Thread: Students Fear for Job Prospects in US Visa Crunch

Students fear for job prospects in U.S. visa crunch By Jim Finkle
Thu Apr 5, 8:09 PM ET



BOSTON (Reuters) - As foreign students prepare to graduate from U.S. universities this spring, many worry that a record number of applications for U.S. skilled-worker visas may cause them to lose jobs they have already been offered.

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Fresh university graduates are vulnerable to being rejected for the H-1B visas designated for skilled workers. A record 150,000 H-1B applications were filed in one day this week, nearly double the number U.S. authorities are allowed to grant in a given fiscal year.

The flood of applications raised anew a domestic debate over quotas for the entry of foreign workers.

Visa shortages could ultimately discourage overseas students from studying in the United States over other countries with fewer restrictions on working visas for graduates, said Kay Clifford, associate director of the International Center at the University of Michigan.

"I'm concerned that this will be discouraging to international students," she said. "They are worried about their futures. They are worried about the impact on their careers."

In most cases, the government allows students to stay in the country for a year, granting them an F-1 visa to work in a field related to their area of study.

But for many students that Clifford deals with, the ability to stay in the country and work for several years is a key component of their decision to study in the United States.

Some employers will not bother hiring graduates unless they can get them an H-1B visa from the start of their employment, said Ted Ruthizer, head of the business immigration practice for New York law firm Kramer Levin Naftalis and Frankel.

If an employer hires a graduate this spring and is not able to get an H-1B this year, the employee will only be able to work in the United States for 12 months.

Even if that employee manages to get an H-1B when the window opens again in April 2008, he or she would not be able to start work again until October 2008, leaving a gap where the worker would have to go on leave or work outside the country.

The U.S. government will grant 65,000 H-1B visas this fiscal year to people with at least the equivalent of an undergraduate degree and expertise in a specialized field such as engineering or computer programming. An additional 20,000 visas are reserved for those with advanced academic degrees.

That quota is "woefully inadequate," Ruthizer said. "I think everybody was caught off guard. It's a mess."

Corporate lobbyists have tried to raise that threshold for years, citing a shortage of home-grown talent in the sciences.

National Semiconductor Corp., a maker of computer chips, said it had planned to hire 120 employees in the United States this year, 12 of whom require H-1B visas. But given the imbalance between the number of applications and visas to be issued, it is unlikely all of them will get work credentials.

"In many cases we are trying to convince kids to stay on in school so they don't get into that kind of predicament," said National Semiconductor Vice President Eddie Sweeney.

While it is relatively easy to renew an H-1B visa for an employee who already holds one, other expert workers are also vulnerable.

For example, a Belgian scientist employed by National Semiconductor on a temporary visa will have to leave the country if he does not win a longer-term work permit through a lottery, Sweeney said.

Some employers feel it is no longer worth the hassle to obtain U.S. visas for their staff.

Internet entrepreneur Rakesh Mathur spent years securing visas to hire engineers for a string of companies he founded in Silicon Valley.

With his current venture, a Web technology company known as Webaroo, he decided to hire the bulk of his workers overseas, with 15 employees in the United States and about 100 in India.

"The demand for talent is very real," he says. "And there is a shortfall of trained talent in the United States."




http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070406/us_ ... tudents_dc

Some posts:


Comments

Good, Good, They can go home and increase the technology there. There are better places to live than the U.S. Now that China, India, and Korea are producing all our goods they would be better off living there and having a job. Here, you can just be a landscaper for a CEO with ties to China, or, you can go to Mexico and work for Ford.


Posted by: princess on April 10, 2007 12:03 PM


Congratulations, new grads. Now that you have the knowledge and skills learned from our great American universities, go home. Share the wealth of that gift with your own Country. Work hard, demonstrate your pride and loyalty to your people, and the Nation of your birth. Rejoice in the success you will make from your contribution to both. Making the world a better place isn't measured by personal financial success, but by your contribution to your own society. And the best place to start is at home.


Posted by: Jeebie on April 10, 2007 12:12 PM


This is a touchy subject for me and my wife. I work in the tech biz so I’m definitely affected by the number of H-1b visas that get handed out. On the other hand my wife works as a paralegal for an immigration law office that makes money from processing those damn visas. She said that the immigration lawyers in her office had been advising foreign students on ways that they can stay in the country legally for one year just in case they don’t get in on H-1b. She also said the immigration lawyers have told the foreign students that all they have to do is try to take advantage of our immigration laws and stay around the country legally for the next year or so and then they will get an H-1b or get put in for a green card because by then the comprehensive reform package will have become law. That really causes me some worries because I’ve seen quite a few high skilled citizens get replaced by younger cheaper foreign workers in the past couple of years.



