'H' visas amount to guest-worker status

elpasotimes.com ^ | Saturday, June 21, 2003 | Patrick Osio Jr.

[FryingPan101]

During the phenomenal economic growth of the 1990s, unemployment figures were at historical lows in spite of the huge arrivals of both legal and illegal immigrants.

Thus, we can conclude that arrivals were being absorbed into the workforce, and adding to the nation's economic growth.

A further conclusion is that as long as the economy is robust, there is a need for additional workers outside of those available in the country. And it is, as now, when the economy is down that such outside workers become a surplus and thus unwanted.

In recognition of the above, what is needed is an ability to "import" workers when needed, but without providing permanent immigration status. The good news is that such non-immigrant visas have been available for years to certain industries requiring temporary or non-permanent jobs.

Such visas do not grant immigration status, so another description is temporary guest-worker visa programs. The visas are provided when companies in certain industries can prove workers for particular jobs are not available locally; and the employment of the alien, in "such labor or services will not adversely affect the wages and working conditions of workers in the United States similarly employed," as the law reads.

The guest-worker temporary employment visas available are the H-1B for specialty occupations such as computer programming (mainly from India); H-1C for nurses in health service (mainly from the Philippines); H-2A agricultural field; H-2B other services such as athletes, trainers or artists; H-3 for trainees; and H-4 visas for wives and children of workers temporarily entering with any of the "H" visas.

Entrants under the provisions granted by the "H" visas are temporary workers, not immigrants. There are records of their entries, whereabouts and departures; they pay all corresponding taxes as all other workers, and are protected by federal and state labor laws.

Thus, there is no need to enter into negotiations with any country to establish a "guest-worker" program, as there is already one in place with all the rules and regulations needed in accordance to our own country's laws.

It is in the agricultural field that Mexicans and Central Americans come into play, as a majority of them enter illegally due to the lack of interest from the majority of businesses in that industry to undertake the process of securing the H-2A guest-worker visas, in part due to the political protection afforded them by elected officials.

And, due to the high number of illegal border crossers, numerous other industries have joined in hiring practices that have "adversely affected the wages and working conditions" of U.S. workers, and are now greatly dependent on such labor. However, many of these industries did have difficulties obtaining dependable local labor before joining in the dispute of hiring undocumented workers, thus entering into such practice for business survival.

What we need to accept is that a vast majority of Mexican/Central American undocumented immigrants do not threaten the employment of any high-skilled U.S. worker, but rather take jobs that a majority of workers do not want.

Our course of action should be to demand through our elected officials that industries that claim to need such labor prove it to the satisfaction of our existing laws, and if such need is certified, use the lawful remedy already available.

In industries for which there are presently no "H" visas available that may need inclusion, for instance eating establishments and hospitality industries -- new "H" visa categories should be created with its own rules.

[FryingPan101]

FYI

[harpseal]

With 6.1% unemployment all H visas should be revoked period. All they do is dort the free market within the USA. H1B visas for IT have driven Americans out of the field. If a job can not be filled by an American or a legal immigrant when there is 6.1% unemployment then perhaps the company needs to change the wage it is offering or its training policies or maybe decide to get out of that business and sell off its assetts to someone who van manage it to make a profit while using Amwericans or legal immigrants.

[harpseal]

H1B visa ping

[Age of Reason]

What we need to accept is that a vast majority of Mexican/Central American undocumented immigrants . . . take jobs that a majority of workers do not want.

Illegal immigrants steal jobs from Americans by lowering the price of wages to the point no tax-paying American can afford to take them.

Americans are willing to work in coal mines, so don't anyone tell us that Americans aren't willing to pick apples.

[SUSSA]

What we need to accept is that a vast majority of Mexican/Central American undocumented immigrants do not threaten the employment of any high-skilled U.S. worker, but rather take jobs that a majority of workers do not want.

This elitist fool is only concerned about the high-skilled legal worker. He’s not concerned about the low skilled workers that these criminal aliens are hurting.

Not everyone in America is a high-skilled worker. The carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, roofers, cooks, maids, burger flippers, are people too. They shouldn’t have their jobs taken away by criminals.

The Dallas Morning News had a story about a week ago about high school and college kids who couldn’t find summer work because unemployed adults have the jobs the kids used to get. They never mentioned the fact that the criminal aliens have the jobs these Americans need.

