4 ms·

I've been on H1B numerous times at big and small companies. Each time they used my immigration status as leverage to pressure me to take increasingly bad deals

I've been on H1B numerous times at big and small companies. Each time they used my immigration status as leverage to pressure me to take increasingly bad deals and are somehow surprised when I quit. I would consider the bulk of H1B to be about suppression of worker rights (and salary) I now remote consult from my home country. I still get employers who figure they should pay me less since I live in a cheap country but it's much easier to negotiate when they can't kick me out of the country.

softwaredoug 7y ago
It really is the worst of all immigration outcomes for all but the employer. You come into the US, but entirely as a kind of guest worker. You demonstrate you have great skills and work ethic, but there’s no path to permanent residency or citizenship. The relationship turns exploitative. So you go back home and do great things there instead of here in the US. We could have had a smart, productive addition to the American workforce through a more thoughtful approach to immigration. Instead we gave you up to your home country. Your home gain a skilled and experienced knowledge worker bolstered with your experience at a US tech giant, we cycle in the next H1B to repeat the cycle.
- dmix 7y ago
  People in the US seem hostile to switching to a Canadian or Australian style immigration because each worker will only be able to bring their spouse and kids, not their entire extended family (including grandparents, cousins, etc) for every immigration granted like it currently is in the US. Instead it should be more lax on the front end, the advanced workers account for a significantly higher percentage of Canadian immigrants than the US (something like 30 vs 60%) which is how it should be. Any country that doesn't make it easy for the world's best and brightest to come is missing out and having gone through the US immigration process there is so much low hanging fruit to fix things without adding any pressure to the system. The US immigration system is surprisingly liberal but in the wrong places.
  - TheCoelacanth 7y ago
    > People in the US seem hostile to switching to a Canadian or Australian style immigration because each worker will only be able to bring their spouse and kids, not their entire extended family (including grandparents, cousins, etc) for every immigration granted like it currently is in the US. WTF are you talking about? Workers can only bring their spouse and unmarried children under 21[1]. Even citizens and permanent residents can only sponsor their parents, children and siblings for immigration[2], not grandparents and cousins. [1] https://www.immihelp.com/h4-dependent-visa/ https://www.immihelp.com/h4-dependent-visa/ [2] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sponsoring-family-member-green-card-29561.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sponsoring-family-me...
    - dmix 7y ago
      It's called chain migration and it's well known that you can go beyond just siblings, parents, and children: > As a general rule, it is impossible to obtain U.S. green cards for one’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and more extended relations – unless you can create a chain of relationships so that a more immediate family member can petition for them. For example, instead of petitioning for a grandparent, a U.S. citizen could petition for his or her parents; and they could, after receiving a green card and eventually U.S. citizenship, petition for their parents (your grandparents). https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-is-eligible-family-based-green-card.html https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-is-e... The numbers fully support this too as I mentioned there are far more skilled workers with Visas and green cards vs family members/relatives in Canada than the US: > Contrary to conventional thinking, it could be argued the U.S. system is more “compassionate” than Canada’s. Almost seven in 10 of those who settle lawfully in the U.S. are close relatives of previous immigrants. Each U.S. immigrant on average sponsors 3.5 family members. > Canada, meanwhile, restricts “family reunification” immigrants to about one in five. Canada mostly picks immigrants to boost economic expansion. Two of three immigrants are brought in because of their skills and education. Trump’s plan, created by son-in-law Jared Kushner, copies Canada’s reasoning. US = 70% family/relatives, Canada = 70% skilled workers https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-whats-different-and-similar-in-canada-and-u-s-immigration-policy https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-wha... Our immigrant communities are famously successful too. In large immigrant communities like Brampton outside of Toronto, Hindus often rank #1 in income per capita, beating out Christians, Jews, atheists, etc. The Chinese communities in Richmond Hill, Markham, and Mississauga are also very successful. You can't drive through those neighbourhoods without seeing Mercedes and Teslas parked everywhere.
- untog 7y ago
  > You demonstrate you have great skills and work ethic, but there’s no path to permanent residency or citizenship That isn't true with the H1B. You are allowed to apply for permanent residency while you have it.
  - ojbyrne 7y ago
    For H1Bs from China or India, you’re gonna wait up to 20 years for that.
    - belltaco 7y ago
      Eh, if they apply today, the wait time for Indians is between 75 to 150 years.

