H-1B Visa Job Applications Filed at Lowest Number Since 2003

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Thousands of work visas used by the tech and biotech industries remain available for foreign workers, even though the U.S. government began accepting applications more than six months ago.

Out of the 65,000 H-1B visa applications that are up for grabs, only 46,700 applications have been submitted for 2010, according to the government. The 20,000 visa cap available for foreign students studying in the U.S. who have at least a master’s degree was met, though applications are still being accepted.

It wasn’t long ago when tech companies begged the government to increase the H-1B visa cap, but that no longer is the case due to a sluggish global economy.

As the tech industry began to feel the economic pinch, Sen. Charles Grassley (R, IA) urged Microsoft to begin slashing jobs belonging to H-1B holders instead of American tech workers. Although Microsoft initially declined the request by noting job cuts are based on performance and necessity – not visa status – it showed how bad the economy was expected to slide.

Once the economy fully recovers, however, expect future H-1B visa controversy, as Silicon Valley companies begin to hire more foreign workers. There are still many who believe the H-1B visa allowance at its current level has hurt American technology and science innovation, as less students in the United States are focusing on engineering and science.

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11 days ago

56 comments

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bodymiles

12 days ago

14 comments

Another real reason the H-1B visas are down is because the said nationalities" are now proliferating other parts of the world e.g the UK and Japan. LMAO! Everywhere you look you find Asian/Chinese students in the top Universities in the UK, and they also end up with the plush jobs in the top companies and they can barely speak a word of English..... while the Indians are now headed for Japan and Hong Kong.....Economics people, it's all about economics.
dpadilla

13 days ago

14 comments

Well...we do have our weekends and holidays that we can optionally work (Without Overtime/pay) for our Corporate masters...otherwise we give U.S. Corporations one more reason (sorry meant excuse) to outsource our IT work to Communist Chinese or the Russian Loving Indian's.

Well on second thought...maybe your right...the job is going to be outsourced anyway, whether we work extra or not...so oh well....
americansforwork

13 days ago

8 comments

Get this to - Even in Communist China they have mandatory vacation time to there workers not like here... They get 3 weeks a year here 0 mandatory - where are the real Communists?
americansforwork

13 days ago

8 comments

H-1B Visa are down because the number of Jobs being outsourced to INdia - In India is UP...

As one of the Indian Tech Gurus said the Unemployable Americans, don't see realize this because they are to arrogant and think the world revolves around them...

Sarcasm - GO INdia... GO CHina - More JOBS in CHina so that I can buy as they say cheaper - Lead painted shoes, jackets made with dog fur.. Belt buckels that are radiated.. Socks that only last a year unlike when is was made here in the states.. WHat a joke.. and this is progress?
sapa

16 days ago

2 comments

Yes indeed, agree 100% with this article, american jobs for americans!!
coolnezz

17 days ago

14 comments

well said @ jaringtn!
coolnezz

17 days ago

14 comments

time to take back america!
and i agree 100% with rawoys.
Redbus2US

17 days ago

4 comments

Lot of comments, too many to read. One thing is right, US should not let go any international students because US have spent money on them to study here. Why leave the talent to others after providing good education.

----
http://redbus2us.blogspot.com/
H1BGoHome

17 days ago

4 comments

rawoys: You are 100 pct on the mark with everything you say. There is another ploy used to hire cheaper H1B's you missed. Corps are supposed to pay 90 pct of the pay scale for the job they are posting, only if an American cannot be found to fill that position. That would make it 1) more feasible to hire a qualified American since the cost of the H1B would make it close to the same, and 2) legally they should hire an American that qualifies. Well, there is NOBODY watching, and the few cases brought to court were thrown out in the past because the government wants companies to have cheap labor. Besides having no enforcement, another ploy used is to hire an H1B as a "trainee" pay scale, even though the job they are displacing is that of an experienced programmer. There is a solution, and that is rigid enforcement of the law. The intent of the law was obvious, but the lack of enforcement has got us to where we are today, and after years of abuse, the number of Americans going to school for IT is low for obvious reasons. I don't blame the Indians; I blame our government, and seems like no matter who we elect, enforcement isn't happening
rawoys

17 days ago

6 comments

Now that the American I/T market is flooded with cheap labor from India, thanks to the H-1B visa program, American I/T wages have been depressed to the point where it is no longer worth it for an Indian to take a job here – so of course the number of H-1B visa applications is down!

Remember as I said earlier - the playing field is not level. Not only is it ILLEGAL for an AMERICAN to TAKE an I/T JOB in INDIA due to Indian law, the Indians devalue their currency so that it is priced at 1/8 the US dollar! $5000 American dollars are equal to $40,000 Indian dollars. Why do you think so many companies have located their companies in Bangalore? One reason – it’s CHEAPER! Why do American companies continue to look for Indian workers? Corporate America’s long-term goal is to transfer their American I/T operations to India! Indians can easily make $5 - 10 thousand in India ($40,000 – 80,000 US). Why work in America? It makes no sense monetarily now that the jobs are there!