The government needs to use the RICCO laws against anyone, employing or harboring these criminals. Companies like Tyson get confiscated and some people get their homes and farms confiscated, others will stop helping these criminals break the law.

Ahscroft took an oath to enforce our laws. In his conformation hearing he said that he would enforce all laws, even if he disagreed with them.

If he doesn’t start enforcing the immigration laws congress should hold him accountable.

[FITZ]

What amazes me is there are thousands of unemployed immigrants from Mexico in this region ----the Trabajadores Fronterizos are suing the federal government for more welfare benefits because their jobs went to Mexico ---where they're from in the first place. But you won't see them taking jobs away from the illegals. We don't really need more illegals from Mexico when 34% of the immigrants from Mexico are living off welfare programs. Or else we could keep the workers and try to get rid of the idle non-workers.

[FITZ]

that these criminal aliens

What gets me isn't so much the hard-working illegal ---if someone is willing to work 12 hours a day in the hot sun, 100+ temperatures, you almost can't be against them ---but around here that's far from the only immigrants we're getting. So many unwed mothers from Mexico get over here to give birth, many use those temporary visitor visas to come over the legal ports of entry, they head over to the county hospital and they end up staying and collecting a welfare check besides Medicaid, food stamps, WIC and all the rest. Plus all the legal immigrants can sponsor any number of indigent elderly and get them right onto SSI and Medicaid for a nice easy retirement here in this country. I'd rather see all welfare cut off and those moochers deported first.

[FryingPan101]

"when 34% of the immigrants from Mexico are living off welfare programs"

Mind-boggling, huh?

[FITZ]

It is mind-boggling. In spite of all those using food stamps in most of the grocery stores and living in the projects and the large number of unemployed and NAFTA-displaced, the illegals don't seem to have much trouble finding work. The majority by far living off the many welfare programs here are people from Mexico or their kids ---and they're not about to get out there and pick chilis or help bale hay. They're always trying to find some new recreation center to get the gangs off the streets ----but work is obviously beneath them. I can't say I always blame the farmers when they hire a willing-to-work illegal because the cholos from the projects aren't employable.

[Nowhere Man]

H1B visa ping

Myself, I call the H1B workers "Gästarbeiten," the German word for guestworkers, but that's me having 4 years of German in high school. That is the truth, used to temp at a computer company that brought workers from India by the boatload for like 18 months, maybe 24 and working in payroll, I can see when the worker came into the country and when he wa supposed to be mustered out and a new one come in.

[harpseal]

Agreed not every American is highly educated and/or skilled but every American deserves to have the borders protected from an invasion of illegal immigrants. There are some here on Free Republic who think because their own job or business is not threatened yet they want the advantage that the cheap labor of illegals gives them. The problem is that costs too many other Americans their livelyhood and tax dollars. It destroys the fabric of our nation and for what so somebody can hire an inexpensive landscaper to mow their lawn.

[Mihalis]

With 6.1% unemployment all H visas should be revoked period...

There are certain H categories where there are simply no qualified Americans. Revoking those will bring those industries to a stall. Example: Electric power system engineers. During the internet bubble most engineering students went to hi-tech related programs. Traditional power engineering programs were discontinued at most universities due to lack of applicants. The older professionals are now retiring, creating a very serious shortage, at a time when the power system infrastructure has lagged behind and needs extensive expansion.

[longtermmemmory]

The problem is limited H visa have produced the outsourced back office which is outside the USA. India for example, it the technical back office.

(s)We need manual labor robotics which are affordable. Thus there will be no need for migrant labor. Its 2003 where are the robots? (/s)

[harpseal]

I personally know of several unemployed electrical power systems engineers and there are still such engineering programs in colleges and universities.

[crazykatz]

bump

Good morning!!

[harpseal]

(s)We need manual labor robotics which are affordable. Thus there will be no need for migrant labor. Its 2003 where are the robots? (/s)

As long as we H visas and subsidized outflow of capital from the USA there is neither the incentive not the capital to develop these.

[harpseal]

good morning I was not able to be online long yesterday. sort of a rough day.

[harpseal]

...but also the transfer of PEOPLE into America to perform work to perform work that produces goods and services HERE!

These people have no stake in America they do not even have immigrant status due to the nature of their visas they are for all intents and purposes slaves.