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Thousands of H-1B visas are still up for grabs by foreign workers looking to work in the U.S.

It's officially the time of year to apply for H-1B visas, but unemployment in the United States is reaching record levels, and the demand for skilled foreign workers is expected to drop significantly because of the struggling economy.

The U.S. Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services announced yesterday that just half of the 65,000 total H-1B visas have been secured by employees.  Last year, the USCIS reached the 65,000 quota is less than one business day.

Furthermore, H-1B visas issued for foreign students with at least a master's degree from U.S. colleges also haven't reached their quota of 20,000 -- but the number of applications filed with the federal government is near the quota, according to officials.

It wasn't too long ago when former Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates joined other Silicon Valley executives who pleaded with Congress to ease restrictions on H-1B visas for foreign workers.  Some lawmakers say tech companies are using the H-1B visa program to unfairly fill job positions with lower wage workers from overseas.

Fast forward a couple of years and now lawmakers and tech companies find the situation vastly changed.  It appears a combination of lower demand and increased pressure from Congress has led to a lower number of H-1B visa applications being filed with the UCIS.

"We don't see the uncertainty in Congress over immigration or skilled immigration reform as a factor," Oracle V.P. and Compete America co-chair, Robert Hoffman, recently said.  The demand for H-1B visas, not surprisingly, "moves in tandem with the overall demand for workers.  They want to bring these people on board.  It's more of an adjustment of status than anything else."

Tech companies argue that they'll go anywhere in the world they need to when looking for skilled workers.  If there aren't enough skilled employees available in the United States, then it only makes sense to look for foreign workers.  However, critics say the companies are just looking for comparable employees which will accept lower wages, even if the domestic employee is slightly more skilled.

More recently, Sen. Charles Grassley (R, IA) requested Microsoft lay off foreign workers here on H-1B work visas before targeting American employees.

"I am concerned that Microsoft will be retaining foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American employees when it implements its layoff plan," the Senator wrote in a letter to Microsoft.

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Yea, I bear good news.
By therealnickdanger on 4/10/2009 11:40:05 AM , Rating: 1
quote:
There are different people castng all different kinds of blame from person to person. But the fault lies in all of you! YOU, who bought that three hundred thousand house when you only had twenty thousand to put down? YOU, who bought that third car, even though only two people in your home drive! It is time to stop pointing fingers! Fingerpointing gets us nowhere! Steve! We have mocked our Economy. And now the Economy has cast its vengeance on us all!

Yea, it is an angry and unforgiving Economy. To repent we must stop frivolous spending! Instead of paying for cable let us watch clouds! Instead of buying clothes, wear but sheets from thine beds! Cut spending to only the bare essentials! Water and bread and margaritas, yea.

We have become lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of the Economy! There are those who will say that the Economy has forsaken us! Nay! You have forsaken the Economy!! And now you know the Economy's wrath! O thoust can shop at a sporting goods store, but knowest thou that the Economy will take away thy Broncos' cap from thine head! Mock the Economy without fear! Thine own stockbrokers... now lie dead by their own hand and thou knowest that thy stockbrokers did not fear the Economy! Well here we are, my friends! You have brought the Economy's vengeance upon yourselves!

We must all wear sheets instead of buying clothes that need detergent! Instead of cars that take gasoline we can... get around on llamas from Drake's farm! Instead of video games that take batteries and software, our kids will play with squirrels! We must let the Economy know that we are capable of respecting it! No more needless spending! The Economy is our shepherd. We shall not want.




RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 4/10/2009 12:29:19 PM , Rating: 5
Just how much crack did you smoke today???


RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By therealnickdanger on 4/10/2009 2:01:00 PM , Rating: 2
Not enough, obviously. Nobody likes a prophet.


RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 4/10/2009 2:09:16 PM , Rating: 2
unless she really pretty and is tell me about my future with her :)


RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By niva on 4/10/2009 12:36:08 PM , Rating: 2
I must be one of the few who recognized the above as from Southpark, $$$ episode btw.


RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By FITCamaro on 4/10/09, Rating: -1
RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By rburnham on 4/13/2009 9:52:04 AM , Rating: 2
Oh right! That was a good episode.


RE: Yea, I bear good news.
By inighthawki on 4/10/2009 3:30:20 PM , Rating: 2
Hah, well i agree with the house part, but otherwise, we make money so we can buy those things we love, it would be almost an oxymoron to work hard for money that we then shouldnt spend...


