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The denial rate for H1B visas dropped from 24% to 4%. This precipitous drop in denial rates was almost immediately followed by some of the largest layoffs in te
by thwayunion 4y ago
The denial rate for H1B visas dropped from 24% to 4%. This precipitous drop in denial rates was almost immediately followed by some of the largest layoffs in tech history. My belief is that the BigCos are using layoffs to constructively abuse the H1B visa program (and, more importantly, abuse terrified H1B workers).
I'm fairly involved in politics and try to contribute in large enough ways to at least be a known entity to campaign managers. If you're the same, now is the time to continue your civic engagement. I'm fairly confident DoL will be watching BigTech labor practices like a hawk, looking for both intentional domestic labor displacement and also abuse of H1B workers. I will not be surprised if Amazon is at the center of intense executive and legislative scrutiny for the next two years as a result of massive H1B allocations immediately followed by massive layoffs.
If you are an H1B worker being asked to work excessive hours or take on new responsibilities, reach out to DoL (NOT USCIS). If you are a manager/director privy to conversations about labor force reduction and H1B status is mentioned, reach out to DoL. Better to be the whistle blower than mentioned by name in a deposition.
- refurb 4y agoI cant speak for the crummy employers, but my employer was very sensitive to immigration status. They were willing to push H1B holders out to the very last wave of separations to buy them as much time as possible to find a new role. But yeah, crappy employers are out there, so any H1B holder should educate themselves on their rights and the employers obligations during layoffs.
- azinman2 4y agoI thought H1B abusers were people like Accenture and not Amazon. Consulting where it’s about bodies; the big co’s need talent in whatever form they can get and tend to pay well for it. It’s hard to imagine to me that Amazon is laying off just to get people more cheaply.. they can easily just pay less or hire more abroad.
- thwayunion 4y agoThey could, but why? The big cos colluded for years on wage fixing [1]. Amazon absolutely churns through SWEs; the average tenure in engineering roles is a year or two. [1] https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/apple-google-tech-companies-wage-fixing/ https://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/apple-google-tech-compani...
- adave 4y agoyou thought wrong, they hire managers from these companies and essentially work the same way.
- egourlao 4y agoHas the denial rate for all companies gone down? Or could it be that companies that were getting the most denials have submitted less petitions for H-1B workers? Sponsoring an employee on an H-1B has become significantly harder in the past few years, especially because of the odds of the lottery decreasing year over year. Another theory could just be that with the increased cost and uncertainty of attempting to sponsor an employee on an H-1B, many companies are resorting to alternatives, clearing the field for companies that have a more genuine need for H-1B workers.
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- vsskanth 4y agoThey are not related. H1B Denial rate went down because of administration change. Layoffs are due to fed tightening to combat inflation.
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- P_I_Staker 4y agoHmm, yeah I could see that having some broad support, but we'll see. Don't forget: big company, big lobbyists.