. I got 27 years of good work then retired. Right on time too, this new PC coding is so messy compared to my neat, indented, commented, top/down structured logic with I/O isolated, modulated easy to maintain and modify code.

I can prototype your screens in 20 minutes, design objects that isolate IO nicely, and have the system maintainable and structured -- but in an object-oriented way -- in 1/4 your time from specs to user-manual. ;^)

Object oriented programming really does rock. :o)

[Lazamataz]

indented, commented

Oh, BTW: That part of coding still hasn't gone away. :o)

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Do you realize how much lower the unemployment is since free trade policies started going into effect? Do you have any idea? "

You claim to be an economist but use THAT as your basis of fact? HA! Double HA!

The fact is, the unemployment rates are HIGHER than before NAFTA and other "free traitor" agreements. Get the REAL fats straight before you spout off.

[adam_az]

Good for you! You got out just in time.

I'm at 10 years now. I was a programmer in the past, and decided that I didn't want to be a commodity item any more, so I specialized further into obscure areas of IT security that thankfully (so far) has had the job offers coming to me, as opposed to having to go looking for them.

I know that won't last forever, so at age 30 I'm back in night school, working on finishing my Bachelors... in Economics, not Comp Sci.

[JohnSmithee]

"Yeah, yer a broker alright."

LOL.

I remember he used to live in Ohio, but now he apparently has moved to Texas. He also claimed to make a small wage but now suddendly he's a "stock broker". It's good for a laugh now and then.

[Lazamataz]

I know that won't last forever, so at age 30 I'm back in night school, working on finishing my Bachelors... in Economics, not Comp Sci.

I'm gonna stay in coding and analysis for two reasons: 1) Offshoring is a fad, 2) Not everything can be offshored, and 3) Some of my work will be to startup a company that USES coding as opposed to coding for others.

THREE! THREE reasons.

4) Americans are better coders than Indians abroad.

FOUR! FOUR reasons I mean. I meant to say four.

5) There will still be money in it for good people, and I love computers.

FIVE! FIVE! awwwww, I'll come in again.

[Marauder]

Don't look for flames from me, I've seen the same things that you have. Anyone who thinks it's fair competition to hire people who accept a lower wage due to its being so much higher than what they're used to seeing, then having to jump through incredible hoops in order to accept another position, doesn't entirely understand - or won't acknowledge - the difference between a free labor market and what amounts to indentured servitude.

[Semper Paratus]

I'm gonna stay in coding and analysis for two reasons:

I'm in QA and will stay there since somebody got to check the curry flavored code.

[Semper Paratus]

I'm gonna stay in coding and analysis for two reasons:

I'm in QA and will stay there since somebody got to check the curry flavored code.

[adam_az]

I still code, just not "applications," rather small security tools to do various and sundry tasks... and since the supply of people who can do the security things I do is lower than the demand compared to the equalibrium price of programmers, the opportunity cost of being a programmer would be higher for me at this point in my career.

I like computers too (I first learned to program in BASIC on a Commodore Pet the summer before 4th grade), but this economics stuff is a refreshing bit of fun. I'm hoping to finish an economics degree, go to law school, then file (and win) a racial discrimination suit against Je$$e Jackson or some other hate-monger for millions and retire, or something like that.

Hey, a guy has to have plans. ;)

[ARCADIA]

look at the math it is still faulty becuase of the failure to use the same techniques for both sides.

I had a friend who worked for an economics think tank and he advised me never to trust a study. The assumptions alone made the subsequent analysis worthless.

Unfortunately, these bogus studies are produced by paid consultants often misrepresenting themselves as universities. (The consulting firm "The Wharton Group" comes to mind.)

Then a press release giving the "results" but not the methodology nor an opposing viewpoint is widely circulated by a public relations agency.

The sad thing is so many people believe it ...

[ARCADIA]

look at the math it is still faulty becuase of the failure to use the same techniques for both sides.

I had a friend who worked for an economics think tank and he advised me never to trust a study. The assumptions alone made the subsequent analysis worthless.

Unfortunately, these bogus studies are produced by paid consultants often misrepresenting themselves as universities. (The consulting firm "The Wharton Group" comes to mind.)

Then a press release giving the "results" but not the methodology nor an opposing viewpoint is widely circulated by a public relations agency.

The sad thing is so many people believe it ...

[Lazamataz]

equalibrium price and opportunity cost

See, YOU speak like an economist.

Texas_Fraud does not.

[old-ager]

Good news. I can hear the spoiled young upper-caste Hindus hissing at me now ...

[old-ager]

> No wonder they need the government to try to ban people from competing with them.

But they are "banned" from competing in every profession not covered by H1-B. How do you explain that?

[old-ager]

> appears ... seems

You understate!

[Iscool]

The journey to get a more socially and fiscally conservative government that put Americans first.

THAT mantra belongs to Pat Buchanan...One which I wholeheartedly agree with...As you should remember, Bush as well as the Democrats criticized Buchanan severely for his Pro American protectionist and isolationist views, namely, America First...

Although George and Co. may be feeling the heat of the unsatisfied supporters, who doesn't know that George's agenda is Globalism with ONE Government in charge...I seriously doubt we can thwart his plan, but possibly we can slow it down until we can get a "real" America First" leader in office...