Thread: Bill Would Double Cap on H-1B Visas

"Microsoft hires an additional four people to support each H-1B worker."

Has anyone ever met even one of these "additional" American employees? Didn't think so...


http://www.cio.com/article/505419/Bill_ ... e=rss_news

Bill Would Double Cap on H-1B Visas
A bill introduced in the U.S. Congress would double the number of immigrant worker visas available each year under the H-1B program, earning the legislation praise from Microsoft.

Comments

By Grant Gross

October 20, 2009 — IDG News Service —

A bill introduced in the U.S. Congress would double the number of immigrant worker visas available each year under the H-1B program, earning the legislation praise from Microsoft.

The Truth About the H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act of 2009

The Innovation Employment Act, introduced by Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, late Thursday, would increase the cap in H-1B visas from 65,000 a year to 130,000 a year. In addition, there would be no cap on H-1B applications for foreign graduate students attending U.S. colleges and studying science, technology and related fields. Currently, there's a 20,000-a-year cap on visas for graduate students in all fields.


The legislation would increase the H-1B cap to 180,000 in the years 2010 to 2015 if the 130,000 cap is reached the year before.

Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates called for an increase in the H-1B visa cap while testifying before the House of Representatives Science and Technology Committee Wednesday. In recent years, the H-1B cap has been filled days -- or even the same day -- after the government opened the application period.

"We provide the world's best universities ... and the students are not allowed to stay and work in the country," Gates said Wednesday. "The fact is, [other countries'] smartest people want to come here and that's a huge advantage to us, and in a sense, we're turning them away."

Microsoft praised Giffords' bill. The legislation "would boost America's competitiveness by giving U.S. employers the flexibility they need to hire the best talent available to fill a severe shortage of qualified U.S. high-skilled workers," Jack Krumholtz, management director of federal government affairs for Microsoft, said in a statement. The bill would also increase U.S. jobs; Microsoft hires an additional four people to support each H-1B worker, Krumholtz said.

The U.S. government will begin accepting visa applications for next year in April, and Microsoft predicted the cap would be filled the same day, as it was in 2007. "The current system effectively prevents American companies from hiring this year's foreign-born university graduates," Krumholtz added.

Why would four more people be hired for each H1-B worker--to babysit, teach them their jobs, and once the lessons are over, the American workers get laid off?
Any why is hiring four more Americans contingent on getting lots of foreign workers?
This all makes zero sense to me.

To hire an H1B the employer has to show that there isn't a "qualified" US citizen candidate?

Why then do they have to hire US citizens to train and assist the H1B?

Why don't they just hire one qualfied US citizen in the first place?

Our country is controlled by MS and other large corporations some foreign owned that really don't care about the US citizen other then their dollars. A study needs to be done on which co's keep their profits here, and totally boycott all foreign owned ones.

Buy American, not just made in the USA
LW

Quote:
"The Innovation Employment Act, introduced by Representative Gabrielle Giffords, an Arizona Democrat, late Thursday, would increase the cap in H-1B visas...."

Why does so much of this OBL agitation and clout seem to come out of Arizona, until recently a small and relatively uninfluencial (economically and politically) desert state? Ulike Calif. and Texas, Arizona doesn't have a large "high-tech" sector that would warrant this kind of legilslation benefiting Giffords's own constituents. Except for Rep. Trent Franks, the entire Arizona delegation (including former Gov. Napolitano) seem to be representatives of and spokespersons for pro-increased foreign immigration and amnesty interests.