Thread: Gates Warns On US Immigration Curbs

Originally Posted by olivermyboy

CCUSA wrote:

I'm not saying eliminate all HB1 visas, but keep the caps.

Right on!!! But, let's get our kids educated--this has a lot to do with the NEA and parents!!!

It has a lot to do with getting all the illegals out of OUR schools that we pay for so OUR kids class room are not so full and our teachers are teaching in one language and that language is ENGLISH>If they want to learn another language they do like my granddaughter does here she goes to her spanish 1 hour a day and thats what she focuses on,
In Idaho you have to have two years of another language to go to a college here, but the language is your choice. and all other classes are taught in English, so far, now we just have to keep it that way.

OK, here's more response....

* Kudos to iamtired for 'doing the right thing' with respect to the co-worker
that was breaking the rules - good job. It sounds like you're an honest person trying to do the right thing and that is commendable.

* Yes, Gates I do think is about right on the education system (especially at the lower levels). Most of our universities still do pretty well overall though (if quality were the problem, not even foreign students would waste their time here). Now, convincing US nationals to consider engineering/ related tech fields as a career option, well, that's entirely separate issue.

* Thanks for the Stein article post CC. I believe I read that at some point around XMas (slack!) time. Good info for sure. Bottom line: Skilled visas are subject to a lot of abuse!

* About the numbers of skilled visas... Yes, don't get me wrong - I'm not saying to allow 0, I'm just saying that any increase (even small ones) should be done with much planning and forethought as to the effects on the native workforce in those areas. We shouldn't just jump because one person with a specialized and vested interest says we should.
After all, Bill Gates never completed college. Today, HE wouldn't even qualify for the engineering jobs M$ or iamtired is trying to fill.

Because these programs have a well-known history of problems many people are justifiably very cynical about what they are told vs the reality.


OK, having said all the above, I can't be all warm and fuzzy though!

Well, I guess that only plausible explanation I can give your question is because of the influx of these H1B visas that are needed to fill certain spots in the workforce. My theory is this: if we had more graduates for these jobs, we wouldn't need these H1B immigrants, therefore the salaries would stay at the amount that they should be at.

However, since there is such a shortage...

I can't buy into this. Such thing would defy economics to the core. Every time something flares up in the Middle East, gas prices don't drop - they go up. Does offering prospective Engineering Interns a lower salary attract more applicants? We both know the answer to that. See, this is the problem. The fact that the salary levels have not risen suggests at the least, there is no shortage.

So, what is at work here, is either the complete inapplicability of economics, or something other than simple supply/demand. In fact, it could be that the entire supply/demand equation is being MANIPULATED to force a more favorable balance to one side.

My biggest problem with your company's approach, is that there are many fine, experienced, degreed professionals that your company is summarily overlooking - simply due to age (you do know that people 40+ fall into a protected class according to the EEOC? Treating people 'differently' because of that is a basis for a discrimination suit). Claimants are filing such cases, and some have been successful - so be careful. I, personally, wouldn't even consider working for a company that uses such a hiring approach. The fact that your company uses a 'low-ball' approach tells me they really don't care very much about the skills of prospective applicants, but just want to work newbies hard and cheaply. Good for the bottom-line in the short term, but the long run?

Defy your management and go find someone with experience. IEEE has an online job/resume board just for that sort of thing:

http://careers.ieee.org/

Other professional Orgs have similar boards as well.

Good Luck.