This contradicts my experiences, as someone who personally went through it. Of all my immigrant friends and acquainteances (around 50 people) at different tech

This contradicts my experiences, as someone who personally went through it. Of all my immigrant friends and acquainteances (around 50 people) at different tech companies, around 90% are or are or were on H1B. Not a single consider themselves abused by their employer. Many of them have changed companies when they've been on H1B. Your status is tied to your employer, but you can find a new sponsor. H1B transfer is standard procedure. Of course there is abuse. Even systemic abuse. This goes both ways though. For instance, Indian applicants can wait for over a decade for green card, we're talking completely americanized, fluent and self sufficient people, often with high positions at companies. People who did everything right, by any standard. Are these people abused? Perhaps, but if so, it's because the US government refuses to acknowledge them as permanent residents, which they clearly are for all practical purposes. Alternatives and improvements to H1B is important, but suspiciously few in this community were interested in such a discussion at the time. Imo, parent comment is spot on that this is one of the hackernews dissonances.