softwaredoug 7y ago

It really is the worst of all immigration outcomes for all but the employer. You come into the US, but entirely as a kind of guest worker. You demonstrate you have great skills and work ethic, but there’s no path to permanent residency or citizenship. The relationship turns exploitative. So you go back home and do great things there instead of here in the US. We could have had a smart, productive addition to the American workforce through a more thoughtful approach to immigration. Instead we gave you up to your home country. Your home gain a skilled and experienced knowledge worker bolstered with your experience at a US tech giant, we cycle in the next H1B to repeat the cycle.

dmix 7y ago
People in the US seem hostile to switching to a Canadian or Australian style immigration because each worker will only be able to bring their spouse and kids, not their entire extended family (including grandparents, cousins, etc) for every immigration granted like it currently is in the US. Instead it should be more lax on the front end, the advanced workers account for a significantly higher percentage of Canadian immigrants than the US (something like 30 vs 60%) which is how it should be. Any country that doesn't make it easy for the world's best and brightest to come is missing out and having gone through the US immigration process there is so much low hanging fruit to fix things without adding any pressure to the system. The US immigration system is surprisingly liberal but in the wrong places.
- TheCoelacanth 7y ago
  > People in the US seem hostile to switching to a Canadian or Australian style immigration because each worker will only be able to bring their spouse and kids, not their entire extended family (including grandparents, cousins, etc) for every immigration granted like it currently is in the US. WTF are you talking about? Workers can only bring their spouse and unmarried children under 21[1]. Even citizens and permanent residents can only sponsor their parents, children and siblings for immigration[2], not grandparents and cousins. [1] https://www.immihelp.com/h4-dependent-visa/ https://www.immihelp.com/h4-dependent-visa/ [2] https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sponsoring-family-member-green-card-29561.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/sponsoring-family-me...
  - dmix 7y ago
    It's called chain migration and it's well known that you can go beyond just siblings, parents, and children: > As a general rule, it is impossible to obtain U.S. green cards for one’s grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, and more extended relations – unless you can create a chain of relationships so that a more immediate family member can petition for them. For example, instead of petitioning for a grandparent, a U.S. citizen could petition for his or her parents; and they could, after receiving a green card and eventually U.S. citizenship, petition for their parents (your grandparents). https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-is-eligible-family-based-green-card.html https://www.alllaw.com/articles/nolo/us-immigration/who-is-e... The numbers fully support this too as I mentioned there are far more skilled workers with Visas and green cards vs family members/relatives in Canada than the US: > Contrary to conventional thinking, it could be argued the U.S. system is more “compassionate” than Canada’s. Almost seven in 10 of those who settle lawfully in the U.S. are close relatives of previous immigrants. Each U.S. immigrant on average sponsors 3.5 family members. > Canada, meanwhile, restricts “family reunification” immigrants to about one in five. Canada mostly picks immigrants to boost economic expansion. Two of three immigrants are brought in because of their skills and education. Trump’s plan, created by son-in-law Jared Kushner, copies Canada’s reasoning. US = 70% family/relatives, Canada = 70% skilled workers https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-whats-different-and-similar-in-canada-and-u-s-immigration-policy https://vancouversun.com/opinion/columnists/douglas-todd-wha... Our immigrant communities are famously successful too. In large immigrant communities like Brampton outside of Toronto, Hindus often rank #1 in income per capita, beating out Christians, Jews, atheists, etc. The Chinese communities in Richmond Hill, Markham, and Mississauga are also very successful. You can't drive through those neighbourhoods without seeing Mercedes and Teslas parked everywhere.
untog 7y ago
> You demonstrate you have great skills and work ethic, but there’s no path to permanent residency or citizenship That isn't true with the H1B. You are allowed to apply for permanent residency while you have it.
- ojbyrne 7y ago
  For H1Bs from China or India, you’re gonna wait up to 20 years for that.
  - belltaco 7y ago
    Eh, if they apply today, the wait time for Indians is between 75 to 150 years.