HRC Wants to Raise Cap For H-1B Visas, Even As US IT Workers Lose Jobs

[amborin]

Hillary Urged Increase in H1B Visas:
The New Zealand Herald

June 1, 2007 Friday

Hillary Clinton's hi-tech sales pitch

Presidential hopeful Hillary Rodham Clinton has been in Silicon Valley trying to cosy up to America's hi-tech sector (), which she believes needs to "hit the restart button on the 21st century".

Lame slogans aside, Hillary is making a clever move. The US IT industry grew rapidly during the presidency of tech-friendly Bill Clinton and like Hollywood the IT sector has a more liberal bent, especially with the latest boom in user-generated internet services.

The last few years have been characterised by a lot of valuable IT work being outsourced to cheaper countries like India and the IT skills shortage has hit the US reasonably hard.

Hillary dangled a fairly big carrot in front of Silicon Valley executives today in the form of increased R&D funding, more IT training and a relaxation of Visa conditions designed to make it easier for foreign software engineers to work in the Valley for longer. Already, over half of Silicon Valley software engineers are foreign born.

Her bag of tech goodies includes:


- Increase the number "H1B" visas to attract more highly skilled workers from overseas.

And, She still wants to raise the cap for H-1B Visas:

https://www.prideimmigration.com/hillary-clintons-position-on-increasing-the-h-1b-visa-cap/

Fury & Fear Over this in Ohio:

IT Outsourcing

Fury and fear in Ohio as IT jobs go to India

IT workers are training their replacements

Patrick Thibodeau By Patrick Thibodeau Follow

Computerworld | Nov 9, 2015 3:03 AM PT


The IT workers at Cengage Learning in the company's Mason, Ohio offices learned of their fates game-show style. First, they were told to gather in a large conference room. There were vague remarks from an IT executive about a "transition." Slides were shown that listed employee names, directing them to one of three rooms where they would be told specifically what was happening to them. Some employees were cold with worry.

The biggest group, those getting pink slips, were told to remain in the large conference room. Workers directed to go through what we'll call Door No. 2, were offered employment with IT offshore outsourcing firm Cognizant. That was the smallest group. And those....

snip

Offshore outsourcing is having "a fairly strong impact" on IT employment, said Janulaitis. Students coming out of college are facing trouble starting a career "and a lot of that is driven by jobs that are taken by non-U.S. nationals in our economy, and a lot of that is H-1B ," he said.

"Why are we talking about more H-1B visas for people when we have people who are unemployed?" said Janulaitis.

The IT offshore industry relies heavily on H-1B workers to deliver services, and large offshore firms, both in the U.S. and in India, are the largest users of this temporary, non-immigrant, work visa. The issue is getting a little more attention in the unfolding 2016 presidential contest, but it remains to be seen whether this attention will have any impact. ....

snip

http://www.computerworld.com/article/3002681/it-outsourcing/fury-and-fear-in-ohio-as-it-jobs-go-to-india.html

[Matariki]

1. IT jobs pay well.

Maybe one of the few middle-class jobs left. Also, IT workers have a fair amount of leverage because their skills are in demand.

I fully expect the people who own everything to do all they can to undermine that and take it away.

[egalitegirl]

3. They are overpaid

I have heard the people in IT earn upwards of 200K per year by the time they are in their 30s.

[scscholar]

4. This

Can confirm. Live in Seattle. They make too much money.

[egalitegirl]

36. That is fine too!

I am neutral. I was just pointing out that if you get a huge salary, there will always be people who work for reasonable pay. There is still a long way to go before things settle down. If people making 40,000 per year lose their jobs, I would be concerned.

There is no reason to take sides in this H1B debate based on well off people losing jobs. If at all we take sides, it should be based on supporting lower cost of technology goods and immigration. Remember the days when PCs were 3000 dollars and only for rich people who played video games? That was before the Indians came here. The masses got access to computers thanks to Indian engineers migrating here through the H1B visa process.

[frylock]

34. Like $250,000/hour kind of money?

[Rass]

6. Where!?? As someone in IT..

I get only $15 /hour as a part time contractor. No benefits. After tax is ~$10.50. Thanks to competition from India and legal offshoring pushed by politicians like Hillary.

[djean111]

12. Um, nope.

Was in IT for many many years.
All depends on location, seniority, skill, and employer. Most IT workers make a LOT less than that.

Do you have a link for your assertion?

[frylock]

33. Man, where's this happening?

Could you forward me some links? I've been in IT for almost 17 years, and I have never pulled close to that kind of cheddar. I sure would like to get in on the scam.

[Matariki]

42. That is not the average, no.

For that matter, how much are plumbers or electricians or accountants paid? I'm fairly sure they make over $100 an hour, at least that's what I've been charged. So no, I don't think IT folks are 'overpaid'.

