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H-1B Visa

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  • McGregor
    2015-06-04 10:07:27 AM
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    Sen. Sanders, I'd enjoy knowing your position on the following:

    WORRIED ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS----READ ABOUT GOVERNMENT BLESSED FOREIGN WORKERS STEALING OUR JOBS
    Overview: H-1B Visa is a non-immigrant visa which allows U.S. employers to temporarily employ foreign professionals in specialty occupations for three years, extendable to six years.

    Family: Spouse and unmarried children under 21 years of age could apply for H-4 non-immigrant visa. They do not have work authorization under H-4 status.

    Green Card Intent: Dual Intent is permitted. (Doctrine of Dual Intent allows visa holders to enter the U.S. while simultaneously seeking lawful permanent resident status(green card status)).

    Statistics
    In fiscal year 2012, USCIS approved 262,569 H-1B visa petitions. 136,890 of the petitions were for initial employment(74,997 aliens were outside US, 61,893 inside US) and 125,679 were for Continuing Employment.

    Sixty-one percent of H-1B petitions approved in fiscal year 2012 were for workers in computer related occupations. The median salary of beneficiaries of approved petitions remained at $70,000 for both FYs 2011 and 2012.

    Forty-six percent of H-1B petitions approved in fiscal year 2012 were for workers with a bachelor’s degree, forty-one percent had a master’s degree, 8 percent had a doctorate, and 4 percent were for workers with a professional degree.

    Department of Labor(DOL) typically certifies more than 3 times the number of foreign work requests than the number of H-1B visas issued by USCIS.

  • johnnycee
    2015-06-04 10:14:31 AM
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    I wonder if those employers who hire these foreign workers do so because of political considerations and not for their superior experience, because I find it hard to believe that there are no American nationals who could very well do these same jobs as their foreign counterparts, unless of course you throw in salary requirements.
  • that guy in Arizona
    2015-06-04 12:04:30 PM
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    McGregor:

    Welcome to the Democratic Hub. It's always refreshing to get new ideas.

    After reading your note this morning, I did some more research on H-1B visas, and found that it is a very complicated topic. Although the Wikipedia article about the topic provided a great deal of information, I discovered that the Brookings Institute had produced a study almost exactly 2 years ago that was more accurate.

    http://www.brookings.edu/research/reports/2013/06/18-temporary-workers-wilson

    The United States actually issues three different types of visas for temporary workers. The H-1B visa applies to temporary workers in specialty occupations (such as computers). Although the annual cap is 85,000, the United States issued 135,991 H-1B visas in 2012. The H-2A visa applies to seasonal agricultural workers, and there is no annual cap for this type of visa. The H-2B visa covers seasonal non-agricultural workers, and is capped at 66,000 annually. IN 2012, the Untied States issued 65,345 H-2A visas and 50,009 H-2B visas.

    Compared to other OECD countries, the United States actually issues a lower percentage of visas to temporary workers compared to permanent immigrants. than other countries. Japan has the highest percentage in the world.

    Surprisingly, salary considerations really aren't an issue, since the average salary for H--1B workers appears to be about $60,000 a year, and there are several companies that pay over $100,000 a year.

    http://www.h1bwage.com/

    The reason that companies like H-1B workers is that it allows them to have the best and brightest talent from around the world working for them, regardless of where they come from. For that reason, the Republican cuts to education are so profoundly STUPID that they should not be allowed at all.. Arizona has suffered the worst cuts to education than any state in the country, but Scott Walker is trying hard to catch up, since he cut $300 million from higher education in his most recent budget.

    As a country, we desperately need more immigrants, a fact that you're never going to hear from FOX "news" or the 17 (or so) Republican candidates for President. If you're really got a LOT of time on your hands, you may want to read a few(?) of my thoughts on immigration in general:

    http://tohell-andback.blogspot.com/2011/11/immigration-man.html

  • Zach F
    2015-06-04 02:55:14 PM
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    If they have a VISA, then they aren't "illegal immigrants." And they aren't "stealing jobs." Jobs aren't guaranteed to anyone.

    As for Johnnycee's comment. In 2013, America ranked 24th in literacy; 23rd in science; 11th in cognitive skills; and 14th in the Pearson overall education index. And education has only gotten worse in the last 2 years. So it wouldn't be hard to believe at all that someone from another country would be far more qualified.

  • johnnycee
    2015-06-04 03:13:39 PM
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    Zach, I want you to be so wrong with those numbers but I think you might be correct, but what the hell, lets build one more aircraft carrier instead of investing into all of our education levels, from K to post graduate studies, and also in the trade unions. we always need craftsmen to build what architects, engineers and scientist's dream and scheme about, and then we have to build more aircraft to use on the new aircraft carrier.. nothing like having the right priorities in place.
  • jaredsxtn
    2015-06-04 03:24:39 PM
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    Zach F Wrote: If they have a VISA, then they aren't "illegal immigrants." And they aren't "stealing jobs." Jobs aren't guaranteed to anyone.

    Exactly. Companies will hire the best person to fill a job. The sad truth is that most Americans aren't up to the task and I'd rather have a foreign national come to America and do a job correctly than having an American get hired and not be able to.

    Zach F Wrote: As for Johnnycee's comment. In 2013, America ranked 24th in literacy; 23rd in science; 11th in cognitive skills; and 14th in the Pearson overall education index. And education has only gotten worse in the last 2 years. So it wouldn't be hard to believe at all that someone from another country would be far more qualified.