Posted by: Kyle on April 10, 2007 12:39 PM


HELLO, I JUST GOT A LOOK AT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ILLEGALS WORKING IN LAS VEGAS. SOMEBODY CALL ICE AND TELL THEM QUICK. OH I FORGOT, THAT IS THE MAFIA. WE CAN'T BUST THEM BECAUSE THEY DONATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. DON'T BUST LAS VEGAS BECAUSE HARRY REID SAYS GEORGE BUSH IS ARROGANT AND IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY. WHAT IS REALITY IS MAKING THE BABTISTS IN NEBRASKA PAY FOR THE ILLEGALS IN LAS VEGAS. NO VEGAS DOES NOT PAY THEIR SOCIAL PAYMENTS, THE ENTIRE U S DOES. THERE IS SO MUCH CORRUPTION AND SO MUCH MONEY GOING BETWEEN LAS VEGAS AND CAPITAL HILL THAT THERE WOULD BE A LAST SECOND GUEST WORKER PROGRAM BEFORE VEGAS CASINOS WERE BUSTED. IF YOU ARE AN AMERICAN JOIN ME IN DEMANDING THAT LAS VEGAS, SIN CITY BE BUSTED. SIN CITY SUPPORTS OUR GOVERNMENT. OR, YOU Can learn to speak Mexican and can move to Mexico to work for FORD. It would be a national circus just to be able to bust a few casinos. CAN YOU IMAGINE ALL WHO IS INVOLVED IN GETTING THESE ILLEGALS JOBS IN LAS VEGAS? ALONG WITH THE ORGANIZED CRIME OF WASHINGTON NEVER BUSTING SIN CITY, YOU CAN BET THERE ARE BANKERS INVOLVED DIRECTLY WITH HOME LOANS AND ALL TYPES OF SCANDALS THAT WOULD COME OUT. IT WOULD BE GREAT. THESE KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL AND WORKING ONE YEAR ARE IMPORTANT, BUT LET'S CREATE A SCANDAL THAT WILL KEEP US ENTERTAINED FOR AWHILE. SHALL WE???????? call the irs and report these casinos' they probably aren't aware there are any illegals in las vegas, that is why they haven't done anything. call them today, thousands of us, call them and tell them. BEFORE, THEY GET INTO THE PROSTITUTION IN SIN CITY AND RUN OUR AMERICAN WOMEN OUT OF A JOB WORKING FOR HALF PRICE.


Posted by: princess on April 10, 2007 12:39 PM


WHEN THE MSM IN AMERICA SAYS GO NORTH, YOU BEST PREPARE TO GO SOUTH

I imagine the current BLS from the American Government aren't far off. About 80% of the top 30 jobs in America today require lower skills [no degree], I've also found examples on Monster.com where a BA degree is preferred with a lot of these jobs with no experience anyway [so a good percentage of TODAY'S college graduates are definitely working jobs that only "high school graduates to Associate degrees" did decades before, they have to], see the proof:

http://www.bls.gov/emp/emptab3.htm

Its clear from above, LT 20% of the top 30 jobs likely require a college degree, although the groups managers, auditors/accountants and anaysts may likely only require "some" college [so new college degreed folks will likely be competing with non-degreed experienced workers for these jobs and this will likely drive wages down too].

Since about 30+% of American 25-30 YOs [2002]have a 4 year or better degree, well, about of a third of the college degreed youth are being replaced with lower paid outsourcing foreign degreed workers. See the proof:

http://www.cepr.net/publications/stateo ... syouth.pdf

Most of the jobs out there for all new hires in America are in the $20-30K poverty wage bracket, even for college graduates!!!!

And we need H-1Bs???? Bill Gates, that stuff you're smoking must be strong.

Parents, make sure you load up little Suzie and John with monstrous college loans they'll never be able to pay off [or you end up bailing them out]and keep those extra rooms in your house furnished for your adult kids, they'll need 'em.


Posted by: Softwarengineer on April 10, 2007 01:08 PM


Foreign students are required to show NONIMMIGRANT intent in order to get a student visa, nor does the visa allow dual intent in the way that the H1-B does. So, why should foreign students be surprised that they're not able to remain and work?!