The H1B program should have been eliminated years ago. American congressmen continue to be bribed by the Indian lobby to keep it in place! It is one of the BIG reasons for the current economic downturn. Corporate America lied to Congress when they cited a supposed shortage of qualified, American workers. Corporate America continues to tell these same lies in order to keep this program in place - Bill Gates is a prime example. Why hire an American when you can hire an indentured servant for 3 to 5 years? An American is free to take another job that may pay more, while the H-1B can be sent back to India if they try to leave their position.

The fact of the matter is corporations hire H-1B's for one reason – cost savings. Not because they are smarter, better educated, or because there are not enough qualified Americans to do the job. Companies continue to run blind advertisements for 6 months - with no intention of hiring, or in some cases, even interviewing American workers.
PeacePlease

17 days ago

2 comments

Hi,

I have read both sides of the argument here. I don't see any real solutions suggested.

I believe there are exceptional H1Bs as well as below par ones.

Now you would ask, why are these people still employed? If a company realizes that its receiving poor quality, would it not go on and get someone better(American)? Especially when most H1Bs are merely contractors!

I believe that laziness and incompetence has no color, no creed, no nationality. I've seen Americans and Indians that are equally lazy and incompetent.

Now,I may have a solution for the H1B crisis. H1Bs are mostly paid lower wages by the company by using a myriad of loopholes in the law. For eg. an H1B worker cannot get a green card to live here unless he sticks to the company that sponsors him/her. So he takes the lower pay and stays put.

Make a worker independant of the company. The company should be allowed to enslave the worker for only about 3-5 years in which time it would have recouped the money spent on bringing the worker across.

And then you have a level playing field. The good workers find jobs(whether American or Indian.) The bad American worker goes on "Unemployment"; the bad Indian worker goes back to India.

Hope everything works out before it gets ugly!
FourEyedLady

17 days ago

2 comments

I agree whole heartedly with Jaringtn. I too have been in the business over 30 years. Early in the game, I worked along side Japanese & Chinese who were excellent engineers. Indians & Pakistani's on the other hand have not delivered. I do hope those workers will finally enjoy working where they were born & raised.
back2india

17 days ago

4 comments

Agree with dpadilla and leew2 on frustration about corporate hold on US govt and the higher overheads for the american citizen compared to H1B worker. But this again points to very poor policy on part of US govt to completely ignore domestic issues during the last 3 decades and make life harder and harder for middle class americans. And now the US workforce is suffering the effects. In no other democratic country is so much at the mercy of (often poor and greedy) decisions of so few people (the corporate CEOs and politicians). Pulling out of wars in Afghanistan (and Iraq too, dpadilla, looks like the lure of oil is too strong for you to mention pulling out of Iraq:-) will make more money available domestically, but then the politicians and their military-industrial complex friends will be out of profits, and may be also work, and that they cannot allow. Regarding taliban and pakistan army/militants going at each other, it will be beneficial to all. I say we can dream about the day when there is "No more taliban" and "No more Problems in Pakistan", but to "No more India"? I say dream on brother..thousands of years, hundreds of invasions and attacks; but India is still standing without any dent in its simple aspiration and goals. No doubt india has accumulated "issues" over the years, but the H1Bs returning back are going to join the struggle to get it back on track in the coming decades. So if you want to dream about "No more H1Bs" through this 'return' route, I say let this dream come true. what you need to actually dream about is the day when you can say "No more Debt" ,it is $10 Tr and rising. may be then the American Empire and all its subjects can survive.
hbodesi

18 days ago

4 comments

I consent with "back2india". I am surprised by few comments. Americans pushed all their companies all over world in the name of globalization and killed all local businesses, cultures and employments, created disparity of poor and rich. World still accepted the American companies and let globalization thrive, when we Indians, Chinese come to US as part of globalization. Now Americans (esp Republican Americans) oppose globalization and resort to protectionism. This is real hypocrisy. They never opposed Globalization when it hurt Africa and Asia as long as it made dollars for them and cheap products made from cheap labor. Now world is flat and fair playing field with all countries adjusting to Globalization and does not favor US alone.
FYI: H1Bs pay more taxes than any average american incl soc security which they or their parents will never benefit from that. If Walmart produces all goods in USA for US consumers then there will be no dearth of jobs in US, but you want cheap goods so they are made in sweat shops in China. If you are really worried about tax losses and unemployment ask Walmart to produce all goods in USA.