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"Recently, Obama administration also passed a directive to allow the spouses of H1-B visa to apply for employment authorization (or the ability to work at any p

"Recently, Obama administration also passed a directive to allow the spouses of H1-B visa to apply for employment authorization (or the ability to work at any place). This is a great move as it again encourages more talented people, who are married, to come to US..." This appears to be a "back door" to displace Americans from STEM jobs and going around the H1-B Visa program requirements and employment limits. Immigrants should only be able to work STEM jobs in the US if there is absolutely nobody trained to do that job in the US which is the intent of H1-B. As it stands, it is a way for tech firms to depress wage rates and to displace Americans from jobs. President Obama was serving elites that want to depress wage rates of American STEM workers. As you might recall, there was recently a legal judgment against Apple, Google, .... for colliding to not try to hire each other's employees. I hope the Trump administration clamps down on all of these ways that try to keep American STEM workers from receiving their fare wages.

davidf18 10y ago
If you're going to downvote, have the courage to say that you want American wage rates depressed and for Americans to be displaced from jobs. Generally, people who care for others don't want them to lose their jobs or have depressed wages from immigrants.
- davidf18 10y ago
  If you're going to downvote, have the courage to say that you want American wage rates depressed and for Americans to be displaced from jobs. Generally, people who care for others don't want them to lose their jobs or have depressed wages from immigrants.
vthallam 10y ago
There are like tens of posts on HN where the same discussion about the artificial suppression of American wages because of the foreign STEM graduates. The consensus among most of the people is that, 1) The exploitation of the visa's by consulting companies should be avoided. 2) Allow the foreign workers to easily move between jobs and provide a path to Green cards which avoids labor exploitation and low wages issue. 3) More funding for STEM education in US. As per the down votes, I guess you are getting them because you are criticizing the H4 spouse visa's. By all means make sure they follow the norms like H1, but letting the spouses work helps their families and eventually American economy to a minuscule percent.
- davidf18 10y ago
  Thank you for answering. The intent of H1-B visas is only to offer immigrants jobs that cannot be filled by Americans. American firms have been misusing H1-B visas to instead lower their STEM wage rates of American workers. We don't need more STEM funding in the US. There are plenty of STEM graduates and the funding is already substantial for not only undergraduate but graduate (eg. fully funded STEM PhDs including living expenses). In theory, giving employment for spouses would double the number of immigrants displacing American jobs from 85,000 to 170,000. Moreover, firms might choose a man (or woman) with a spouse in STEM that they can also employ. Thus, the number of spouses employed under President Obama's "back door" should be decremented from the 85,000 allocation.
scient 10y ago
Please stop talking about things you have no clue about. I have been in the US for 3+ years now on a H1B visa and during all this time my wife, who has an MBA, is not allowed to work here - which is absolute garbage. The change was the right one in the right direction, but not enough. You also greatly overestimate the amount of competent people in the US. Most companies, like FB and Google and Uber, and not hiring from abroad because its cheaper. They are doing it because there are not enough competent people in the US to fill the jobs. The companies abusing H1Bs are a different story, and those should be handled.
- davidf18 10y ago
  > "Please stop talking about things you have no clue about. I have been in the US for 3+ years now on a H1B visa and during all this time my wife, who has an MBA, is not allowed to work here - which is absolute garbage." I have lived here all my life and you have lived here "3+ years" and yet you say I don't know what I'm talking about. The intent of the H1-B visa law is clear: It is meant only for STEM workers when there is no American to fill the role. That's it. Period. American employment should come first. Sorry if you don't like that, but you can always return to your country and maybe there your wife can find a job. Do you know that there are Americans with MBAs that can't find jobs? Don't you think they should have priority over immigrants? > "You also greatly overestimate the amount of competent people in the US. Most companies, like FB and Google and Uber, and not hiring from abroad because its cheaper. They are doing it because there are not enough competent people in the US to fill the jobs." Where's your evidence, because I completely disagree? You'll note that these firms you mention are not offering the same or higher wages for immigrants than Americans but lower ones. I wonder if other's on HN believe as you do that there aren't enough competent Americans in STEM. But since you're so knowledgeable, please cite the reliable evidence of this claim.
  - nemtaro 10y ago
    >> The intent of the H1-B visa law is clear: It is meant only for STEM workers when there is no American to fill the role. ___That's it. Period.___ Are you Sean Spicer? ;)
nkrisc 10y ago
Why is an American STEM worker any better than an equal or greater qualified foreign worker? Companies should hire based on merit. I very much doubt there's an insidious Liberal plot to subvert American workers with what sounds very much like free-market capitalism.
- davidf18 10y ago
  Firms often claim they want to hire on the basis of merit, but then don't offer the salaries necessary to hire on that basis. E.g., those that have higher abilities through merit deserve substantially higher salaries, based on merit. The firms can find people on merit, but they are trying to lower the amount of money paid for people, so they seek immigrants to depress wage rates.
- ConfuciusSay02 10y ago
  The history of the United States largely revolves around subverting workers. Are you seriously doubting that large corporations want to drive wages down? Let's not forget that that Silicon Valley was the epicenter of the largest wage fixing cartel in modern history. Of course there is a plot to drive wages down.
  - nkrisc 10y ago
    Exactly, I agree, which is why I'm puzzled that anyone think Trump and his administration of people who became obscenely wealthy from controlling those very corporations would do anything otherwise, while accusing Obama of being the one trying to drive down wages.
    - ConfuciusSay02 10y ago
      On the second point, it's easy to see why people are critical of Obama - since he did nothing on this front during his 8 years. As for Trump, at the very least he has talked about H1B reform, and if he does reform it, then who cares what is background is? What you imagine Trump to be, or any other such talk is very cheap. Actions are what matter.
gamegoblin 10y ago
Can you provide data that H1-Bs lead to wage suppression?

