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Yes, companies applying for H1B visas are not doing so in an attempt to save money, they are paying a premium to acquire desirable talent. However regarding you

Yes, companies applying for H1B visas are not doing so in an attempt to save money, they are paying a premium to acquire desirable talent. However regarding your comment about "anti-immigration hysteria" US tech companies use foreign contractors to save on headcount costs. These are not H1B visas, these are contractors that are paid a very small fraction of the salaries of software engineers. These contractors are working along side US engineers and doing the same job for much lower pay. That is a concern to me as I cannot compete with the salary of someone living in Eastern Europe, Macedonia, India or Argentina. If you want to label my concern hysteria, you may do so, but it's still something I'm concerned about.

belltaco 7y ago
The ironic thing is that extra restrictions on H1Bs and the insane green card wait times will lead to accelerating offshoring and use of foreign contractors. In fact, it's already happening. Not only does it badly hurt the US economy and tax collection, when whole new teams are hired offshore, and the company is used to working with offshore teams, they will tend to hire new people in those places. E.g Canada is reaping rewards https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/09/16/canada-wins-big-from-america-first-trade-and-immigration-policies/#f0e92a06af8b https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/09/16/canad...
- satya71 7y ago
  Exactly, there was a cost to figuring how to offshore the job. Now that it's harder to retain the international talent in the US, if you want to remain competitive, you have to setup overseas. Once you overcome the barrier, expansion overseas is easier.
- mattkrause 7y ago
  Canada was...but they’re starting to blow it. Six years ago, you could apply for a work permit as you crossed the border. It took fifteen minutes and you just needed a few pages of documentation from your employer. The waiting time has shot up to months (on one-year contracts) and the whole process feels a lot more degrading.
greglindahl 7y ago
The person you're replying to was not speaking of all foreign contractors, they were speaking of H1Bs in particular. So it sure doesn't seem that your particular concern was labeled hysteria, because it's a different one.

belltaco 7y ago

The ironic thing is that extra restrictions on H1Bs and the insane green card wait times will lead to accelerating offshoring and use of foreign contractors. In fact, it's already happening. Not only does it badly hurt the US economy and tax collection, when whole new teams are hired offshore, and the company is used to working with offshore teams, they will tend to hire new people in those places. E.g Canada is reaping rewards https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/09/16/canada-wins-big-from-america-first-trade-and-immigration-policies/#f0e92a06af8b https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2019/09/16/canad...

satya71 7y ago
Exactly, there was a cost to figuring how to offshore the job. Now that it's harder to retain the international talent in the US, if you want to remain competitive, you have to setup overseas. Once you overcome the barrier, expansion overseas is easier.
mattkrause 7y ago
Canada was...but they’re starting to blow it. Six years ago, you could apply for a work permit as you crossed the border. It took fifteen minutes and you just needed a few pages of documentation from your employer. The waiting time has shot up to months (on one-year contracts) and the whole process feels a lot more degrading.

greglindahl 7y ago

The person you're replying to was not speaking of all foreign contractors, they were speaking of H1Bs in particular. So it sure doesn't seem that your particular concern was labeled hysteria, because it's a different one.