2 ms·

H1B also includes things like high school foreign language teachers. https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=french+language+immersion+teacher&city=&year=2025 h

by shagie 12d ago

H1B also includes things like high school foreign language teachers. https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=french+language+immersion+teacher&city=&year=2025 https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=french+language+immer... A stack rank by salary would mean "H1B is big tech employees" rather than "these are professionals who have skills."

bickfordb 12d ago
The H1B was intended for highly specialized skills that where there is no local talent available.
- ok123456 12d ago
  Excatly. It was meant as a temporary program in the early-90s. It wasn't meant as a permanent solution for skilled labor staffing. We've had about 35 years to build a domestic pipeline of Novell NetWare, SunOS 4, Windows 3.0, and dBASE IV developers and experts.
- triceratops 12d ago
  "Foreign language teacher" isn't a "highly specialized skill"? Tons of Americans work as English teachers abroad.
  - bickfordb 12d ago
    I don't believe it is (someone who knows two languages isn't remarkable, someone who can teach others isn't remarkable), but there should probably be a visa for that if we need it. I personally don't believe even a lot of the software/IT industry jobs merit H1Bs. They work abroad under the respective country's work visa. H1B is US specific, specific visa. The US has plenty of other work visas.
    - triceratops 12d ago
      > I don't believe it is...I personally don't believe even a lot of the software/IT industry jobs merit H1Bs. The law doesn't work based on your beliefs. > someone who knows two languages isn't remarkable, someone who can teach others isn't remarkable First: it depends on the language. Second: the combination of two relatively commonplace skills in one person isn't commonplace. "Be top 20% in two things instead of top 5% in one thing" is standard career advice.
- BeetleB 12d ago
  Foreign language teachers is the one category where it's easy to believe it's hard to find local talent. I've seen them in small towns across the country. Sure, you may have a Vietnamese speaking US citizen in New York, but they don't want to move to a small town in the Midwest.
ok123456 12d ago
Then you will have unscrupulous contracting firms miscategorize employees to take advantage of those different quotas.
- shagie 12d ago
  Increased scrutiny of H-1B-dependent employers could well be in order. There is already that classification in place and restrictions... though I suspect that underfunding of the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division may be contributing to that lack of scrutiny. Putting additional restrictions and requirements for reporting would likely be a good thing. I am hesitant to say "H-1B needs to go" when it does serve other non-technical positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B-dependent_employer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B-dependent_employer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/62c-h1b-dependent-employer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/62c-h1b-depende... In the past there have been specific carve outs for specific fields. The H-1A was the section for nurses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#The_Immigration_Act_of_1990 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#The_Immigration_Act_... It might be appropriate to separate H-1T (I'm sure its not up to section T yet, using that as a placeholder) for tech workers and have some sort of proctored test to ensure that the skills represented aren't "I know how to use Claude" along with filing fees sufficient to cover the administration of the test. This would move tech workers out of the H-1B category allowing it to return to its original intent of skilled workers (teachers, medical technicians, private sector researchers...).
  - ok123456 12d ago
    These companies have a demonstrated track record for having no qualms about bald-face lying. Suddenly we'll have an influx of "private sector researchers" to cover those tech jobs.
    - shagie 12d ago
      I was more referring to things like... a horticulturist. https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=horticulturist&city=&year=all+years https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=horticulturist&city=&... Elsewhere in DOL, there's a definition of computer professional. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17e-overtime-computer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17e-overtime-co... The employee's primary duty must consist of: The application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users, to determine hardware, software or system functional specifications; The design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes, based on and related to user or system design specifications; The design, documentation, testing, creation or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems; or A combination of the aforementioned duties, the performance of which requires the same level of skills. If the job definition is covered in that, then it would be classified that way. Or if the job is classified by the BLS as 15-0000 ( https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm#15-0000 https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm#15-0000 ) All this still requires proper funding of the Department of Labor and its ability to investigate H-1B-dependent employers.

