Spring Break
Bill Gates vs. Duke MEMers
Guest column
By: Mrig, Wan, & Kanuri
Issue date: 3/22/07 Section: Columns
Last update: 3/22/07 at 6:09 AM EST
Last update: 3/22/07 at 6:09 AM EST
In his testimony to Congress on Capitol Hill March 7, Microsoft Corp. Chair Bill Gates suggested a massive increase in H-1B visas saying, "It makes no sense to tell well-trained, highly skilled individuals-many of whom are educated at our top colleges and universities -that the United States does not welcome or value them. For too many foreign students and professionals, however, our immigration policies send precisely this message." From a student perspective, however, we don't completely agree with Gates. We are of the opinion that students graduating from accredited U.S. universities be automatically qualified for Permanent Residency (Green Cards).
H-1B visas allow U.S. corporations and universities to temporarily employ foreign workers who have the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Corporations argue that these visas provide a steady flow of highly skilled professionals who are in short supply, and reduce the need for them to move their operations abroad.
The H-1B system is itself tied up in knots. Firstly, international students who apply for an F-1 student visa to the United States must convince the authorities that they do not intend to remain in the country after they graduate from school. At the same time, there exists a quota of 20,000 visas to be issued to candidates who have graduated with a master's degree from a U.S. university. It seems the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is contradicting itself here.
From a student perspective, the H-1B system is nothing but a bundle of inconveniences. The H-1B visa has a six-year time limit, putting immigrants and their families at the risk of being forced to return to their home country if their Green Card application is not approved before this 6-year deadline. H-1B holders must leave the United States if they are laid off or if the sponsoring company goes out of business. Spouses of H-1B holders need a separate sponsor in order to be able to work or to even obtain a Social Security number. An H-1B holder can only work for their sponsoring employer and they can't start new businesses.
H-1B visas allow U.S. corporations and universities to temporarily employ foreign workers who have the equivalent to a U.S. bachelor's degree. Corporations argue that these visas provide a steady flow of highly skilled professionals who are in short supply, and reduce the need for them to move their operations abroad.
The H-1B system is itself tied up in knots. Firstly, international students who apply for an F-1 student visa to the United States must convince the authorities that they do not intend to remain in the country after they graduate from school. At the same time, there exists a quota of 20,000 visas to be issued to candidates who have graduated with a master's degree from a U.S. university. It seems the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is contradicting itself here.
From a student perspective, the H-1B system is nothing but a bundle of inconveniences. The H-1B visa has a six-year time limit, putting immigrants and their families at the risk of being forced to return to their home country if their Green Card application is not approved before this 6-year deadline. H-1B holders must leave the United States if they are laid off or if the sponsoring company goes out of business. Spouses of H-1B holders need a separate sponsor in order to be able to work or to even obtain a Social Security number. An H-1B holder can only work for their sponsoring employer and they can't start new businesses.
Viewing Comments 1 - 8 of 9
David Watts
posted 3/22/07 @ 11:13 AM EST
"We are of the opinion that students graduating from accredited U.S. universities be automatically qualified for Permanent Residency (Green Cards)."
What would stop accredited, but poor quality institutions with open admissions e. (Continued…)
Locomotive Breath
posted 3/22/07 @ 11:22 AM EST
"Firstly, international students who apply for an F-1 student visa to the United States must convince the authorities that they do not intend to remain in the country after they graduate from school. (Continued…)
jake leone
posted 3/22/07 @ 12:09 PM EST
Businessweek: The h-1b program is a "conduit to offshoring"
http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/feb2007/db20070208_553356.htm
This article details that the top 3 users of h-1b visa, for 2006, are Indian IT Off-shore outsourcing corporations
Infosys used 22,600
Wipro used 19,400
There isn't an american company in the top 6. (Continued…)
Colleen Yuan
posted 3/22/07 @ 12:42 PM EST
H1Bs Go Home!
American Workers...
J O I N Programmers Guild . Org
http://www.ProgrammersGuild.Org
BCA
posted 3/22/07 @ 2:20 PM EST
Why is the U.S allowing foreign nationals to attend U.S. universities...? There are plenty of people, right here in this country ... who are ready, willing and able to attend college. (Continued…)
Kassel
posted 3/22/07 @ 10:36 PM EST
Good comments all around, so I'll only offer a minor correction.
The annual cap on H-1B visas is now over 85K; for some sub-categories (those working at colleges and universities, in non-profit research outfits, and in local, state or federal research) there is no limit at all. (Continued…)
JD Jackson
posted 3/30/07 @ 6:30 PM EST
Of course F-1s would argue for the right of all foreign-born students to stay in the U.S. after their course of study is finished. Why wouldn't they? It's so much easier to stay and earn 3x what they would in their own messed-up countries. (Continued…)
Martin
posted 4/28/07 @ 3:53 PM EST
Visa procedures are complex, timely, and costly to ensure that only the very best applicants are retained. Rest assured that if a U.S. company really wants to hire you, they will go through the trouble for you. (Continued…)
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