In high technology business, this is sometimes not true in the short term no matter what the salary. An example would be the Manhattan project, in which we attracted imported scientists because they were the few qualified to do that job. Yes, we can graduate or train people who might then qualify for such positions, but it does come at a substantial cost of delay which does cost the company which does cost other jobs within that company. Consider what would have happened without those foreigners in the Manhattan Project. Worse, if million-dollar-a-year jobs resulted from such shortages, there would be nobody to train more people because the professors would evacuate the universities, meaning fewer Americans would get those high-paying jobs.
Thus, a line must be drawn, even for the good of those working in those industries.
The O-1 visa still exists for the Manhattan project geniuses.
Most IT projects today look like something run by Howard, Fine, and Howard than the Manhattan project.
I’ve had to work with H1-B & as a manager, I’ve had to work to keep a couple of H1-Bs employed. In my experience, less than 5 percent of the H1-Bs I’ve dealt with were truly worth keeping. After that, the next 15 percent of H1-Bs were cheap, compliant, & indentured servants that didn’t rock the boat. Perfect for today’s useless IT management. The remainder... I would have been better off with Howard, Fine, & Howard.
If these H1-Bs are that talented, why hasn’t the next hot internet company been created in Bangalore?
Again, all it comes down to is price.
Not long ago, a reasonably bright kid would have been hired out of college & trained by their employer for the job. This arrangement worked for a long time. Now, these kids can’t get an interview, due to the H1-B.
We need to go back to the old arrangement AND we need to get the old folks displaced by these H1-Bs working in their careers again.
There is no need for the H1-B at this point. Too many qualified Americans are out of work.
BTW, I received an e-mail for a potential position yesterday. They’re only interested if I have the appropriate visa. As a US citizen, why do I have to put up with this in my country?
NASA Moon Landings = imported rocket scientists. ‘Nuff said.