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I would strongly support massive expansion of the lottery system (and the reserve on advanced degrees), and have written my local congresspeople about it in the

by bane 11y ago

I would strongly support massive expansion of the lottery system (and the reserve on advanced degrees), and have written my local congresspeople about it in the past. I do this knowing that it may even result in driving down wages in STEM fields. Because I think it's too important over the long-term.

bsder 11y ago
The simplest solution is to shorten the H1-B time to a year and auto-convert to green card. More tech immigrants. No indentured servitude. Everybody wins. Except for the tech corporations who are suppressing wages--which is all of them--which is why it never happens.
- winter_blue 11y ago
  > Except for the tech corporations who are suppressing wages--which is all of them This is not true. I'm on an H1B, and I can change jobs freely. Employers can't prevent you from changing jobs. Employers have zero power to suppress wages if you have an H1B -- because you can get a better paying job. (This is unlike the L-1, which locks you to your employer.) The only thing preventing someone from getting a better paying job is how good they are at what they do. What's funny is that a lot of the engineers that outsourcing companies (like TCS, Infosys) bring over, end up leaving their poorly-paying sponsor soon after getting to the US (usually in 6 months), for a higher-paying job elsewhere. The only people left behind are those who can't find a better job...
  - bsder 11y ago
    > This is not true. I'm on an H1B, and I can change jobs freely. To another employer willing to sponsor your H1-B. Correct? However, doesn't this cause timeline issues? There were lots of problems with changing companies resetting your timeline. When did that change?
    - winter_blue 11y ago
      You might be thinking of people whose companies have started the greencard process. If your company hasn't applied for a greencard for you, there really is nothing tying you to them. If they do apply for your greencard, you are tied to them for about one (or two) years.

by bane 11y ago

bsder 11y ago

The simplest solution is to shorten the H1-B time to a year and auto-convert to green card. More tech immigrants. No indentured servitude. Everybody wins. Except for the tech corporations who are suppressing wages--which is all of them--which is why it never happens.

winter_blue 11y ago
> Except for the tech corporations who are suppressing wages--which is all of them This is not true. I'm on an H1B, and I can change jobs freely. Employers can't prevent you from changing jobs. Employers have zero power to suppress wages if you have an H1B -- because you can get a better paying job. (This is unlike the L-1, which locks you to your employer.) The only thing preventing someone from getting a better paying job is how good they are at what they do. What's funny is that a lot of the engineers that outsourcing companies (like TCS, Infosys) bring over, end up leaving their poorly-paying sponsor soon after getting to the US (usually in 6 months), for a higher-paying job elsewhere. The only people left behind are those who can't find a better job...
- bsder 11y ago
  > This is not true. I'm on an H1B, and I can change jobs freely. To another employer willing to sponsor your H1-B. Correct? However, doesn't this cause timeline issues? There were lots of problems with changing companies resetting your timeline. When did that change?
  - winter_blue 11y ago
    You might be thinking of people whose companies have started the greencard process. If your company hasn't applied for a greencard for you, there really is nothing tying you to them. If they do apply for your greencard, you are tied to them for about one (or two) years.