4 ms·

I can't believe in this day and age that anyone is arguing H1Bs aren't a means to get access to cheap labor. If you've ever worked with any sort of internation

I can't believe in this day and age that anyone is arguing H1Bs aren't a means to get access to cheap labor. If you've ever worked with any sort of international company, you'll get connected to their "IT Team" which usually has some tech sound name like cognizant etc. They are super heavily accented, very eager to please, often poorly skilled and are paid far less than any native born person. If you deny this exists, you don't work in the tech sector. What is this then, if not companies trying to maximize profits by exploiting foreign born workers? It's just mind blowing we keep going over this again and again when the reality is clear as day. The only logical conclusion of importing large amounts of lower skilled workers with poor language skills is that they are cheaper.

gumby 11y ago
> I can't believe in this day and age that anyone is arguing H1Bs aren't a means to get access to cheap labor. ...If you deny this exists, you don't work in the tech sector. Believe me. I work in the tech sector and I find H-1Bs cost us a lot more, and always have (~25 years of reluctantly hiring H-1B folks from time to time). There's a ton of paperwork that takes time and costs money and it delays hiring the person. You also have to pay more than the "prevailing wage" which is hardly a burden since I'm already going through all the hassle -- because it's someone we can't find any other way so we're already planning on paying them more. We resort to it when we can't find someone local, which mean we start this slow process after already spending time trying to find someone. I don't see any problem with this burden BTW (I mean I would like it to be more convenient of course, but the idea that there is a bit of "trade barrier" to bringing in someone from outside rather than hiring a local doesn't seem like a terrible thing). And I'm an immigrant myself. YES I understand there are H-1B sweatshops bringing in low-paid, not really qualified drudges. They are a problem and they game the system in numerous bad ways (including sucking up all the H-1s making it harder for startups to bring in exceptional people). But they are two disjoint problems -- the basic idea of H-1 is a good one.
- jorblumesea 11y ago
  The way you are intending to use H1Bs is appropriate and fine. The way it is actually used is very different. It's mostly used by large spaghetti code factories that over promise and under deliver, pocketing the difference. I am not proud that my country imports foreign workers and works them to death, nor is it okay that they are taking jobs actual Americans can do. If a system has a good basic idea but is flawed in practice, we should abolish it, no? At the moment, no one is properly served by the H1B lottery except these outsourcing firms.
  - gumby 11y ago
    There are people we can't get without it. How would you replace or reform it to end abuse? BTW I don't believe my experience is atypical.

gumby 11y ago

> I can't believe in this day and age that anyone is arguing H1Bs aren't a means to get access to cheap labor. ...If you deny this exists, you don't work in the tech sector. Believe me. I work in the tech sector and I find H-1Bs cost us a lot more, and always have (~25 years of reluctantly hiring H-1B folks from time to time). There's a ton of paperwork that takes time and costs money and it delays hiring the person. You also have to pay more than the "prevailing wage" which is hardly a burden since I'm already going through all the hassle -- because it's someone we can't find any other way so we're already planning on paying them more. We resort to it when we can't find someone local, which mean we start this slow process after already spending time trying to find someone. I don't see any problem with this burden BTW (I mean I would like it to be more convenient of course, but the idea that there is a bit of "trade barrier" to bringing in someone from outside rather than hiring a local doesn't seem like a terrible thing). And I'm an immigrant myself. YES I understand there are H-1B sweatshops bringing in low-paid, not really qualified drudges. They are a problem and they game the system in numerous bad ways (including sucking up all the H-1s making it harder for startups to bring in exceptional people). But they are two disjoint problems -- the basic idea of H-1 is a good one.

jorblumesea 11y ago
The way you are intending to use H1Bs is appropriate and fine. The way it is actually used is very different. It's mostly used by large spaghetti code factories that over promise and under deliver, pocketing the difference. I am not proud that my country imports foreign workers and works them to death, nor is it okay that they are taking jobs actual Americans can do. If a system has a good basic idea but is flawed in practice, we should abolish it, no? At the moment, no one is properly served by the H1B lottery except these outsourcing firms.
- gumby 11y ago
  There are people we can't get without it. How would you replace or reform it to end abuse? BTW I don't believe my experience is atypical.