Thread: US high-tech companies lobbying Congress for more H1Bs

Get ready for the next round-


US high-tech companies lobbying Congress for immigration changes

http://www.workpermit.com/news/2006_12_ ... ngress.htm

27 December 2006

Advanced technology industrial interests in the United States are lobbying members of Congress to change immigration policies toward highly skilled immigrants.

Some recent studies are being used to support the case that U.S. high-tech industries are suffering as they compete against other countries in the technology boom these past several years. These interests assert that restrictions on the number of H-1B workers available each year is hurting U.S. companies.

High-tech companies are touting these studies to show contributions made by educated immigrants, and they want updated immigration laws to expand the number of immigrants allowed into the country each year.

Present U.S. immigration law restricts H-1B visas to 60,000 available per year, down from 195,000 per year in 2004 and 215,000 prior to that. An additional 6,000 are available, but are reserved by special treaties with specific countries. 20,000 more H1-B's are exempted each year outside the 60,000 cap for advanced degrees, such as PhD's.

In an immigration reform bill passed by the U.S. Senate in May, it was proposed that the cap be raised to 115,000. Due to political disagreements that were not resolved, the U.S. House and the Senate did not pursue negotiations on their different immigration reform bills to craft a law for 2006.

Just last week, the 110th U.S. Congress, now under a thin majority control of the liberal-leaning Democratic Party, has begun bi-partisan negotiation to create new bills. The Senate version is currently estimated to be ready for a vote in April or May of 2007, followed later in the year by a House version. Addressing changes in the H-1B program is one of many expected items in these bills.

Industry studies, such as a study by the National Venture Capital Association, conclude that immigrants were involved in almost 20% of venture-capital, public companies in the last 15 years. These are companies that started high-technology businesses and employed thousands of American workers. These companies raised over $500 billion dollars in capital since 1990.

About 40% of public high-tech companies, with Intel, Google, Yahoo, E-Bay, and Sun Microsystems included on that list, had at least one foreign-born person as a least one of the founders. In the computer and software field, foreign-born entrepreneurs are behind almost half of venture capital start up companies. The bottom line is that a very significant portion of the innovation that has kept the U.S. in the forefront of technology comes from immigrants.

For decades, "Silicon Valley" industries in California attracted the best engineers and computer programmers from around the world. Companies now say that they cannot find enough U.S.-born engineers and computer experts to fill job openings.


Solutions

U.S. Senate immigration bill that proposed to increase the quotas would have helped the backlog of jobs that companies claim are going unfilled.

Some proposed solutions would to lift the caps on certain types of high-tech jobs and also allow qualified foreign students (approximately 600,000) to remain in the U.S. and fill high-tech jobs after they graduate from school. Scotland in the United Kingdom has a similar program for graduates of its universities. It is seen as so successful that the UK government is currently crafting a program for all of Britain.

Canada is another country that is considering similar measures for graduates of its universities. A number of other countries have recognized the potential of this approach during 2006, such as Australia, New Zealand and several other European Union nations.

For the H-1B program in the United States, it might be possible to keep the current quota in place if such measures are enacted. The possibility would be to allow a number of exemption categories targeted at specific needs such as the industries are interested in. Tens of thousands of potential highly skilled workers might then be eligible for work visas, potentially exceeding the proposed quota increases from earlier this year.

Meanwhile, industry players, such as Microsoft's CEO Bill Gates, continue to maintain that many more H-1B visas for skilled workers are needed this coming year. The 110th session of Congress will address this problem and, hopefully, get past the partisan rhetoric that deadlocked last year's debate.

The incoming Speaker of the U.S. House, Nancy Pelosi, has already spoken with Bill Gates about the need for reform. Both have stated that Congress needs to encourage innovation.

Well here's part of a local story in which this guys going into teaching because theres no jobs in tech field......



December 28, 2006
By Carole Schrock, The Star
A victim of the bursting technology bubble, Tim Graham recently found himself unemployed.

The Glenwood resident worked as a computer programmer for 15 years before his company went bankrupt.

"I had trouble getting back into the industry with so much experience," Graham said. "My wife, Paulette, said, 'Why don't you think about becoming a teacher?' "

Graham has a bachelor's of science degree in business management and has always liked math and science.

