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> And one way to help make that happen is to substantially increase the guest worker fees large corporations pay to fund scholarships, apprenticeships, and job
by sxp 1y ago
> And one way to help make that happen is to substantially increase the guest worker fees large corporations pay to fund scholarships, apprenticeships, and job training opportunities for American workers. This is something that I have advocated from my first days as a U.S. senator.
This is the proper solution. Ideally, the H1-B program would remove quotas and lotteries and switch to a pure auction program for the fees. E.g, a Dutch auction for the X thousand available slots where the fee can be deducted from federal income taxes. If companies really want the best talent in the world, they should be willing to pay for it.
- digianarchist 1y agoThat’s a great way to screw over every industry that isn’t tech. Hospitals and labs can’t afford to match tech spending to obtain H1Bs. If there’s going to be an auction then there needs to be an industry or job code cap too.
- jay_kyburz 1y agoYou could come up with some other code for industries where you actually need people. You can let capitalism do its thing, and you can put your finger on the scale for things that society needs but that are not as profitable.
- digianarchist 1y agoThere’s already a cap-exemption for non-profits. Most countries identify industry shortages and tailor their immigration needs to bring in people to fulfill those roles.
- rayiner 1y ago> Most countries identify industry shortages and tailor their immigration needs to bring in people to fulfill those roles. This makes no sense economically. Auctioning immigrant slots to the highest bidder should allocate those spots to where they'll be most valued in the economy. What the countries you seem to be describing are doing is industry-selective wage suppression.
- digianarchist 1y agoIt's a short-term skills shortage that's being filled. Nurses and doctors take time to train.
- rayiner 1y agoSounds short sighted to try to solve a supposed short-term skills shortage with a fix that’s permanent for people and their descendants.
- digianarchist 1y agoIf the US wants to keep visas temporary then it’s free to scrap AC21 and EB Green Cards.
- rayiner 1y agoWestern countries don’t have the stomach to maintain “temporary” worker programs as such. Turkish workers in Germany were supposed to be temporary as well. In the U.S., H1B is still legally a “temporary (nonimmigrant)” but was turned into a gateway to permanent immigration by executive branch practice.
- digianarchist 1y agoAC21 was passed by Congress
- rayiner 1y agoThe H1 visa was created in 1952, and H1B was created in 1990. To this day, H1 visas are, in the actual statute, for temporary workers under 8 USC 1101: “H) an alien (i) [(a) Repealed. Pub. L. 106–95, § 2(c), Nov. 12, 1999, 113 Stat. 1316] (b) subject to section 1182(j)(2) of this title, who is coming temporarily to the United States to perform services…” The INA has a provision that requires all temporary workers to have non-immigration intent. Moreover, it requires UCIS to presume immigrant intent if someone files an application for permanent residency, which would make the H1B deportable. The state department created “dual intent” decades ago as a legal fiction to allow H1 immigrants to skirt this provision of the law. Congress accommodated that somewhat in 1990 and in 2000 (with AC21). But it’s all a hack on top of a kludge. The statue now exempts UCIS from being required to presume non-immigrant intent if someone files a permanent residency application. And AC21 allows extensions while a green card application is pending. But nothing stops the administration from deciding a green card application constitutes immigration intent, or denying an extension. Congress has never changed the wording of the law—on paper it’s still a temporary worker program. A future administration could start treating it as such at any time.
- CincinnatiMan 1y agoAre there ways these other industries could increase interest from citizen workers, in the scenario that they can’t obtain H1Bs?
- pseudo0 1y agoThey obtain interest from citizen workers by increasing wages. H1Bs artificially suppress wages and make the market inefficient by removing those price signals. This creates a self-perpetuating problem that can only be "resolved" by bringing in more H1Bs, as the H1B impact on wages disincentivizes citizens from entering the field and pursuing the requisite education and training.
- rayiner 1y ago> Hospitals and labs can’t afford to match tech spending to obtain H1Bs. That's the point! You can train Americans to do those jobs. Visas should be reserved for truly exceptional workers that will create enormous value in the U.S., as opposed to those doing mundane skilled work who wills imply drive down wages for Americans.
- ergocoder 1y ago> Hospitals and labs can’t afford to match tech spending to obtain H1Bs. This is just basic demand-supply. I don't see a problem here. If hospitals and labs can't afford to match the salaries of other occupations, maybe you have too many American candidates or the end result isn't producing enough value. Most of the occupations doesn't really need H1B. And that's okay.
- cellis 1y agoAnd why not? Check Kaisers bottom line, they’re not exactly hurting. Same for many hospitals. Also tech is not yet hiring doctors anyway and if there’s a true shortage of medical pros then by all means there will be cash to pay them.
- mc32 1y agoI’d say add a 25% payroll tax that is earmarked only to train and support American citizens in the industry the H1Bs are brought into.
- rawgabbit 1y ago100% payroll tax would make more sense.