[egalitegirl]

2. I am okay with this

I am all for immigrants coming here. It is hard to support one group of immigrants and badmouth another. Besides, most people in IT I know are libertarians who always argue and are mean when they argue. They never care about your feelings while talking to you. Why do they suddenly complain about the free market?

[Rass]

9. Immigration is fine

Immigration is not the problem. The problem is when employers can legally offshore American jobs while avoiding taxes and other government responsibilities related to hiring local workers. Indian/foreign workers don't have to pay taxes here or pay for the U.S. infrastructure. It is unfair competition. This should not be legal. Right-wingers like Hillary would like you to believe it as a normal way of doing business. Many other countries around the world protect their working class.

Edit: Employer abuse of H1B is another matter.

[Baobab]

23. They want to shift money away from education now that low skill jobs are winding down.

thats what I have been told repeatedly.

Example: one (fairly wealthy, clueless) person said that educating poor people to get four year degrees in non-technical fields (which aren't enough anymore) "gives people unrealistic expectations".

I am just guessing here but right wingers I am guessing would rather spend that money on warfare or fake economic development projects that they can skim lots of money off of - spend taxpayers money in ways which are almost all profit for them.

[egalitegirl]

24. They should be taxed!

I am all for taxing them. Don't throw the baby with the bath water.

[Tarc]

5. So the Sanders Camp is anti-immigrant now?

Interesting...

[Autumn]

11. No. Our camp is pro US IT Workers.

Funny how that works...

[Tarc]

13. So... "America first" ?

I wonder what side of the political spectrum I've heard that lately...?

[Rass]

16. so, you are pro-freetrade and offshoring of American jobs?

Do you understand that is part of the right-wing platform?

[AzDar]

17. American Worker FIRST... That's MY opinion, and I make NO apologies for it.

[840high]

18. .+1

[Go Vols]

30. +1

[frylock]

37. fuckin-a

[CharlotteVale]

38. +100000

[Autumn]

20. What? You think other countries should come before our people? I say help them, but not

if it harms our people. You Hillary people seem to be fine with Americans doing without. Those visas only help corporate profits.

[Warren DeMontague]

41. You're fucking serious?

We have billions of dollars to fill our prisons with our own citizens for things like pot smoking---- but apparently we can't educate our own people for these jobs, and as such have to import workers to take them?

[TheKentuckian]

14. I'm anti increasing the labor pool during a demand shortage.

If someone wants to actually immigrate and apply for the job then fine, they will work under their immigration visa so no need to set up any work visa. If they are just ringers to lower wages for a while before heading back from whence they came then they can stay home.

Any plan that you have, if it increases the labor pool then the odds are fairly high that I'm against it. Most work visas, raising the retirement age, reducing education, population growth, unpaid internships, prison labor. You name it, I don't care for it more than likely.

[Vincardog]

19. H1B are not immigrants they are FOREIGN TEMPORARY LABOR. Think of the day workers waiting

outside the Hardware store.
The corporations pay them minimum cash wage, no benefits or long term commitments.
The corporations get to maximize profits and executive pay while increasing US unemployment and job insecurity.

[egalitegirl]

26. No, we are pro immigration

Problem is with Hillary. Her stance on the issue is not based on principles. It is based on which lobbyist paid her. It is possible that her current stance is correct but for the wrong reason. She probably does not understand how to analyze based on the concept of immigration or use principles in thought process and does not even know the correct position on the issue. It is all just money for her.

[mooseprime]

7. sending our jobs overseas

should be called as what it is: treason to the country. i was in IT for years, and was surrounded by people on those visas who absolutely had no skills that weren't ready available on the American job market. the whole thing is a big lie, just another way to get cheap labor. should be unacceptable in any democracy.

[dana_b]

15. this will go over so well where I live - Silicon Valley

She's going to lose the Bay Area for sure.

[ericson00]

21. stop with the old articles

just as you types have done with the Warren video. Its sad.

[Skwmom]

22. Politicians should not tell American Workers to hand over their jobs to foreign workers.

[MisterP]

39. and then the fainting-couch when a right-populist like Trump arises

[NCTraveler]

25. Didn't this also come with a pathway to citizenship...

For fifteen million people?

Fearing non US citizens seems to be a trend.

[highprincipleswork]

27. Time to trot out how you're gonna retrain us for "high tech jobs of the future". Screw Clintonomics.

Oh yes, and by the way, her need for high limit investors in NO WAY influences her policy decisions.

HA!!!!

[SheilaT]

28. Remind me again how Hillary is a true progressive,

and how she supports working people?

[FreakinDJ]

31. This is what Hillary means by Immigration Reform

She wants to Reform the number of H1B visas to 1 Gazzillion

[One_Life_To_Give]

40. But we are short IT workers

That is Why IT wages have increased 8%per year for the last 20 years. Just like petroleum engineers they must all average $180k/yr now.

[VulgarPoet]

43. So, where are American IT professionals supposed to go?