But he couldn't afford to spend years in college.

Then, his wife found the alternative teacher certification partnership program at Governors State University in University Park.

There are alot of Americans graduating with computer degrees already and they need jobs. My daughter's friend changed computer majors due to out sourcing to countries like India and former Soviet countries like the Ukraine. The only reason he has an advantage and a job is due to the fact that the company he works for deals with former soviet countries and as he is originally from Russia he can communicate with them much easier if their is a problem.
Bill Gates makes me sick as he hires mostly from the top high tech university in Canada. He goes up there all the time in person to assist with recruiting. I used to see it all the time as it is next to my hometown. There are not many high tech jobs in Canada as many have gone to countries such as China and India. These grads get so excited to go work for Micro Soft that they don't realize what they are getting paid compared to Americans.

Originally Posted by Kate

Some recent studies are being used to support the case that U.S. high-tech industries are suffering as they compete against other countries in the technology boom these past several years. These interests assert that restrictions on the number of H-1B workers available each year is hurting U.S. companies.

The "recent studies" come from the government of India through the lobbyists they send to Washington [1]. They attempt to create the false impression that Americans can't be hired for high-tech jobs and that India is naturally "talented" in the high-tech services area. Don't believe any of their lies.

The H1-B program is a different "take" on run-away third-world immigration to the US. The government of India has convinced American politicians and business leaders to attempt to allow hundreds of thousands of desperate Indian workers, many armed with forged resumes and false credentials into the US. The only thing keeping this other form of "illegal immigration" from happening (illegal in that the H1-B system is so rife with fraud) are Congressmen like Tom Tandcredo who understand that India has as much misery to offer the United States as illegal aliens from Mexico do.

1. http://www.usindiafriendship.net/congre ... cornyn.htm

U.S. Senate India Caucus
John Cornyn, Senator Who Made the Difference
Press Release
April 23, 2004

For Mago, a successful Dallas businessman with numerous civic and social affiliations, this was his crowning achievement. The effort to form a Senate India caucus has been on the burner for several years, but with a single stroke Mago achieved it because of strong support he got from Senator Cornyn.

During his India trip, Senator Cornyn had a chance meeting with about a dozen members of the House India caucus who also were visiting the South Asian nation at the same time.

On his return from India, Senator Cornyn talked to a number of his colleagues in the Senate to join him in the bipartisan "Friends of India" Caucus.

The response was overwhelming. Among those who wanted to join the group was Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, who even agreed to be the body’s co-chair.

Matt Winslow, Senator Cornyn’s foreign policy advisor, began coordinating with every senator’s office. There was not much convincing to do as each Senator realized the importance of this body in improving Indo-U.S. relations.

Mago also convinced Kay Bailey Hutchison, the other popular and powerful Senator from Texas, to the caucus.

Here are the members of the Senate India Caucus - the usual suspects, most are also illegal alien anmnesty supporters

U.S. Senate India Caucus
Members of US Senate India Caucus

http://www.usindiafriendship.net/congre ... embers.htm

109th Congress elected in November 2004
List updated as of March 13, 2005

18 Democrats, 19 Republicans, Total 37

John Cornyn, Co-Chair
Hillary Clinton, Co-Chair
Wayne Allard
Evan Bayh
Robert Bennett
Jeff Bingaman
Barbara Boxer
Maria Cantwell
Saxy Chambliss
Thad Cochran
Norm Coleman
John Corzine
Mike Crapo
Mark Dayton
Mike DeWine
Richard Durbin
Bill Frist
Lindsey Graham
Charles Grassley
Orrin Hatch
Kay Bailey Hutchison
Daniel Inouye
Mary Landrieu
Frank Lautenberg
Carl Levin
Joseph Lieberman
Trent Lott
Barbara Mikulski
John Rockefeller
Rick Santorum
Charles Schumer
Gordon Smith
Arlen Specter
Debbie Stabenow
Ted Stevens
George Voinovich
Ron Wyden





Latest updates: October 22 , 2005
U.S. Senate India Caucus

http://www.usindiafriendship.net/congre ... caucus.htm

by Aziz Haniffa in Washington DC (March 31, 2004)

A new bipartisan organisation called 'Friends of India' has been formed in the US Senate, similar to the 10-year-old Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans in the US House of Representatives.