    These are terrifying statistics. We will also, at least in the short term, need to increase the number of VISA's that we award. America will continue to lag woefully behind the rest of the industrialized world in math and science until we dramatically reform our educational system and will continue to be dependent on outside help until we get around to doing that.

  • Dutch
    2015-06-05 09:05:04 AM
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    johnnycee Wrote: Zach, I want you to be so wrong with those numbers but I think you might be correct, but what the hell, lets build one more aircraft carrier instead of investing into all of our education levels, from K to post graduate studies, and also in the trade unions. we always need craftsmen to build what architects, engineers and scientist's dream and scheme about, and then we have to build more aircraft to use on the new aircraft carrier.. nothing like having the right priorities in place.

    J.C. I'm glad you got the picture; I came to this country as a "specialist" and immediately got citizenship because no one here got that same education. Like you said if you only hire people who then work for the war machine, the return on investment is still zero. It only works if those people improve this society, for instance in education and things which are useful in daily life and improve living standards as well living environment. The total lack here of decent infrastructure, water management, transportation, social structure etc., needs educated people. Using "brains" to make "killing machines" is a total waste.

  • Schmidt
    2015-06-05 09:40:21 AM
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    I am sitting here in Ocean Shores, Washington watching the seagulls over the ocean, and felt I had to comment on this issue since I have written several of the job descriptions for H1B visas. It is true that companies hire the best and brightest, and often times those individuals are found in overseas locations. In one of my former roles, I tried to hire the best and brightest from the "unemployed" in America, and there is no such thing. If you are really good, you already have a job. If you are not, then you may have a job and maybe not. But most likely you lack the specialty skills that an overseas professional has developed over many years on the job. The point I will make is that companies don't just go through the H1b process for anyone. The people I brought over to the USA were truly exceptional in their respective fields of work, skills they did not acquire overnight.

    Some of those H1B holders stayed and applied for their green cards and citizenship. America's gain.

  • johnnycee
    2015-06-05 10:03:57 AM
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    I do not mean or intend to sleight any of those who came to this country and made homes for themselves and used their skills and talents to make life more bearable for all Americans, my beef is with the so few monies allocated for Education and the vast sums for the Defense dept., which is supposed to ensure the safety of out nation, but what good would it be if they are guarding a nation of under and uneducated masses , with a broken infrastructure and a very wealth upper class. give me a Nation that prides itself on its ability to educate it's citizens and in turn makes that nation a better place to live and grow, and I'll show you a true World leader.
  • AmcmurryFreedom
    2015-06-05 11:08:11 AM
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    Oh! how we may have forgotten what makes "AMERICA", even amongst the racism, ridicule, persecution and threats................our country still advertises to the world.............come to me.

    "Give me Your tired, Your poor, Your huddled masses, Yearning to breath free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door." (inscription on our Lady Liberty inspired poem by Emma Lazarus)

    So what has changed? We have mass delirium on denying children to escape across the border from hell's effects of slavery, bondage and death. We have lazy people deny those around the world that extremely capable of performing well in America's best of jobs. We have ignorant people that just want to be paid and not work for a living denying those around the world the right to come to this country ad become prosperous.

    What's wrong with this picture or should I say advertising to the world, "Come to America"?

    I say if your desiring to work for it, come and be prosperous in America. We have enough people getting handouts. America needs workers and especially Professional highly educated people, who have demonstrated they know how to work for it.

  • Dutch
    2015-06-05 01:39:55 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: I do not mean or intend to sleight any of those who came to this country and made homes for themselves and used their skills and talents to make life more bearable for all Americans, my beef is with the so few monies allocated for Education and the vast sums for the Defense dept., which is supposed to ensure the safety of out nation, but what good would it be if they are guarding a nation of under and uneducated masses , with a broken infrastructure and a very wealth upper class. give me a Nation that prides itself on its ability to educate it's citizens and in turn makes that nation a better place to live and grow, and I'll show you a true World leader.
    J.C. I applaud you for a change; well said
  • johnnycee
    2015-06-05 05:03:37 PM
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    Dutch, I have always been a critic of the monies spent on military hardware, all you have to do is watch the progress of ISIS with less than a tenth of our fire power and not having air supremacy has taken over quite a bit of the Middle East , threatening parts of the Medditerrean Sea countries. they most certainly do not have the budget of the US. military.
  • Dutch
    2015-06-05 06:09:48 PM
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    johnnycee Wrote: Dutch, I have always been a critic of the monies spent on military hardware, all you have to do is watch the progress of ISIS with less than a tenth of our fire power and not having air supremacy has taken over quite a bit of the Middle East , threatening parts of the Medditerrean Sea countries. they most certainly do not have the budget of the US. military.
    Yes, J.C . it is not always "money" and a lot of hardware what wins wars it is determination and conviction; not that I agree with these people, but as many members said before, we are the one's who helped by creating this mess in the middle east; the more bombs we throw the more fanatic they will get. What would you do if your house is being bombed day and night by people who live on the other side of the world and you as a sheep farmer have no clue why they bomb you..
  • that guy in Arizona
    2015-06-15 10:08:24 AM
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    Although the existence of the H-1B visa is a good thing for us (usually) it does have its dark side.

    Naturally, there ARE companies that use the visa system to replace America workers with cheaper labor from abroad. This morning's New York Times has more details:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/15/opinion/workers-betrayed-by-visa-loopholes.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region&_r=0

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