Obama's H-1B answer in forum may haunt him

[OhioChick]

February 8, 2012 04:51 PM ET

Computerworld - WASHINGTON -- Until President Barack Obama responded to a question about H-1B visas during an online forum last week, the administration had said little about the controversial program.

But that has changed, thanks to the question posed by Jennifer Wedel of Fort Worth, Texas.

Wedel wanted to know why the government continues to issue H-1B visas when many U.S. tech workers are jobless. Her husband, Darin Wedel, a semiconductor engineer, was laid off from his full-time job at Texas Instruments three years ago following a plant shutdown, she told Obama.

Obama's answers to Wedel's questions offered both insight and ammunition for Congressional reformers.

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9224088/Obama_s_H_1B_answer_in_forum_may_haunt_him_

[JDPriestly]

1. This is a major issue.

Obama needs to come down on the side of American workers on this one.

[exboyfil]

3. He is fortunate that no republican can take

advantage of this situation. I frankly am still shocked by the pathetic nature of his response. It appeared almost as clueless as Romney. The woman had an agenda with the question, but she had a very valid point.

Now will a journalist ask a pointed question about this issue at a debate? How about at a press conference? Naw.

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. H1b Visa Abuse

The H1b visa program has been extremely abused for years. It should be ENDED. I worked at DOL and it was the most worthless program we ever had. Obama has been hoodwinked by corporate advisers on this issue. I would issue an immediate cease and desist order and order employers to train American citizens. And I would order them to give all combat veterans first chance at jobs.

I would make it economically infeasible for employers to bring in a foreign national as long as there was a single trainable American worker. And I would penalize all employers equal to the cost of social services if they sent a single job overseas. I would grab them by their vital parts and squeeze. American employers won't do the right thing unless they are somehow forced to. That is why they are killing unions because unions stand in the way of the greed.

American business needs to have its nose bloodied and forced to support the country. As we speak conservatives and corporate CEOs are virtually demanding unlimited immigration work visas.

I can tell you that I used to fume about the immigration clearance orders that corporations put in because I got tired of interviewing American citizens who were being replaced.

We let the treasoness business community off the hook. They are all a bunch of greedy uncaring jerks. I can tell you for a fact the American business and the US Chamber of Commerce probably have more allegiance to the Chinese and cheap labor than they to to the US. That is because they are determined to pay a third world wage in this country.

END THE H1B PROGRAMS.

[ChromeFoundry]

4. I think his response was rather lame...

it made no attempt to correct the problems and abuses in the H-1b and L-1 visa programs.

[TheMastersNemesis]

5. I agree.

O'Bama's response was disappointing. The trouble is that most of our politicians have NOT rejected this policy and the free trade mantra that comes with it. We are still practicing "tinkle down" economics". The rich through their tactics are forcibly maintaining this economic policy because they are hugely benefitted by "tinkle down" economics. Over the last 35 to 40 years rich powerful interests have been able to put economists of their liking into key governmental positions. So any new president has ONLY THOSE economists to staff the federal government.

There is a council of CEO's from the Fortune 500 who act as an advisory board to the WH. And they can influence economic polity to their liking.

[proverbialwisdom]

6. Very informative investigative report here from Businessweek's final issue (Oct. 2009 cover story).

VIDEO: "Work-visa fraud in the high-tech industry has become a hot button issue at a time when American workers are furious about massive layoffs and the offshoring of jobs. I'm Steve Hamm, a senior writer at Business Week, and I've spent the last few months investigating a little known segment of the tech industry - the host of small services outfits that provde many of the temporary workers for corporate America. It is within this subindustry I call the high-tech jungle where much of the fraud takes place. I headed from Manhattan to New Jersey which is home to thousands of small tech services outfits. The Garden State is ranked #2 in the nation behind CA for the number of H-1B visa applicatons filed in 2008, more than 58,000. The epicenter for hgh-tech consulting servces is Edison in central NJ... " (more video at link)

http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/09_41/b4150034732629.htm

America's High-Tech Sweatshops

U.S. companies may be contributing unwittingly to the exploitation of workers imported from India and elsewhere by tech-services outfits

By Steve Hamm and Moira Herbst
October 12, 2009

Vimal Patel was studying for a master's in business administration in London when he saw an advertisement for work in the U.S. The ad offered a job in the tech industry, as well as sponsorship for the kind of work visa that allows foreign nationals to take professional-level jobs in the country. So Patel applied and paid his prospective employer, Cygate Software & Consulting, in Edison, N.J., thousands of dollars in up-front fees. But when Patel arrived, Cygate had no tech job for him. He ended up working at a gas station, and Cygate nevertheless took a chunk of his wages for years, according to documents in a criminal case against Cygate.