Plenty of Skilled workers in the US
By Hacp on 4/10/09, Rating: 0
RE: Plenty of Skilled workers in the US
By quiksilvr on 4/10/2009 11:53:51 AM , Rating: 1
Awww but foreign people do a better job for less! Let's keep getting foreign workers for dirt cheap ALL THE TIME! I mean, that can't have any ramifications in the future...


RE: Plenty of Skilled workers in the US
By Seemonkeyscanfly on 4/10/2009 12:24:27 PM , Rating: 2
Stop with stereo typing. Foreign workers being dirt cheap and work harder is just a myth. Both in the USA and other countries, you have good hard working employees and then you have the laziest SOB - with everything in-between. The myth was created because the first people who are willing to go through all the effort (paper work and such) are the hard working type of people. So, you’d only be exposed to the good workers… Today, it’s an easier process, because both sides want it… As far as wage goes, I know factory workers that are not USA citizens that start at $28.00 per hour – I do not call that exactly cheap.


RE: Plenty of Skilled workers in the US
By ImEmmittSmith on 4/10/2009 12:45:15 PM , Rating: 2
But, I do recall that H1-B workers at tech firms, like EDS, Sabre, AMR, etc. making $20-$30/hr during the late 90's and early 2000's, when most Americans making $45+. Even though they were cheap, most did not have a grasp of conversational English and most of the work had to be redone. I wonder if most of them are still here? Many were brought here on the primise that they would get a permanent Visa. I agree, some were sharp as a tack, others could only spell Visual Basic or COBOL. lol
Sure there were lazy Americans, but most of those were laid off when 2000 rolled around and went to work at Home Depot. But, many marginal ppl got a wakeup call to improve performance and retool. I have not run into an H1-B developer is quite some time.


RE: Plenty of Skilled workers in the US
By Spuke on 4/10/2009 6:34:57 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
when most Americans making $45+
What planet is this? Most Americans making $45/hr? LOL! In 07, the median household income was $50,233. That's not even $25/hr.


By fic2 on 4/10/2009 6:55:36 PM , Rating: 2
Comprehend much?

Full quote:
quote:
But, I do recall that H1-B workers at tech firms, like EDS, Sabre, AMR, etc. making $20-$30/hr during the late 90's and early 2000's, when most Americans making $45+.


By the context any reasonable person would assume that he meant when most Americans [at tech firms] making $45+.


By bjacobson on 4/12/2009 2:36:23 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Stop with stereo typing


Is this like using 2 keyboards at once? You know Thomas Jefferson reportedly could write with both hands at once in two different languages. I wonder if he could stereo type.


By kenyee on 4/10/2009 4:32:31 PM , Rating: 2
Companies, including IBM and MS, are still outsourcing jobs outside the country while laying off people happily in the US to "save money" (aka, use cheap labor).
They're training competitors and eventually the competitors will get good enough to come in and undercut everything. Tata (an Indian outsourcing company) has started selling their own software (no idea whether it uses any Intellectual Property they learned while contracting w/ US companies). The US company execs probably figure this won't happen until they retire :-)


USA has a deathwish
By Davelo on 4/10/2009 12:39:52 PM , Rating: 2
Grimsley requested Microsoft? Why not congress twist their friggin arms a little? Especially since Obama can fire GM's CEO. This fair trade is BS. These one world gov types won't be happy till the workers of the USA are equal to third worlders who squat in a mud hut.




RE: USA has a deathwish
By Ananke on 4/10/2009 6:44:14 PM , Rating: 2
I work in the Silicon valley. I know at least a dozen companies from my direct experience, which now hire H1B foreigners just graduated in MS Computer Engineering for $10 an hour. The boys are happy to work for that money, at least to gain an experience. Meanwhile, the same companies lay off hundreds every quarter since begining 2008. Business doesn't give a sh...t for a talent, they won't stop until wages in America equal Indian and Chinese :)

The good thing for me is I am in finance, I enjoy dating with really hot Chinese girl accountants :):):), so I am OK with the H1B policy.


RE: USA has a deathwish
By fic2 on 4/10/2009 6:57:39 PM , Rating: 2
I think I need to move to the account field...


By vectrav2 on 4/12/2009 4:38:28 PM , Rating: 3
The H-1B visa was created by big business lobbyists as a blunt instrument to beat US wages down. It has no other purpose.
According to Numbersusa.com H-1B visa holders earn on average $13,000 less than the US worker they replaced.

The L-1 visa is even worse as it has no limits.




True
By rvw83 on 4/11/2009 12:50:00 AM , Rating: 2
My gf job at HP and her salary is around USD 500
for technical support L1, that's pretty low wages, at least she got the job so I wouldn't have support her anymore... :)




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