4 ms·

There are 65000 H1B visa issued a year (and 20000 more for Master & higher degree holders). H1B visa is 3 years, extendable to 6 years, with a maximum of 10 ye

by NhanH 12y ago

There are 65000 H1B visa issued a year (and 20000 more for Master & higher degree holders). H1B visa is 3 years, extendable to 6 years, with a maximum of 10 years. But I'd think most people don't stay on the H1B more than 6 years. So there's approximately 65000 * 6 = 400000 H1B visa holders in the US. For size comparison, there are about ~240millions adults in working age in the US. And the possible amnesty from the executive order a few days ago would cover some where from ~4-5 millions people. I'm not actually sure what's the point I should be making here. I guess it just feel to me that in the grand scheme of things, the number of H1B visas is tiny tiny. It's just incredibly sad to me to see on HN that someone would be concerned about H1B taking over US's jobs (or repressing the wage - which is the same, just lesser extreme than "taking US's jobs").

sounds 12y ago
I'm not concerned about H1B's taking over US jobs. I can understand that labor unions want to push that message in the same breath they decry US immigration laws. I am concerned that H1B's are indentured servitude. That term has a meaning, and no, it's not slavery, but if you will be deported upon losing your job that's a little more than just "out of a job." So H1B's are not a fair way to bring in talent from around the world. Not Tech Companies' fault, though, if they hire talented people this way. It _is_ Washington's fault, since they are the ones creating the artificial scarcity in the first place (and turning a blind eye to the actual solutions for such a long time that it can't be ascribed to incompetence). On the other hand, Tech Companies _are_ guilty of wage fixing. They got caught. Some did the right thing and raised wages. Some didn't. The economy is tough, so the incentives are all there for the company to keep payroll down. That's not a reason to unionize the software industry. That's just all the more reason to start your own company. Startups have successfully challenged the incumbents and won, especially in software. It's still open season. Good luck!
gabbo 12y ago
Your point may be valid, but the math is a little off. If you're an H1B holder going through the employment-based green card process (which could take anywhere from months to 10+ years), you can extend your H1B beyond the 6 year cutoff in 1 or 3 year increments depending on where you are in the process. A former boss of mine was on H1B from India (big tech company and he wasn't even remotely underpaid) for 12 years, most of that time waiting for a green card.

by NhanH 12y ago

sounds 12y ago

I'm not concerned about H1B's taking over US jobs. I can understand that labor unions want to push that message in the same breath they decry US immigration laws. I am concerned that H1B's are indentured servitude. That term has a meaning, and no, it's not slavery, but if you will be deported upon losing your job that's a little more than just "out of a job." So H1B's are not a fair way to bring in talent from around the world. Not Tech Companies' fault, though, if they hire talented people this way. It _is_ Washington's fault, since they are the ones creating the artificial scarcity in the first place (and turning a blind eye to the actual solutions for such a long time that it can't be ascribed to incompetence). On the other hand, Tech Companies _are_ guilty of wage fixing. They got caught. Some did the right thing and raised wages. Some didn't. The economy is tough, so the incentives are all there for the company to keep payroll down. That's not a reason to unionize the software industry. That's just all the more reason to start your own company. Startups have successfully challenged the incumbents and won, especially in software. It's still open season. Good luck!

gabbo 12y ago

Your point may be valid, but the math is a little off. If you're an H1B holder going through the employment-based green card process (which could take anywhere from months to 10+ years), you can extend your H1B beyond the 6 year cutoff in 1 or 3 year increments depending on where you are in the process. A former boss of mine was on H1B from India (big tech company and he wasn't even remotely underpaid) for 12 years, most of that time waiting for a green card.