After a federal investigation into Cygate, Patel and five other natives of India recruited by the company pled guilty to visa violations in June. They were sentenced to 12 to 18 months of probation, assessed fines of $2,000 each, and now face deportation. But at Patel's sentencing in the federal courthouse in Newark, N.J., his lawyer said the slim 36-year-old, with a mop of brown hair spilling over his forehead, was more victim than villain. Like many ambitious workers from abroad, he came to the country seeking his fortune, and he suffered for the effort. "It's a sad day," said Anthony Thomas, the public defender assigned to represent Patel. "He always dreamed of coming to the U.S."

Cygate, which changed its name to Sterling System after the lawsuit, is one of thousands of low-profile companies that have come to play a central role in the U.S. tech industry in recent years. These companies, many with just 10 to 50 employees, recruit workers from abroad and, when possible, place them at U.S. corporations to provide tech support, software programming, and other services. While many outfits operate legally and provide high-quality talent, there is growing evidence that others violate U.S. laws and mistreat their recruits.

Several types of fraud have become common, according to documents from recent lawsuits and interviews with foreign workers, employers, lawyers, and consultants. In some cases companies target young men and women hungry to get well-paid tech jobs in the U.S. and charge them exorbitant fees for visas, which is not allowed under American immigration laws. Even after paying, some workers never get a visa; those who do may find the company they paid has no job for them, as Patel did. This violates U.S. law because companies are supposed to have an open position before they apply for a work visa.

More...

[LadyInAZ]

7. Loves this post...

I been in IT since 1996... for past 3 years been out of work... unable to fine temporary, short/long term contracts or permanent positions in US. 1 company I interviewed with say, the candidate had to be a U.S citizen. When I arrived, I was greeted by foriegn workers, who were not even able to escort me to the conference room for the interview. In fact, they had to call a fulltime employee who happened to be an american to escort us up stairs. It was the oddest experience I ever had in my 15 years in my career.

Also many of the jobs I have interviewed for the past year have been with foriegners. During the interview it is difficult to understand their spoken english. So you have to get them to repeat the question again. At this time they are frustrated because you need them to repeat the question asked.

Many ppl has said you have all this years of IT experience you should have no problem finding a job. Well throughout the 3 years, I have heard that time and time again. Our jobs were sold out to other works who do not reside or was born on this soil.

It is most unfortune, elite and government can not come to some job creation bill to return the americans back to working status. We as US citizen have a right to accessible jobs that maintains living (housing, food, clothing etc). Reason why labor laws have been created and revised for years to help survive. Just surviving on minimal wage is not enough. I went to college and spent many years in my career and shouldn't be asked to take any job for any pay. The jobs these foriegners have belong to americans (middle class) and should be returned to us.

[flexnor]

8. grassley is a republican

and obama is a democrat

therefor, it is best that we replace Americans with foreign workers, this will create jobs for Americans

[ChromeFoundry]

9. what amazes me....

there are so many individuals that blindly toe their party line, with all of their failures in policy. This goes for both sides.

Thanks. This needed to be said.

[Proud Public Servant]

10. Some observations, from experience

First, a personal observation: years ago, I applied for a job in Canada, and was told by the prospective employer that, attactive though my candidacy was, I could not be considered until the employer had determined that there was no qualified Canadian applicant. This seemed an eminently sensible rule, and doesn't seem to have hurt the Canadian economy one bit.

Now, a professional observation: I've adjudicated H1B/L1 visas; the problem is not with the visas per se, but with the employer petitions. Right now, DHS is charged with approving the petitions of employers on behalf of potential employers -- which means they're charged with looking at the employers and making sure they're following the rules. And they don't. I can't tell you how many H1B applicants I turned down after I discovered -- on my own, from a desk halfway around the world -- that the address of a tech business that supposedly had 200 employees was actually a tract home in suburban New Jersey. Why didn't DHS notice that? Who knows? (Though a friend who use to work for them as a petition adjudicator claims that teh pressure was so great to keep the paper moving that petitions were approved without being read.) My point is that the problem with changing the regulations is that humans -- specifically, humans at everyone's favorite agency, DHS -- have to implement them. And they don't. So while I think a new regulation of the sort Grassley is advocating would be excellent in theory, I sadly have no hope that it would be followed in practice.

[flexnor]

11. that is completely true, but at least

grassley would follow up on it, and expose them for not doing it

i agree that DHS is little more than a rubber stamp

a rubber stamp can be bought for about $1.99 at staples (thanks Mitt - LOL). How much did DHS cost to create? how many BILLIONS?!?!?