This is the first time in the history of the US Senate that a country-focused caucus has been constituted and announcing its formation was the driving force behind the move Senator John Cornyn, a freshman Republican Senator from Texas who recently visited India.

Cornyn, who was the keynote speaker at the Second Annual Capitol Hill Gala Dinner of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin on Tuesday night following AAPI's two-day legislative conference, said co-chairing 'Friends of India' in the US Senate would be Democratic Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York.

He said that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, Tennessee Republican and Minority Leader Thomas Dachle,South Dakota Democrat had also agreed to become members of the Friends of India group and so had 18 other Senators from both sides of the aisle.

Cornyn said he 'undertook the job of creating an India Caucus in the US Senate, because of the incredible experience I had in India and because of the importance of US-India relations'.

"The response has been really outstanding across the political spectrum to the formation of such a Caucus and to me that says a lot to work on the good relationship we have in the Senate toward promoting ties between our two democracies," he said.

Cornyn acknowledged that it was unfortunate that over the years, and particularly during the Cold War years, despite both the US and India being democracies with so much in common 'did not have good relations', and described it 'as an accident of history', which has to be put right. "We have to make up for lost time," he said.

Indian Ambassador Lalit Mansingh who has been promoting the idea of the Friends of India Caucus in the US Senate among Indian American groups said he was ecstatic over the news.

Mansingh, who was also present at the AAPI dinner, as Cornyn was announcing the launch, said he had been in touch with the Senators and others over forming such a group. He told rediff.com: "I have to commend all the Indian leaders of the Indian American community that finally made this happen."

"Cornyn came back very charged after his trip to India and said 'I want to do something to promote US-India relations' and so we said 'this is something you can do'," Mansingh said. "So we were in contact with him."

"Even though he was aware of the formation of such a group I wanted them to say it," Mansingh said. He said there would be a formal launch.

It is believed that some of the most powerful and influential lawmakers like Senator Orrin Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Charles Grassley, head of the Finance Committee, Thad Cochran,chairman of the Appropriations Committee -- all Republicans -- and leading Democrats like Senators Paul Sarbanes, Joe Lieberman, and Edward M Kennedy have all enthusiastically agreed to be part of the 'Friends of India' Caucus.

http://americanprogrammer.blogspot.com/ ... ornyn.html

American DEvolution: Decline of the American Programmer
This blog is dedicated to exposing: 1) Corporate abuse/misuse of non-immigrant visas (B-1, H-1B, L-1, etc) 2) Discrimination against American workers in favor of hiring cheap foreign labor 3) The corruption and backscratching that occurs between corporate lobbyists/industry associations and Federal legislators.

Friday, December 15, 2006
Senator John Cornyn
(Beginning of a rant)

As an Austinite, I can't tell you how much anguish my own Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) has caused. When you think of back stabbing, sell out politicians, this man should come to mind. He has no concept of patriotism or what it means to be an American. He sells out American (and legal resident) workers at every turn. He is the chairman of the "Friends of India" caucus, the only caucus to that represents a foreign country in the Senate.

In case you didn't know, a caucus is a subgroup of Senators, like a special club, whose focus is on furthering some interest. In this particular case, its the interests of the Indian government and its largest companies, like Tata, Infosys, and others. These are body shops that take jobs away from legal residents and citizens of this country.

He makes a half-hearted attempt to redeem himself by being sort of opposed to illegal immigration. But then he'll turn right around and throw it all away in a frenzy to import workers. For example, he is one of the main proponents of the SKIL bill, which is a disasterous bill taking aim at decimating the science and engineering workers in this country. Just this month, he tried to sneak the passage of the SKIL bill through the back door of Congress. Fortunately pressure from workers got a few other Senators to block his measure (for now).

He'll be back. So will his legislation. What a pitiful excuse for an American. What a coward.

http://www.h1bvisasucks.com/H1BDiscussi ... diapac.htm

I attended a meeting of a group of unions here in the Seattle area last week The meeting was sponsored by the American Federation of Government Employees and was titled "A Congressional Innvestigation-outsourcing and privitization of government jobs". There were more than 13 different labor orginizations and unions present in the Seattle Labor Temple and I estimated the crowd to be at least 350 people.

