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Adding a bunch of smart, hardworking, educated, ambition people to society is always going to be a net-win, even if it puts a little downward pressure on wages.

Adding a bunch of smart, hardworking, educated, ambition people to society is always going to be a net-win, even if it puts a little downward pressure on wages. However, I don't equate H-1Bs with permanent immigration. There are limitations on duration of stay, what happens with your spouse/family, switching employers, etc etc. That really doesn't lend itself to people moving their whole family to the US and buying into becoming permanent residents. If all we get out of the H-1B program is downward pressure and wages and people that will come for 5 years, make a bunch of money, go home and not come back, then I am against the H-1B program. Note that I 100% put the blame for this situation on the US immigration policy and not the people that are H-1B holders. I am sure most of them would love to get a green card or even become a US citizen, but for some reason we've gone from 'Give me your tired poor huddled masses' to 'Oh you have a masters degree in an engineering degree and want to move here to start a business? Too bad!'.

codexon 12y ago
> Adding a bunch of smart, hardworking, educated, ambition people to society is always going to be a net-win It is a net win for the country but not for the individuals who make up the country. You are probably able to compete with outsourcing now, but do you think this will last forever, or for your descendants? Having h-1bs, as they are implemented now, comes with more problems than benefits. It is extremely likely that companies such as Google still would have been created without h-1bs. See China for example. They are doing fine with Tencent, Baidu and the other host of late coming clones. The economic dominance of the US is mostly caused by not being demolished in WW2 and many natural resources as it was only populated for a few centuries. It is not really because the US has the smartest and most hardworking people (not saying they don't help though).
- krschultz 12y ago
  Outsourcing and immigration are two different things. H-1Bs encourage the equivalent of outsourcing, except with the people being physically located in the US. Immigration just increases the number of people. If you are worried about competing with more citizens, then you should also be arguing to make our schools worse and make college more expensive. I personally think what is best for society as a whole is best for me. The more economic growth there is, the more opportunity there is for me to get a raise/promotion, or find a company that really needs a person with my set of skills.
  - codexon 12y ago
    It is essentially the same thing in terms of competition for labor. In one case you are sending the work to the workers, in the other, you are bringing the workers to the work. Competition within the country is fair. Companies exploiting the ability to outsource/h1-b their work is not fair. Workers that were grown and educated here cannot go back in time and move to a different country with cheaper living costs and education. If society is being replaced by people that aren't you, society can benefit while leaving you in the dust. It is not a win-win situation. It is easy to feel that you or your descendants will never be marginalized when you are making 100k+ in silicon valley.
deleted 12y ago
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codexon 12y ago

> Adding a bunch of smart, hardworking, educated, ambition people to society is always going to be a net-win It is a net win for the country but not for the individuals who make up the country. You are probably able to compete with outsourcing now, but do you think this will last forever, or for your descendants? Having h-1bs, as they are implemented now, comes with more problems than benefits. It is extremely likely that companies such as Google still would have been created without h-1bs. See China for example. They are doing fine with Tencent, Baidu and the other host of late coming clones. The economic dominance of the US is mostly caused by not being demolished in WW2 and many natural resources as it was only populated for a few centuries. It is not really because the US has the smartest and most hardworking people (not saying they don't help though).

krschultz 12y ago
Outsourcing and immigration are two different things. H-1Bs encourage the equivalent of outsourcing, except with the people being physically located in the US. Immigration just increases the number of people. If you are worried about competing with more citizens, then you should also be arguing to make our schools worse and make college more expensive. I personally think what is best for society as a whole is best for me. The more economic growth there is, the more opportunity there is for me to get a raise/promotion, or find a company that really needs a person with my set of skills.
- codexon 12y ago
  It is essentially the same thing in terms of competition for labor. In one case you are sending the work to the workers, in the other, you are bringing the workers to the work. Competition within the country is fair. Companies exploiting the ability to outsource/h1-b their work is not fair. Workers that were grown and educated here cannot go back in time and move to a different country with cheaper living costs and education. If society is being replaced by people that aren't you, society can benefit while leaving you in the dust. It is not a win-win situation. It is easy to feel that you or your descendants will never be marginalized when you are making 100k+ in silicon valley.

deleted 12y ago

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