Decrease in H-1B visa applications reflects poor job market in U.S.

[Newsjock]

Source: The Hindu

The U.S. has received only 13,500 applications in the first week for H-1B visa, the most sought after work visa by Indian IT professionals, as against the mandated cap of 65,000 reflecting the poor employment market in that country.

The Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as mandated by the U.S. Congress, started receiving H-1B applications from April 1 for fiscal 2011 beginning October 1, 2010.

Figures of the applications received in the first week were released by the USCIS on Thursday, which is almost one third of the total applications received by the agency last year.

Read more: http://beta.thehindu.com/news/international/article392380.ece

[OhioChick]

1. Shouldn't even be offered in this economic climate. n/t

[ChromeFoundry]

2. +1 n/t

[MadMaddie]

14. Agreed!

[tularetom]

3. See, the immigration "problem" is solving itself.

No jobs + no opportunities = no immigrants.

We might be on the way to the third world, but by god we're gonna do it on our own with no friggin forriners.

[TMED]

8. Doubtful

In Jersey City, one can't help but notice the huge number of Indian (or maybe Indian + Pakistani) workers. As there's a huge community of Indians in Jersey City, it's not completely shocking to see Indians getting onto the PATH train in overwhelming numbers, LEAVING Jersey City in the morning.

However, what's definitely shocking is getting a fix on Indian workers coming TO Jersey City - most dressed in business suits, and relatively young. One day I took the elevator instead of the escalator, and so I could do a controlled count of Indian vs. non-Indian workers. OUT OF 15 PEOPLE IN THE ELEVATOR, 10 WERE INDIAN.

I know that the US graduates more engineers every year than it hires, as engineers. I don't know the situation with software engineers or programmers, but the idea that America can't produce enough such individuals, to fill most of the positions in Jersey City, even during good economic times, is absurd. The US FAILS the most basic tenet of "First, take care of your own."

[cap]

11. my husband notices the same thing on Wall Street

there is a rumour that a major Wall Street bank has a 20-40-40 policy on the way: 20% hire NYC, 40% Orlando, 40% Chennai.

[boppers]

15. The "Programmer" training in the US is awful. Nightmarish, even.

Lots of kids who are so used to built in technologies (existing functions and macros, automated garbage collection, etc.) who can't write a simple compiler, or even explain one.... there's still talent out there, but there's also a lot of kids who got pushed through diploma mills thinking that they were going to get a job playing video games, and can only program in one or two languages (or only a single paradigm).

[alp227]

4. Well duh. Fewer jobs, less incentive to come here as guest worker. n/t

[SurfingScientist]

5. Sadly, also less of the world's ...

... sharpest young minds and best entrepreneurs will be attracted to come here, whose energy and ability has been so essential to making the US an economic and scientific world leader.

Some people may think that a few less guest workers *now* are a good thing; fact is, that kind of thinking is as short-sighted as any corporate decision that saves a few pennies this year and forfeits long-term development. The damage of attracting fewer of the best is a long-term effect.

[harry_pothead]

6. When there is high unemployment rate, the number of H-1B visa applications approved...

...should be zero.

[SurfingScientist]

7. No - the purpose of H1Bs is not to...

... import cheap labor, but to foster a temporary exchange of workers with relevant expertise - aid economic growth.

I agree H1Bs must not be abused. However stopping the program in a bad economy is exactly the wrong thing to do.

[Hugin]

9. "temporary exchange"...

The word "exchange" implies a two way street... Which, H1Bs are not.

[Sadie5]

10. Look at the VA hospitals

Most of the doctors at the VA hospital where my s-i-l goes are Indian. he was there last week and was upset that the doctor was 35 minutes late for the appointment and when he finally showed up he had coffee stained scrubs on and according to my s-i-l just looked dirty. Could say more about Va hospitals but will save it for another thread. I bet most VA hospitals are staffed with Visa takers and BTW;I totally disagree with the other poster who is banging his drum for the visa workers.

[harry_pothead]

13. Why? Are there not enough Americans who go through medical school to take these VA jobs?

[greymattermom]

16. actually, there aren't

The VA pays less than most MD jobs but the Indians can do well there because they have little or no debt from attending medical school in India.

[M155Y_A1CH]

12. Good, Spread the word internationally

Let us find the jobs we need first,
before y'all come and get them.