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.

[RiflemanSharpe]

It appears that massive multi-national corporations have no allegiance to the interests of United States. Their loyalties seem to lie by-and-large with their, foreign boards of directors and with the political interests of their overseas investors.


What was your first clue, mine was a year and a half ago, it was a security guard telling me to get my things and he would escort me out. They moved my job overseas.

[talleyman]

Oh sure, they limit the H-1B Visas, but not the Mastercards...

[Bikers4Bush]

Try getting your head out of your ass and breathing some fresh air once in awhile.

Just how does a genius such as yourself expect the U.S. to defend itself once the steel industry in this country is killed off thanks to subsidized dumping from third world crapholes and then the same third world countries stop selling us the steel?

Same principle, third worlders come over, learn all the systems and take them home with them to their third world crap holes. Then decide to up their prices or cut us off.

You getting the picture yet bright boy or should I use crayons?

[Texas_Dawg]

What is really lame is the companies trying to wanting a special rule by the government so they can bring in a supply of indentured servants to avoid paying a free market wage.

So would you be open to allowing anyone from India to freely immigrate to the US then? No more H1-Bs. Open immigration to the U.S. for any Indian citizen. Would you support that?

[Lazamataz]

Man... how lame these people must feel. How embarrassing it would be to lose your job to some 3rd worlder because he's deemed more efficient than you, dollar for dollar. No wonder they need the government to try to ban people from competing with them.

You are a fraud. I don't believe you've ever been to college, and I don't believe you are a 40k/annum stock dweeb in Manhattan.

[Ciexyz]

A step in the right direction.

[Bikers4Bush]

Translation, insider trading leech.

[Lazamataz]

So would you be open to allowing anyone from India to freely immigrate to the US then? No more H1-Bs. Open immigration to the U.S. for any Indian citizen. Would you support that?

Of course not. Immigration is limited to all foreigners, not just you Chinese people.

[Lazamataz]

Translation, insider trading leech.

I doubt it. I think he's a liar.

[dirtboy]

Translation, insider trading leech.

Nah, translation, someone who thinks their job can't be outsourced. As techies did five years ago.

[FR_addict]

Thanks for the update.

[Lazamataz]

Just how does a genius such as yourself expect the U.S. to defend itself once the steel industry in this country is killed off thanks to subsidized dumping from third world crapholes and then the same third world countries stop selling us the steel?

Being as China_Dawg is a Chinese national living on the mainland, this is a result he devoutly wishes.

[Bikers4Bush]

Well that paints a whole different picture now doesn't it?

Thanks for the info Laz.

[Lazamataz]

I'm a stockbroker.

How is the Hang Seng doing these days?

[Texas_Dawg]

Translation, insider trading leech.

Haha. I'm a capitalist. You are a full-on Marxist clearly. Naturally, we disagree.

[Lazamataz]

If you want to check for yourself, check China_Dawg's home page. Of the fifteen quotes he finds offensive, fully 1/3 are those a Chinese would find particularly offensive.

[Bikers4Bush]

No, your a foreign national who'd love to see the U.S. go belly up and I am just the opposite.

Run along and find some other place to make your specious arguments.

[Texas_Dawg]

Thanks for the info Laz.

I'm a white male from Texas. Believe what you want though. Some of us conservatives are actually capitalists too, bro.

[Texas_Dawg]

No, your a foreign national who'd love to see the U.S. go belly up and I am just the opposite. Run along and find some other place to make your specious arguments.

You probably feel your job is threatened. And for good reason. So you throw out a bunch of rah-rah bogus appeals to patriotism when all it comes down to is that you're just not that valuable. Too bad.

[GOP_1900AD]

RE: Your tagline ... and the difference between the two is I am a nationalist, anti Communist, die hard American patriot where as the watermelons (Naderites) are green on the outside red on the inside, anti Western, anti American, international Communists. Could any difference be more stark? I guess when you are out there in the middle of the road with the road pizzas, everyone else is so far away that you can not longer tell the differences between unique and distinct factions. Enjoy it out there in the middle of the road, where you can get run over from both directions.