H-1B Visa Bill Introduced In US, Minimum Pay More Than Doubled

MSN ^

[bryan999]

Washington: A legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives which among other things calls for more than doubling the minimum salary of H-1B visa holders to $130,000, making it difficult for firms to use the programme to replace American employees with foreign workers, including from India.

The High-Skilled Integrity and Fairness Act of 2017 introduced by California Congressman Zoe Lofgren prioritises market based allocation of visas to those companies willing to pay 200 per cent of a wage calculated by survey, eliminates the category of lowest pay, and raises the salary level at which H-1B dependent employer are exempt from non-displacement and recruitment attestation requirements to greater than $130,000.

This is more than double of the current H-1B minimum wage of $60,000 which was established in 1989 and since then has remained unchanged.

[Zenjitsuman]

There should be an American IT training tax for each H1b visa granted equal to half the difference in pay.

This tax would be used to pay for IT training for Americans like the GI bill.

[Kellis91789]

Of course not. Are you really sleep deprived, or what ?

I was talking about the OTHER business tactic used to reduce American payrolls — the outsourcing to foreign countries of services that used to be provided by Americans. Everybody seems so focused on the visa issue that they are not thinking about ALL the ways American workers are being replaced with foreign workers..

[farming pharmer]

I am not much of a union guy. But to me it is pretty obvious that STEM workers need to organize and fight for work visa elimination and higher wages. Yes, a STEM union. Yeah I said it.

Collective bargaining isn't the problem. Collective bargaining for the primary purpose of fundraising for communists is the problem.

[uncommonsense]

"We are hiring highly skilled, often Master Degree level, professionals in way more than IT and programming."

If that's true, then from the Cringely article linked above, why do we the top 10 H1-B users ALL IT companies?

Top 10 companies with the most H-IB visas approved:

H-IB Rank and company workers

1. Cognizant 7,101

2. Infosys 6,717

3. Wipro 3,929

4. Tata Consultancy Svces. 3,133

5. Microsoft 1,918

6. HCL 1,446

7. Larsen & Toubro 1,353

8. IBM 1,010

9. Satyam Computer Svces. 911

10. Oracle 801

I've been in software product development/management and consulting for 35 years (over 2 million miles traveling) - and I have to totally disagree with you based on very significant personal experience. I've had to re-develop a significant amount of the design and code produced by H1-B visa employees. A CompSci Bachelor or Master's degree in India is not the same as one received here. That's why they come here to get their degree if they can. Their primary and secondary schooling my be more rigorous, but not college. I've worked with and for (now) hundreds of Indian H1-B and Green Card tech workers and we've had long conversations on this topic. That's what they have told me and that's what I have experienced for the last 25+ years.

I'll take an American raised and educated IT pro over an H1-B worker any time.

[Yo-Yo]

$250K? Where can I get me one of them H1-B Visas?

[The Sons of Liberty]

H1Bs amount to no more than domestic outsourcing, except they bring the foreigners, usually from India HERE to take American jobs, usually in IT. Employers, especially big companies, like it because they pay a fraction of the going rate. A large company will usually contract with an Indian company for a specified number of workers with particular skills. It is then up to the Indian company to supply a body, usually inexperienced and with questionable credentials. The Indian worker only receives a fraction of the already reduced pay, with the company taking the remainder. Sometimes these H1Bs live 20 to a house to make ends meet and send money back to India. Some H1Bs are good, but a large percentage don't measure up.

[MaxistheBest]

What we really need to do is develop laws where these companies are forced to hire and train Americans....force them to develop the American worker...start with anyone who is on or has run out of unemployment, add in vets and handicapped.

There is no reason these companies can’t train Americans; they need to put some requirements in the bill!

[Bulwyf]

The US is very short on skilled labour. I do oilfield electrical and automation, and I’m in high demand.

It seems everyone wants to go to college or university and be a lawyer or some other white collar work and nobody wants to turn tools.

[central_va]

The high wages you make are an enticement to go into that field. It is all supply and demand. I want the DOMESTIC labor supply to dictate wages, not plane full of immigrants form the 3rd world.

[Bulwyf]

I’m with you there, we have the same issues here.

[csivils]

Being able to hire at half price is a motive to scam the system. They should not only raise the min salary, but require an American understudy.

[Organic Panic]

I am against all immigration. It has been abused since 1965. Needs to stop fro along time.

Finally some honesty. I've heard, nonstop, "I'm for legal immigration. If you're going to stop the H1B program you are not for legal immigration. H1Bs ARE legal immigration and it is hypocritical of politicians to claim the re pro-legal immigration.

[OftheOhio]

Especially after watching this conspiracy to deny American Workers employment. Jeff Sessions should be going after everyone in this video and this was in 2007.
PERM Fake Job Ads defraud Americans to secure green cards fo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCbFEgFajGU#t=77

[zeaal]

My hubs was laid off by Cisco Systems in September, along with all the other American males who had faithfully provided exemplary service to this corporation. His job and team’s project were given to H1bs and exported to India. He still has not found work in the DFW area as a software engineer. (sad face)