Posted by: Ali on April 10, 2007 01:58 PM


Boo Hoo, am I supposed to feel sorry for them? All this means is that an American may be able to keep his job a little while longer.

Brian


Posted by: Brian on April 10, 2007 02:38 PM


The arguments between H1 supporter and opponent will never end.

Please do not blame H1 workers if you lose jobs. They work harder than you because it is tougher for them with all the suffering they have to gone through as foreigners.

It is your choice..curse H1 workers or love them? Remember H1 you curse today maybe your bosses tomorrow…



Posted by: Oneworld on April 10, 2007 03:40 PM


This is obviously a sob story designed to elicit sympathy for these poor foreigners who signed up for TEMPORARY visas ...and not somehow feel cheated that they are not REALLY permanent...just as debate begins anew over "immigration reform" in the US Congress, media and around the water cooler.

I quote from the yahoo news article; "I'm concerned that this will be discouraging to international students," she said. "They are worried about their futures. They are worried about the impact on their careers."

I suppose any concern for the effects on AMERICANS futures and/or careers is out of the question?

Benito Mussolini DEFINED fascism as;

"Fascism should more properly be called corporatism because it is the merger of state and corporate power."

Former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan says;

"Our skilled wages are higher than anywhere in the world," he said. "If we open up a significant window for skilled workers, that would suppress the skilled-wage level and end the concentration of income."

WE THE PEOPLE are no longer falling for the lies and bull. Its clear that globalist corporatist FACSISM has merged with radical racial/ethnic agendas.

Hence;

I find it difficult to feel ANY sympathy for these FOREIGNERS when none of THEM will comtemplate ANY notion of how their schemes affect Americans.

What part of TEMPORARY is so hard to understand? A STUDENT visa was NEVER designed as means to US immigration...it was designed with a COLD WAR mentality that these FOREIGNERS would return HOME and spread the virtues of USA society...

If an H1-B visa is meant to be "dual-use"...why do they keep LYING and saying its TEMPORARY?

WHY DON'T THEY JUST TELL US THE TRUTH?

Why SHOULDN'T market forces balance out any "shortages" in markets...even employment MARKETS?

America is based on the concept of WE THE PEOPLE...not we the corporations....hence...this new VIRULENT globalist-corporatist-fascist agenda....which has now merged with radical racial/ethnic agendas....poses ....LITERALLY...an existential threat to America!

In America, its government by the people, of the people, and for the PEOPLE...not the globalist corporatist FACSISTS and their radical racial supremacist allies and amen corner!

Get this through your thick skulls; WE THE PEOPLE ARE NOT ASKING, WE ARE DEMANDING!

DEMANDING!

You may win battles..but rest assured...you will LOSE THE WAR!


Posted by: WE THE PEOPLE! on April 10, 2007 03:59 PM


Your forum again talks about stealing american jobs by cheap INDIAN H1bs. How many JOBS and PEOPLE you guys have killed in IRAQ and Afghanistan and other countries? Do you even care about lives of those people? People in oil rich nation of IRAQ cant even get a gallon of oil for cooking. Have you seen these things? You probably dont care. You do what brings profit to you at any cost to whom you call alien. Do I have to tell you about the billion $$$$ contracts in IRAQ and where all the multi billion $$$$ contracts went? You will always do for your comfort and make sufferings for other peoples. If your strategy for winning is by making us going away, then you are naive. We know how to build our forces and win. So please leave us alone.

You guys suck the blood of billions to ride in BMW and MERC BENZ. But when it comes to few americans losing job to better smarter H1bs, you jump and make big noise. You feed your family three times a day and ride in a car and still call it poverty. You get unemployment benefit 100x greater than salary of people of IRAQ and other countries. You call this as poverty and whom we should blame for the fate of innocent people suffering due to American policy?

If you want to eliminate poverty and create jobs, do through hard work and not by backstabbing people outside of your country, OK? Eliminate poverty where you guys caused it and create jobs where you guys displaced it, OK? But no that is too hard for you feeble brains.

STOP WHINING on this issue. US is not the world, world is so bigger than US and focus your energy somewhere else where it is actually needed. We have more right to be here than you guys have in IRAQ. If you continue to be stalking us we will beat you down in politics, science, economy, in spirit with the help of Lord Shiva who punishes evildoers.



Posted by: Shilesh on April 10, 2007 04:07 PM

So, the H-1B issue is making foreign students worry about their careers? Very ironic because that same issue is making our students worry about their careers, and has even affected enrollment patterns across academic programs over the last 7 years.

American jobs for American citizens first!