H-1B Visas Cost American Jobs

EagleForum.org ^ | May 7, 2003 | Phyllis Schlafly

[TopDog2]

You are exactly right. Loopholes allow these abuses.

[TopDog2]

In what year was that study done?

This study also only counts scientists and engineers, not the total employment in the fields that have been negatively impacted by the H1-B program. For example, I have a degree in Computer Information Systems, not Computer Science, so I would not be counted in this study.

Even if we accept those statistics as valid (massive anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise though), there are nearly 500,000 unemployed Americans that should be working on those jobs.

[Ed_in_NJ]

morebump

[Centurion2000]

bump

[junta]

Stupid move on the elite's part, alienate people with high IQs and replace them with people with loyalties to a different country and culture. We in this country are coming to sharp divide and I happen to think our current elite two party duopoly will have a hard time making the leap.

[samuel_adams_us]

Immigration restrictions from all countries is best. It's not my job or any elses job in this country to employ citizens of other countries. I want my dollars spent here and my tax dollars as well. When will the United States start worrying about it's own citizens instead of all the rest of the world.

[ThinkDifferent]

Economy rebounds -> Native trained engineers won't be enough to handle increase in job openings

Supply and demand can handle this. There's no need for the government to try to micromanage the labor supply.

[Jack Black]

We in this country are coming to sharp divide and I happen to think our current elite two party duopoly will have a hard time making the leap.

Please describe what you see as the 'sharp divide'. I'm not sure I see it. Managers and employees have had different agendas since Ur, I suppose.

[bluetoad]

"Please describe what you see as the 'sharp divide'"

I think I can answer this one, its at simple as this article's topic: H-1B Visas Cost American Jobs. Thats it.

Now with the War over in Iraq and Economy in a Recession, name me some brave(politically stupid) politicians who DO NOT want to put Americans Back to Work. H1A, H1B, and L1's are all manufactured in Washington. This is Washington problem and will require Washington Fix even if the Politcal Home Team cant get the picture the voting public will remind them.

[HamiltonJay]

nonsense, there are so many talented american engineers looking for work right now, your argument there arent enough is crazy! There always were enough, H1B was a kickback for donors, even in the height of the bubble there were pleanty of US engineers around.... H1B's are a virtual slave labor for the corps and anyone who's had to deal with it, knows it.

Sorry H1B program was, is and always will be a scam.

[jagrmeister]

No, not really. I was here during the boom times and the unemployment rate in Silicon Valley was something like 2%- well under "full employment". It was likely lower for engineers.

[jagrmeister]

I disagree. We've got too many boneheads graduating with liberal arts degrees rather than computer science these days. That needs to change.

[jagrmeister]

It improves my quality of life, both as a consumer and as an investor, for American tech companies to be successful and produce cutting edge products and services. Therefore I favor H1-B immigration, so long as it continues to complement our native talent base.

[jagrmeister]

You would have to consult the National Science Foundation website for further information on the study.

[A. Pole]

Republicans in Congress will soon have the opportunity to prove whether they do the bidding of their corporate contributors or side with their hardworking voters. The corporations are lobbying to extend the Clinton Administration law that raised the number of H-1B visas to 195,000 a year, which otherwise is scheduled to expire on September 30 and revert to the 1999 level of 65,000.
[...]
Mike Emmons told how his former employer, Siemens ICN, used L-1 visas to replace 20 American computer techies with aliens from India. "Management mandated we train our foreign replacements, then Americans were shown the door. It was the most demoralizing thing I have ever experienced."

Bump

[Poohbah]

The Saudi Arabian monsters who perpetrated the 911 atrocities were foreign engineers who received legal visas, ostensibly to fill open positions in our technical markets.

Actually, they were here on STUDENT visas.

[A. Pole]

If there is a labor shortage in the high tech. sector, why does Silicon Valley have an 8% unemployment rate?

BTW, this is the official rate. Real unemployment is much higher.

[lelio]

It improves my quality of life, both as a consumer and as an investor, for American tech companies to be successful and produce cutting edge products and services.

You could say the same thing about having prisioners make goods for 10 cents an hour too. Would you be for that? What's your criteria beyond "my price is lower"?
Granted its already done with Prision Industries.

[A. Pole]

I'm convinced the plight of the native-born engineer is a temporary phenomenon.

Are you also convinced that plight of people working in manufacturing "is a temporary phenomenon"?

[skeeter]

No, not really. I was here during the boom times and the unemployment rate in Silicon Valley was something like 2%- well under "full employment". It was likely lower for engineers.

In the past these jobs were filled by people from other states. Back in the 70s and 80s it was easy to tell when high tech was booming in Silicon Valley by the number of out of state plates on cars seen during commute time.

Not so in the late eighties and ninties. The slack now is taken up by cheap foreign talent. Its short sighted & immoral.