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Body shops sending H1s home (article)

 
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Things are definitely getting bad when companies are sending software engineers who make only $50,000 year in the New York Metro area home. Was there really a worker shortage 5 months ago when Congress expanded the H1 program to 600,000 slots over 3 years?
http://www.newsday.com/coverage/current/business/thursday/nd1800.htm
 
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I think there was no shortage. Business wanted to have the quota 'headroom' (that they never needed) just in case, so they lied to Congress.



It was part of the frenzy, dot com bubble phenomenon that many knew would explode because it simply was not "real".
My $0.02
 
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What I would like to know - is where did all these H1B fees that corporations paid end up going? I heard the $$ was to go for American job training.
Well, where's the money??? I just got a nice brochure today for some XML classes that I would like to take.
John Coxey
(jpcoxey@aol.com)
 
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Originally posted by John Coxey:
[B]What I would like to know - is where did all these H1B fees that corporations paid end up going?


... did you see your lawyers new 911 Carrera? no soup for you!
The INS fee is only $120.
 
Tony Alicea
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What!?
"...$1,000 of the nonrefundable $1,110 fee that must accompany each H-1B petition is being set aside
for a grant fund for training more U.S. workers in highly skilled positions. That adds up to a pot of at least
$585 million, given the availability of 585,000 visa slots during the next three years."
From COMPUTERWORLD:
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO58430,00.html
[This message has been edited by Tony Alicea (edited March 30, 2001).]
 
John Coxey
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Tony:
What really set me off this morning was a post on a local Usenet job posting board. Some flesh peddler posted a list of 15 Java people - all Indians - all 2-4 years experience - all willing to work "cheap".
I coulda just screamed. I was going to post (probably still will) my resume to the list. Justs irks the hell outta me that I have to compete directly against these folks - especially in the Denver market place.
---
Yeah, I thought the H1B visa thing was over US$1,000 per person.
Just my two cents worth.
John Coxey
(jpcoxey@aol.com)
 
Tony Alicea
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You don't have to. If the US government can trace the originator of a USENET posting that implies "cheap foreign labor available", then she may go to jail. And the people that they have placed under that pretense will lose their ill-gotten jobs and may be sent back.
The US law specifically mandates that it will not be allowed to have "cheap labor" H-1Bs, PERIOD.
 
M Prembroke
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Umm... no way. There are no criminal consequences as far as I know. The fine for submission of a materially false H1 application is $1,000. That's it- all civil.
All these body shops that pay $30K-$50K/year to their H1s to do Java and other programming are sold to corporations at a weekly or hourly rate that is double the H1's pay. Then the H1 works 80+ hour weeks. The companies who hire "through" the body shop are protected through this scheme, via a corp-to-corp transaction. Also many of these shops that are "closed shops"- only work with specific immigrant groups probably have special "understandings" about payment arrangements from company to employee, regardless what is officially reported.
If you want see how the system works a great place to to look is at http://www.craigslist.org/sfo/res/
If you carefully look at the resumes with software titles you will see how it works. Look for emails @tempo-tc.com and @neotrax.com for example.

Originally posted by Tony Alicea:
You don't have to. If the US government can trace the originator of a USENET posting that implies "cheap foreign labor available", then she may go to jail. And the people that they have placed under that pretense will lose their ill-gotten jobs and may be sent back.
The US law specifically mandates that it will not be allowed to have "cheap labor" H-1Bs, PERIOD.


 
John Coxey
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All:
Here is another beauty. Someone on the board posted that in India, programmers can make a whopping US$710/month. Now how the heck is a programmer in USA supposed to compete against that.
BTW/ My last gig paid over US$5,500/month + benefits.
Regarding the H1B program, does anyone even enforce the basic laws? I never seem to see any writeups in the paper (fines/deportations/etc.)
John Coxey
(jpcoxey@aol.com)
 
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Two things John,
1. The post talks about Sri Lanka NOT about India.
2. The conversion of Rs( Indian Rupees ) of 60000/- per month will be around $1,280 per month.
You can not compare the salary you will get in one country to the salary in some other country.
IT is one of the best paying industries in India. The reason behind many people like to visit other countries like US, UK, Australia, Singapore, Canada is ( my guess ) to get the rich experience and also to earn more money than the fellow workers in India.
Here in my team in a California Company I work with two Chineese, 2 Indians ( Including me its 3 ), 1 Russian and just 2 Americans. Most of these Immigrants has got Greencard but that doesn't separate them from others. ( Atleast in my opinion ).
The issue with H1B needs to be seriously addressed. I hope INS and Congress will come up with somethings which benefits both the US citizens and H1B holders.
I feel really sorry for those who has been laid off regardless whether they are US citizens or H1B guys.
I can still see lots of Java job postings that are opened ONLY for US citizens OR GreenCard holders. Best wishes for your Job search.
Regards
------------------
ARS Kumar
Sun Certified Programmer for Java 2 Platform.
[This message has been edited by ARS Kumar (edited March 31, 2001).]
 
Michal Harezlak
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Originally posted by Tony Alicea:
What!?
"...$1,000 of the nonrefundable $1,110 fee that must accompany each H-1B petition is being set aside
for a grant fund for training more U.S. workers in highly skilled positions. That adds up to a pot of at least
$585 million, given the availability of 585,000 visa slots during the next three years."
From COMPUTERWORLD:
http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO58430,00.html
[This message has been edited by Tony Alicea (edited March 30, 2001).]


Tony:
I spoke with my layer;-). I am not sure where that information comes from, but 'till last year the fee was $500, they have increased it to $1000 at the end of the year. There is nothing about "... grant fund for training more U.S. workers", checked with INS. Sorry about this $120 that what it used to cost 2 years ago.
Regards.
 
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