by shagie 12d ago

bickfordb 12d ago

The H1B was intended for highly specialized skills that where there is no local talent available.

ok123456 12d ago
Excatly. It was meant as a temporary program in the early-90s. It wasn't meant as a permanent solution for skilled labor staffing. We've had about 35 years to build a domestic pipeline of Novell NetWare, SunOS 4, Windows 3.0, and dBASE IV developers and experts.
triceratops 12d ago
"Foreign language teacher" isn't a "highly specialized skill"? Tons of Americans work as English teachers abroad.
- bickfordb 12d ago
  I don't believe it is (someone who knows two languages isn't remarkable, someone who can teach others isn't remarkable), but there should probably be a visa for that if we need it. I personally don't believe even a lot of the software/IT industry jobs merit H1Bs. They work abroad under the respective country's work visa. H1B is US specific, specific visa. The US has plenty of other work visas.
  - triceratops 12d ago
    > I don't believe it is...I personally don't believe even a lot of the software/IT industry jobs merit H1Bs. The law doesn't work based on your beliefs. > someone who knows two languages isn't remarkable, someone who can teach others isn't remarkable First: it depends on the language. Second: the combination of two relatively commonplace skills in one person isn't commonplace. "Be top 20% in two things instead of top 5% in one thing" is standard career advice.
BeetleB 12d ago
Foreign language teachers is the one category where it's easy to believe it's hard to find local talent. I've seen them in small towns across the country. Sure, you may have a Vietnamese speaking US citizen in New York, but they don't want to move to a small town in the Midwest.

ok123456 12d ago

Then you will have unscrupulous contracting firms miscategorize employees to take advantage of those different quotas.

shagie 12d ago
Increased scrutiny of H-1B-dependent employers could well be in order. There is already that classification in place and restrictions... though I suspect that underfunding of the Department of Labor, Wage and Hour Division may be contributing to that lack of scrutiny. Putting additional restrictions and requirements for reporting would likely be a good thing. I am hesitant to say "H-1B needs to go" when it does serve other non-technical positions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B-dependent_employer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B-dependent_employer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/62c-h1b-dependent-employer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/62c-h1b-depende... In the past there have been specific carve outs for specific fields. The H-1A was the section for nurses. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#The_Immigration_Act_of_1990 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/H-1B_visa#The_Immigration_Act_... It might be appropriate to separate H-1T (I'm sure its not up to section T yet, using that as a placeholder) for tech workers and have some sort of proctored test to ensure that the skills represented aren't "I know how to use Claude" along with filing fees sufficient to cover the administration of the test. This would move tech workers out of the H-1B category allowing it to return to its original intent of skilled workers (teachers, medical technicians, private sector researchers...).
- ok123456 12d ago
  These companies have a demonstrated track record for having no qualms about bald-face lying. Suddenly we'll have an influx of "private sector researchers" to cover those tech jobs.
  - shagie 12d ago
    I was more referring to things like... a horticulturist. https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=horticulturist&city=&year=all+years https://h1bdata.info/index.php?em=&job=horticulturist&city=&... Elsewhere in DOL, there's a definition of computer professional. https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17e-overtime-computer https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/fact-sheets/17e-overtime-co... The employee's primary duty must consist of: The application of systems analysis techniques and procedures, including consulting with users, to determine hardware, software or system functional specifications; The design, development, documentation, analysis, creation, testing or modification of computer systems or programs, including prototypes, based on and related to user or system design specifications; The design, documentation, testing, creation or modification of computer programs related to machine operating systems; or A combination of the aforementioned duties, the performance of which requires the same level of skills. If the job definition is covered in that, then it would be classified that way. Or if the job is classified by the BLS as 15-0000 ( https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm#15-0000 https://www.bls.gov/oes/2025/may/oes_stru.htm#15-0000 ) All this still requires proper funding of the Department of Labor and its ability to investigate H-1B-dependent employers.