[ale] New website for H1B [Slightly OT]

[George Carless]

On Wed, 28 May 2003, F. Grant Robertson wrote:

> I really resent that you consider me nationalistic and xenophobic just
> becuase I wish to be paid what I am actually worth. For the record, I

Erm, I don't remember mentioning any specific names; I was merely
addressing the tone of the posted web site.  And remember that "what one
is worth" tends to be a very subjective thing -- part of the problem is, I
think, that many programmers and other tech workers believe that they have
an intrisic right to a high rate of pay, even when there is a glut of
similarly qualified workers on the job market.   At any rate:

[snip]

> I have no problem with offsore developers, and in the situation we faced
> between 1996-2000 I have no problem with a visa program which allows us
> to share our riches for the betterment of all parties. Unfortunately
> these conditions no longer exist, and under the current conditions I
> have absolutely zero support for allowing visas to be offered to people
> with skill sets that are available domesticly for reasonable rates,
> regardless of the equality of pay.

I don't believe that they *are* necessarily available, though.  If they
were, why would companies choose to offer H1B visas?  There are reasonably
significant constraints upon H1-Bs; it's not as though anyone can simply
waltz into the country and start working for a company.  I can see why you
might be upset by the notion that a company would hire an H1 employee in
lieu of an equally skilled domestic worker, but I think that the
restrictions that exist to prevent H1 workers from being brought in at
significantly lower pay mean that this is, well, unlikely to happen; or,
at least, if it *does* happen then it's likely the fault of the domestic
worker who is not doing enough to get him or herself employed (i.e. not
checking his or her resume well enough, not doing enough to get it out
there, not spending hours on the phone, etcetera).

--George
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