Thread: Bill Gates to push Congress for H-1Bs on March 12

In light of the dismal jobs report, it will be even more of an outrage if Congress agrees to increase foreign worker visas and green cards.

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Gates to appear again before Congress on eve of H-1B visa rush
Patrick Thibodeau

March 03, 2008 (Computerworld) Next week, Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates will testify before the House Committee on Science and Technology at a hearing "on the future of innovation and U.S. competitiveness," at which he likely will renew his appeal for more foreign workers to be allowed into the country.

The topic of the hearing is familiar ground for Gates on Capitol Hill. But what makes his scheduled appearance on March 12 potentially explosive is its timing, less than three weeks before the start of the annual application rush for H-1B visas.

April 1 is the first day that U.S. immigration authorities will begin accepting H-1B applications for the federal government's 2009 fiscal year, which begins in October. Last year, the government stopped taking applications after receiving about 150,000 in a single day — far more than enough to exhaust the annual cap of 65,000 regular visas and 20,000 set aside for foreign nationals who have advanced degrees from U.S. universities.

Last month, Gates called the H-1B program "a disaster," in response to a question about immigration during a talk he gave at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. "If I could just change one law in the U.S., it would be this," Gates said. An excerpt featuring that comment has been posted on YouTube, and a video of the full speech can be viewed on the university's Web site.

Gates testified last March before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, warning that the U.S. was risking its global leadership role because of insufficient investments in research and education, as well as the problems that companies face in hiring foreign workers.

In his written testimony, Gates predicted — accurately — that for the first time in the history of the H-1B program, the supply of visas would run out before students graduating from college received their degrees. "This means that U.S. employers will not be able to get H-1B visas for an entire crop of U.S. graduates," he wrote. "We are essentially asking top talent to leave the U.S."

It remains to be seen how well Gates' message on immigration will play this year, amid slowing economic growth and rising unemployment.

But Robert Hoffman, an Oracle Corp. executive who is co-chairman of Compete America, a Washington-based group that lobbies for immigration reform, said that the demand for H-1B workers among U.S. companies continues unabated. "The expectation is that you are going to see an even bigger flood of applications than what we saw last year," he said.

Asked about the slowing economy, Hoffman said, "If you want to talk about not helping the economy — if there is a job opening that is going unfilled in this economy and that we are prepared to fill, we should fill it because that is a person contributing to the economy."

The political pressure to raise the H-1B cap, or to shrink it, also is ongoing, but people on both sides of the issue are cautious about predicting that any legislation will find its way out of Congress during an election year.

"I'm not at all convinced that we've won the battle for this year," said Roy Beck, executive director of NumbersUSA, an immigration advocacy group that opposes efforts to increase the H-1B cap. But Beck added that he thinks the Arlington, Va.-based group has helped to create "enough counterweight" to challenge the cap-increase proposals.

It boils down to money . Gate will not hire our Tech Grads cause they need a certain amount of cash just to pay on their school loans . Techs from india are far cheaper for this great American Naaaaaaa !!! personal worth 50 billion dollars and still he cries . I personally have no use for his crap . Linux Ubuntu 7.1 runs great on a raptor drive . Yes Bill . I'm saying America should give you the finger ! You've earned it making the customer a beta tester with your last 4 op systems .

Bill Gates shld improve his recruiting efforts at US colleges. The H1-B visas should be reduced from 85,000 by the number of excess visas issued in recent years. Has immigration announced how many actually were issued for the year ending Sept 2007? immigration blamed the State Dept for excess visa issuances. Does immigration have the number of H1-B visa holders who have overstayed their visas?
I recall Lou Dobbs tried to obtain this info when informed that immigration knows how many have entered the US, but could provide the number who have exited.

We need an exit tracking system in place before any others are admitted.

Bill G. must be PO'd that he slipped to number 3 in Billionaire rankings.

In light of the dismal jobs report, it will be even more of an outrage if Congress agrees to increase foreign worker visas and green cards.

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Gates to appear again before Congress on eve of H-1B visa rush
Patrick Thibodeau ]

I just read all the comments to Gates H1B Visa crap and only 2 in the entire 11 pages I read were on Gates side and they were the visa holders that are working here in good jobs. They seemed to be decent people, but tired of waiting to become Americanized.
I say we flood Gates with emails and calls! I bet he read all those comment too, so add yours. I'm not sure I've seen negativity towards him like this.?

This is the guy to contact for those interested in this issue: http://www.informationweek.com/news/sho ... =206902298

We also need to continue to flood Congress with calls, faxes, and emails to start representing voting Americans -- not the corporate lobbyists and foreign interests who are lining their pockets.

So this must be what he's up to in his retirement.

He should realize that there are a number of American and legal immigrants who can dutifully be employed by the country.

He's already proven that he has no hesitation with moving operations and outsourcing.

He got down-graded to the third wealthiest man in the world so now what's he have to do? Degrade the American workers?

I should write to him and let him know there are a lot of "computer savvy" hungry employees awaiting him in this area! I'm sure the surrounding communities would not say NO as long as he didn't pull a Gateway stunt!!!

Originally Posted by ceelynn

Gates testified last March before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, warning that the U.S. was risking its global leadership role because of insufficient investments in research and education

Put your money where your mouth is, Gates!!! Instead of building colossal doomsday seed banks near the North Pole along with your newfound friends, the Rockefeller Foundation, Monsanto Corporation, Syngenta Foundation and the Government of Norway, among others, try spending some of that $1.5 billion a year, which is legally necessary for you to spend per year on charitable projects around the world to maintain its tax free charitable status, on AMERICA, AMERICAN RESEARCH, AND THE EDUCATION OF AMERICAN CHILDREN SO THEY CAN WORK FOR YOUR FRICKIN' COMPANY IN THE FUTURE!!!!!

DUH!!!!!!!