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You could index it with cost of living. So an H1B in a California company would expect to see a higher salary than one in Kansas.

EduardoBautista 8y ago
That still doesn't consider pay differences between two completely different jobs.
- kd0amg 8y ago
  Then it would be working as intended. Jobs where labor isn't so scarce as to push prevailing wages up really high don't need extra labor brought into the market. The remaining concern is distorted markets like foreign language teachers (brought up elsewhere in the thread), where it may be politically infeasible to raise compensation to match the value workers create.
  - bduerst 8y ago
    The purpose of the H1B program is to fulfill skilled labor demand where local labor is unable to fill it. The purpose is not to give visas to the wealthiest bidder in the wealthiest locations and industries. Prevailing wage requirement already solves the problem of wage velocity, so this is just creating more issues without solving any.
    - int_19h 8y ago
      "Unable to fill" is itself a function of the salary. If a local business is unable to fill it at what they're willing to pay, how about paying more to attract said labor from other parts of the country? H1B and similar programs should be used to fill in the holes that are on the national level - i.e. where there's no labor force anywhere else in the country that could be enticed to move.
      - bduerst 8y ago
        "Unable to fill" for skilled graduate labor, not all labor. Key difference.
curun1r 8y ago
The easier way is to just have ratios. Companies that already employ lots of Americans should be able to easily hire foreigners. Companies that hire predominantly foreigners should have a difficult time getting more. A few rules to prevent gaming the system and you've got a system that works well for everyone involved and doesn't need CoL adjustments. Plus, ensuring that foreigners work closely with Americans helps both integrate those foreigners into American culture as well as helping them learn from those foreigners. The H1-B system seems designed to allow big companies to exploit foreign labor to drive down wages and hold those foreigners hostage while they're here. Ratios better allow mobility of foreign workers and allow them to seek market rate salaries. If I were in control of immigration policies, I'd set a 3:1 American-to-foreigner ratio based on job classification/salary bands and make it apply to any company with more than 50 employees. Any immigrant who passes a DHS background check and can get an offer from an eligible company should be able to get a work permit, regardless of their home country, with no time limit when they'd be sent home. Only failing to find employment at an eligible employer within, say, 6 months should force someone to leave. And after a 5-year working period, they should be able to apply for citizenship. At worst, it becomes a jobs program that forces employers to employ American citizens to get the workers they need.
- walshemj 8y ago
  Banning any body shops from the H1B program all must be direct employees - would help I think.

EduardoBautista 8y ago

That still doesn't consider pay differences between two completely different jobs.

kd0amg 8y ago
Then it would be working as intended. Jobs where labor isn't so scarce as to push prevailing wages up really high don't need extra labor brought into the market. The remaining concern is distorted markets like foreign language teachers (brought up elsewhere in the thread), where it may be politically infeasible to raise compensation to match the value workers create.
- bduerst 8y ago
  The purpose of the H1B program is to fulfill skilled labor demand where local labor is unable to fill it. The purpose is not to give visas to the wealthiest bidder in the wealthiest locations and industries. Prevailing wage requirement already solves the problem of wage velocity, so this is just creating more issues without solving any.
  - int_19h 8y ago
    "Unable to fill" is itself a function of the salary. If a local business is unable to fill it at what they're willing to pay, how about paying more to attract said labor from other parts of the country? H1B and similar programs should be used to fill in the holes that are on the national level - i.e. where there's no labor force anywhere else in the country that could be enticed to move.
    - bduerst 8y ago
      "Unable to fill" for skilled graduate labor, not all labor. Key difference.

curun1r 8y ago

The easier way is to just have ratios. Companies that already employ lots of Americans should be able to easily hire foreigners. Companies that hire predominantly foreigners should have a difficult time getting more. A few rules to prevent gaming the system and you've got a system that works well for everyone involved and doesn't need CoL adjustments. Plus, ensuring that foreigners work closely with Americans helps both integrate those foreigners into American culture as well as helping them learn from those foreigners. The H1-B system seems designed to allow big companies to exploit foreign labor to drive down wages and hold those foreigners hostage while they're here. Ratios better allow mobility of foreign workers and allow them to seek market rate salaries. If I were in control of immigration policies, I'd set a 3:1 American-to-foreigner ratio based on job classification/salary bands and make it apply to any company with more than 50 employees. Any immigrant who passes a DHS background check and can get an offer from an eligible company should be able to get a work permit, regardless of their home country, with no time limit when they'd be sent home. Only failing to find employment at an eligible employer within, say, 6 months should force someone to leave. And after a 5-year working period, they should be able to apply for citizenship. At worst, it becomes a jobs program that forces employers to employ American citizens to get the workers they need.

walshemj 8y ago
Banning any body shops from the H1B program all must be direct employees - would help I think.