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There are two major sectors relying on H1-B employees - companies whose product is some core tech (mainly in Silicon Valley and Seattle) and companies whose cor

There are two major sectors relying on H1-B employees - companies whose product is some core tech (mainly in Silicon Valley and Seattle) and companies whose core product is outsourcing & consulting fees. The abuse disproportionately happens with the latter as it’s built into the business model - difference between money billed to clients and money paid out to employees is all pure margin. The question is how to encourage the former type while discouraging the latter. To me a priority queue based on salary makes sense - Facebook or Microsoft are likely to shell out $150,000+ a year for an employee they want, a consulting body shop would not. It also makes sense for the federal government who stands to collect more income tax from higher salaries.

int_19h 8y ago
Another way is to require companies to offer green card sponsorship for any employee that asks. Sweat shops that use H1B to hire cheap labor are not going to invest in that kind of thing, especially since the end result is that they have less leverage over the employee.
- diebeforei485 8y ago
  Sponsoring a green card does not necessarily mean the employee will receive it anytime soon. Because of country-of-birth quotas, an individual can be approved for a skilled employment based green card but have to wait many decades, potentially over a century, to receive one. Making it much faster to receive an employment-based green card once approved is the core problem that needs to be solved.
  - int_19h 8y ago
    I'm well aware - I went through that process myself. What I'm saying is that it can still be a useful filter - companies that abuse H-1B likely won't sponsor them for green cards at all.
screye 8y ago
The priority queue sounds like a great idea. But, certain factors (COL of area, pay discrepancies between CS and other branches and lower pay in some challenges jobs (JPL)) must be taken into account.

int_19h 8y ago

Another way is to require companies to offer green card sponsorship for any employee that asks. Sweat shops that use H1B to hire cheap labor are not going to invest in that kind of thing, especially since the end result is that they have less leverage over the employee.

diebeforei485 8y ago
Sponsoring a green card does not necessarily mean the employee will receive it anytime soon. Because of country-of-birth quotas, an individual can be approved for a skilled employment based green card but have to wait many decades, potentially over a century, to receive one. Making it much faster to receive an employment-based green card once approved is the core problem that needs to be solved.
- int_19h 8y ago
  I'm well aware - I went through that process myself. What I'm saying is that it can still be a useful filter - companies that abuse H-1B likely won't sponsor them for green cards at all.

screye 8y ago

The priority queue sounds like a great idea. But, certain factors (COL of area, pay discrepancies between CS and other branches and lower pay in some challenges jobs (JPL)) must be taken into account.