davidf18 10y ago

If you're going to downvote, have the courage to say that you want American wage rates depressed and for Americans to be displaced from jobs. Generally, people who care for others don't want them to lose their jobs or have depressed wages from immigrants.

davidf18 10y ago
If you're going to downvote, have the courage to say that you want American wage rates depressed and for Americans to be displaced from jobs. Generally, people who care for others don't want them to lose their jobs or have depressed wages from immigrants.

vthallam 10y ago

There are like tens of posts on HN where the same discussion about the artificial suppression of American wages because of the foreign STEM graduates. The consensus among most of the people is that, 1) The exploitation of the visa's by consulting companies should be avoided. 2) Allow the foreign workers to easily move between jobs and provide a path to Green cards which avoids labor exploitation and low wages issue. 3) More funding for STEM education in US. As per the down votes, I guess you are getting them because you are criticizing the H4 spouse visa's. By all means make sure they follow the norms like H1, but letting the spouses work helps their families and eventually American economy to a minuscule percent.

davidf18 10y ago
Thank you for answering. The intent of H1-B visas is only to offer immigrants jobs that cannot be filled by Americans. American firms have been misusing H1-B visas to instead lower their STEM wage rates of American workers. We don't need more STEM funding in the US. There are plenty of STEM graduates and the funding is already substantial for not only undergraduate but graduate (eg. fully funded STEM PhDs including living expenses). In theory, giving employment for spouses would double the number of immigrants displacing American jobs from 85,000 to 170,000. Moreover, firms might choose a man (or woman) with a spouse in STEM that they can also employ. Thus, the number of spouses employed under President Obama's "back door" should be decremented from the 85,000 allocation.

scient 10y ago

Please stop talking about things you have no clue about. I have been in the US for 3+ years now on a H1B visa and during all this time my wife, who has an MBA, is not allowed to work here - which is absolute garbage. The change was the right one in the right direction, but not enough. You also greatly overestimate the amount of competent people in the US. Most companies, like FB and Google and Uber, and not hiring from abroad because its cheaper. They are doing it because there are not enough competent people in the US to fill the jobs. The companies abusing H1Bs are a different story, and those should be handled.

davidf18 10y ago
> "Please stop talking about things you have no clue about. I have been in the US for 3+ years now on a H1B visa and during all this time my wife, who has an MBA, is not allowed to work here - which is absolute garbage." I have lived here all my life and you have lived here "3+ years" and yet you say I don't know what I'm talking about. The intent of the H1-B visa law is clear: It is meant only for STEM workers when there is no American to fill the role. That's it. Period. American employment should come first. Sorry if you don't like that, but you can always return to your country and maybe there your wife can find a job. Do you know that there are Americans with MBAs that can't find jobs? Don't you think they should have priority over immigrants? > "You also greatly overestimate the amount of competent people in the US. Most companies, like FB and Google and Uber, and not hiring from abroad because its cheaper. They are doing it because there are not enough competent people in the US to fill the jobs." Where's your evidence, because I completely disagree? You'll note that these firms you mention are not offering the same or higher wages for immigrants than Americans but lower ones. I wonder if other's on HN believe as you do that there aren't enough competent Americans in STEM. But since you're so knowledgeable, please cite the reliable evidence of this claim.
- nemtaro 10y ago
  >> The intent of the H1-B visa law is clear: It is meant only for STEM workers when there is no American to fill the role. ___That's it. Period.___ Are you Sean Spicer? ;)

nkrisc 10y ago

Why is an American STEM worker any better than an equal or greater qualified foreign worker? Companies should hire based on merit. I very much doubt there's an insidious Liberal plot to subvert American workers with what sounds very much like free-market capitalism.

davidf18 10y ago
Firms often claim they want to hire on the basis of merit, but then don't offer the salaries necessary to hire on that basis. E.g., those that have higher abilities through merit deserve substantially higher salaries, based on merit. The firms can find people on merit, but they are trying to lower the amount of money paid for people, so they seek immigrants to depress wage rates.
ConfuciusSay02 10y ago
The history of the United States largely revolves around subverting workers. Are you seriously doubting that large corporations want to drive wages down? Let's not forget that that Silicon Valley was the epicenter of the largest wage fixing cartel in modern history. Of course there is a plot to drive wages down.
- nkrisc 10y ago
  Exactly, I agree, which is why I'm puzzled that anyone think Trump and his administration of people who became obscenely wealthy from controlling those very corporations would do anything otherwise, while accusing Obama of being the one trying to drive down wages.
  - ConfuciusSay02 10y ago
    On the second point, it's easy to see why people are critical of Obama - since he did nothing on this front during his 8 years. As for Trump, at the very least he has talked about H1B reform, and if he does reform it, then who cares what is background is? What you imagine Trump to be, or any other such talk is very cheap. Actions are what matter.

gamegoblin 10y ago

Can you provide data that H1-Bs lead to wage suppression?