As the presentation started each of the Congressmen was asked to give two minutes on how they stood on the "outsourcing issue". Each of these bald faced ****** were met with warm applause except for two very loud people booing and yelling "liar" and "traitor" (any guesses who that was ?). Within five minutes three of the four left the building without saying a word. I won't go into the program but I will say it was speeches by 10 different union and policy people on the effects of "outsourcing" on the services and quality of government. It concluded with a question and answer period. I jumped to the microphone and was the first one in line. The
following is what my wife and I have concluded was the exchange that followed :

Hello, My name is ################### and I am a blacklisted engineer in Seattle Washington. On behalf of the 2.5 million software engineers and it professionals how have lost thier jobs to oustsourcng and the even more insidious insourcing, the use of H1b, J1 and L1 visas, I would like to welcome you to the wonderful world of the american worker replacement program. These things have been going on for over five years now and the model is in place and it works. They tested it on my profession first and they found that they can destroy any labor force that can be created. It is too late to stop it, it is too profitable and fits too well into the Corporatacracy that has replaced democracy.

...................absolute dead silence in the room..

I only have one question for you Congressman Mc Dermott. How in God's name can you stand here in this room and tell these hopeful people that you care about thier lives and jobs or even care about this country when you belong to an organization that is directly responsible for the giving away of over 2.5 million high paying technical jobs in the last four years...when We have congressman like Jay Inslee going to India and making statments like "we aren't going do anything to stop outsourcing of American jobs" and "americans don't add value anymore".............

................the sound of 300 people sucking air through their clenched teeth..............

How can you stand there and pretend you care at all about any working Americans ?

Cgrs. McDermott.
(looking down at the table, turning red at the ears and neck, shuffles papers.....looks like one of your kids that got caught doing something really bad)
Mumbles.........."India has 3 billion people and Nuclear weapons"

I yell...."if you are giving my job away for national security...then I expect to be compensated"

Cgrs.McDermott
"well back when there was shortage"

My wife cuts him off with........"You are a Goddamn Liar" I yell "that is a lie and you know it... you have read and heard testimony in congress from Dr. Norm Matloff and yet you stand there and lie to these people" "I am not going down like Kevin Flanigan congressman, I am not !"

I agree that computer programmers lost their jobs. They are now in India and former Soviet countries. That is why my daughters friend changed majors. At least he had brains enough to see the writing on the wall.

http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2003 ... 331200.htm

Ban on H1-B visas will hit Indians hard


Washington Sept. 5. Educated and highly qualified Indians hoping to get cushy jobs in the United States, especially in the software sector, may have their dreams shattered if a legislation to ban the issue of H1-B visas becomes law.

Hiring outside the US has a couple of advantages. One is introducing new concepts and ideas into American buisness practices. This allows big tech to mold products to fit underdeveloped countries. Remember, buisness do what they do to maintaining a certian profit level. Another advantages is, people are more than willing to come to the US. Even if that means a lower wage. I know this to be true. They are also less likely to stir up trouble demanding more pay, benifits, and time off for fear of losing their jobs. Admit it, we Americans have a standard of living to maintain. Mostly to keep what we have and want more by doing less.

Have you seen some our college grads. My god some of the ones that call themselves engineers can't even change a car tire without watching a DIY show. School teachers who just flat out, can't teach. I guess thats what happens when you pay ten thousand dollars a year to party.

Originally Posted by Woundedeagle

Have you seen some our college grads. My god some of the ones that call themselves engineers can't even change a car tire without watching a DIY show. School teachers who just flat out, can't teach. I guess thats what happens when you pay ten thousand dollars a year to party.

Alipac readers:

This is another troll, most likely from India and most likely in response to discussing H1-Bs

Read the above from "Woundedeagle". You will notice the English is quite bad since he is from India, and his ideas bash the US because he works for an organization that helps outsource American jobs to India.

All very easy to detect.

Note to woundedeagle's boss:

The English on this one is quite bad. Be sure to replace with spammer with better English. If you are going to fool people here, you will have to try harder.