CNN/Moneyline "Exporting America"

[Sam Walker]

Watch the video here:
http://www.zazona.com/shameh1b/MediaClips.htm

[Sam Walker]

... Ahh this one's good too.
http://www.cio.com/archive/090103/people_sidebar_1.html
[ September 13, 2003: Message edited by: Sam Walker ]

[John King]

I received a letter from my GOP congressman, a member of the
Immigration Reform Caucuse. He wrote:
"
...
While there was a time when H1B visa were necessary to keep our
economy running, I believe that time has passed.
...
"
So I guess that H1B might be over.

[Natalie Kopple]

Here is a portion of the letter from Frank R. Wolf, the Congressman of the 10th District, Virginia:

.......
Most recently, I have become concerned about the growing practice of some companies to hire foreign workers at lower salaries to replace U.S. workers amid reports of abuses of the H-1B and L-1 visa programs. I joined several of my colleagues in the House in writing U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Robert Zoellick during recent debate on free trade agreement legislation for Chile and Singapore, which included what we believed were overreaching provisions on changes in immigration law affecting professional worker visa categories. It is the prerogative of Congress to change immigration law and without a clear statement from the USTR that immigration policy will not be a part of future trade agreements, it would be very difficult for me to support any future trade agreements that contain any immigration provisions.
I understand the concerns in light of the downturn in the high tech sector and impact on American jobs. H.R. 2688, which would repeal authorities relating to H1-B visas for temporary workers, has been introduced by Rep. Tancredo of Colarado and referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
Please be assured that I will carefully consider proposed changes in the H1-B and other temporary worker visa programs ..............

I guess some Congressmen/Congresswomen know that they will not be able to keep their jobs if constituents are jobless.

[Arjun Shastry]

Originally posted by Natalie Kopple:

I guess some Congressmen/Congresswomen know that they will not be able to keep their jobs if constituents are jobless.

But will they able to fight against corporate bigwigs like Oracle,IBM,Microsoft ,General electric who are agreesively touring the countries like India,China and incresing the staff here?
I am unaware about how much statutary power the Congressman in a state holds?Can anybody explain?How Congressmen will prevent the companies from complete outsourcing ?In last 20/30 years history ,is there any example where some Leaders started these kind of movments and they got sucess?
Regards
Capablanca

[Rufus BugleWeed]

Outsourcing tasks and insourcing labor are two different issues. If people want to buy their software from India, China, Malaysia, Russia, Brazil or USA, they can. Some people in the US believe the language barriers, time lag, and difficulty of management between New York and Chennai gives US developers a competetive advantage over our brothers on the other side of the world. But when our brothers from the other side of the world can come to the USA freely they get a valuable benefit, that USA developers take for granted. They get to be in the US.
I do not know why so many are so anxious to leave their moms, their culture and good home cooking for life in the USA. But some want to do it powerful badly. Many that make it get crappy jobs and abused. When there are many people willing to put up with abuse for less money EVERYBODY SUFFERS.
USA software industry believes best candidate to hire is 25 to 28 years old. I wish I could understand the reason for this. But I don't. So anyway when there's plenty of 25 to 28 year olds they turn there nose up at those who are older than 35. Many of us are older than thirty five and finding a job in a new career field is as hard as finding one in IT.
SO IT IS NOT THAT WE HATE INDIANS, CHINESE OR UKers. We just want a decent job in a career field we worked forever. We want to eat moms home cooking. We want to be able to provide a decent life for our kids.
Life is relative. Relative to many other professions and methods of earning a living, being an IT worker is along way from the top and a long way from the bottom. With hundred of thousands of IT workers deserting their homelands and coming to USA, they are pushing the profession towards the bottom on the relative scale.
So some of us would like to see H1-B types spend more time with their moms, having good home cooked meals and watching TV where they understand all the jokes. We are only interested in what's best for them.
Why you H1-B types hate your homelands anyway?

[JiaPei Jen]

I really hope H1-B visa holders could realize that you are victims as well under the system --
There are roughly 425,000 skilled temporary workers in the U.S. on H-1B visas, which are good for six years. Fifty-percent of them are from India and China. They, along with hundredth of thousands of other applicants, which might include spouses and other family members of citizens, have to vie for the 140,000 green cards available worldwide each year. And the quotas limit each country to 9,800 green cards per year.

There is a huge backlog in green card applications currently in the Immigration and Naturalization Service pipeline. A country extensively uses the guest worker visa program to send its citizens to the U.S. dramatically turns its citizens' American dream a nightmare. As things stand now, statistically, it will take an Indian or a Chinese H1-B visa holder around 40 years to get the permanent residency status were his/her boss to apply for it today.
It is mental cruelty to be treated like a dispensable commodity by the U.S. companies for life!
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: JiaPei Jen ]
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: JiaPei Jen ]

[Arjun Shastry]

Originally posted by Rufus BugleWeed:

Why you H1-B types hate your homelands anyway?

There reasons could be:
1)They want to take away the crappy jobs from American citizens thereby giving them creative ones.
2)Their moms don't cook good food.They might think good food can be cooked only in US.
3)They don't understand the jokes in India well as compared to US.
4)They could be globsl citizen whose love is not only limited to their county but the whole earth.
(my two paisa!!)

[Ashok Mash]

At times I wonder how long will it take for some people to understand that the problem is not Indians/Chinese who are willing to come there and work, but American CEOs (of American firms, responsible to answer to their American investers) greed (or business motives) of making more profit, is driving this whole 'rightshoring' thing!! I thought its quite obvious!
Indians/Chinese or any other humanbeing would go where ever life is easier, where they can work less and earn more and live comfortably. I fail to notice anything abnormal here?
Ashok.
PS: On the sidenote, visa abusers are a different issue though. I was answering to Rufus thoughts on why-dont-they-just-stay-home etc!

[Matt Cao]

Originally posted by JiaPei Jen:


There is a huge backlog in green card applications currently in the Immigration and Naturalization Service pipeline. A country extensively uses the guest worker visa program to send its citizens to the U.S. dramatically turns its citizens' American dream a nightmare. As things stand now, statistically, it will take an Indian or a Chinese H1-B visa holder around 40 years to get the permanent residency status were his/her boss to apply for it today.
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: JiaPei Jen ]
[ September 14, 2003: Message edited by: JiaPei Jen ]

Hi,
In my company one Taiwanese economic PHd got a green card in a year through company lawyer. But only got fired because we found out his PHd was not rightfully earn. The greedy SOB though as long as he could pass the probation period, his career very much secure afterward. What's a shame!
Why would one have to go through H1B route for the green card?
Regards,
MCao

[JiaPei Jen]

So, every H1-B visa holder will be able to get his/her green card in one year following your example and logic?

[Matt Cao]

Hi,
The case I mentioned have legal problem causing him not to get paid and company thought he is genuine; therefore, company legal department step in helping out. I truely did not know that professional want to immigrate needed to follow the H1B route.
Why they want to immigrate when their minds and heart still back in their homelands? They should be refugee instead. People that got kick out of their country not by their own choices.
Regards,
MCao