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Kerrie Meyler

More Regarding H-1B Visas

By Kerrie Meyler on Sun, 04/26/09 - 7:05pm.

I didn't anticipate my earlier article on H1-B visas to create the hornet's nest it did; but since then I've seen several interesting articles on the topic:

  • H-1B Visa Use Cuts Some U.S. IT Worker Wages by Up to 6% - see http://www.cio.com/article/489770/H_B_Visa_Use_Cuts_Some_U.S._IT_Worker_Wages_By_Up_to_?source=nlt_cioinsider. This article is actually from Computerworld, and the information is based on a study released the week of April 17 by New York University's Stem School of Business and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. The report's authors say they are not using the study to take a position on H-1B visa use, and do not discount other research that has found H-1B visa holders are helping U.S. competitiveness.
  • Obama administration defends H-1B rule in lawsuit challenging 2008 Bush ruling on visas (http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9131045) - the Bush administration had previously moved to increase the amount of time foreign nationals with engineering, science, and other technical degrees can work in the U.S. on student visas (from twelve to 29 months). Although the Obama administration has reversed a number of actions taken by the previous administration, so far there has been no interest in reversing this rule. The White House says the U.S. needs H-1B visas to avoid ‘competitive disadvantage.'
  • Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) introduced new legislation to "mend" the H1-B program, saying it allows ‘legal discrimination' - by allegedly allowing companies to fire qualified Americans without cause and recruiting only H-1B workers to replace them. The two senators hope to duplicate the success earlier this year by Grassley and Bernard Sanders (I-Vermont) in getting restrictions placed on H-1B use by financial services receiving bailout funds under TARP. This particular legislation seeks permanent changes in the program particularly when used by offshoring firms. See http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9132052 for additional information.

Obviously, this is a highly emotional issue, and there are numerous articles supporting each side of the topic.

For my initial blog entry on H1-B visas, see http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/40880.

Goodby H-1B

0
By Diggy Zazz (not verified) on Mon, 04/27/2009 - 12:58pm.

H-1Bs go home. Americans do not want you.

H1B Visas are Too Broad

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By Mark Willoughby (not verified) on Tue, 04/28/2009 - 3:17pm.

First, it is in our national interest to have a liberal and enlightened immigration policy to remain the global technology leader.

This means students graduating from U.S. universities with technical and scientific degrees should be given automatic residency to work for companies filing lots of patents for new technology products and services.

The H1B visa program confuses immigration with indentured servitude. Most H1B visas are granted to offshore outsourcing companies to send in cheap labor to support a low-cost business model and increase market share in the U.S. for off-the-shelf IT services. The offshore outsourcing H1B visa holders are not working for IT innovators producing new techhnologies and products, but rather low-cost providers of mass-market IT services, like CRM or ERP. The offshore outsourcing providers business model does not require advancing technology and they do not own a large portfolio of technology intellectual property. This type of visa should be categorized separately and evaluated through a different economic and political lense.

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About Managing Microsoft

Kerrie Meyler, MVP, MCSE, MCTS, CNA, MA, BA, is an independent consultant and trainer with over fifteen years of experience in IT. While at Microsoft in Field Technical Sales for four years she focused on infrastructure and mangement, presenting at numerous product launches. Kerrie has presented Operations Manager 2007 at TechEd 2007 and MMS 2009 and at internal Microsoft conferences, receiving company recognition and awards including a SPAR MGS award. Kerrie worked with Microsoft Learning to develop functional specifications for the original Operations Manager Microsoft courseware, 2550: Implementing Microsoft Operations Manager 2000 and did the beta teach for that course.She also participated in the alpha walkthrough for the 70-400: Configuring Microsoft System Center Operations Manager certification exam.

She is the lead author of Microsoft Operations Manager 2005 Unleashed, Microsoft System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed, and Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 Unleashed. Kerrie is currently developing an eBook on Operations Manager 2007 R2.

Check out an excerpt from System Center Operations Manager 2007 Unleashed, Chapter 3: Looking Inside OpsMgr.

Kerrie's latest book, System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) 2007 Unleashed by Kerrie Meyler, Byron Holt, and Greg Ramsey has been selected as the August, 2009, Microsoft Subnet book giveaway (a $59.99 value). Check out an excerpt from System Center Configuration (SCCM) Manager 2007 Unleashed, Chapter 3: Looking Inside ConfigMgr.

Visit the Microsoft Subnet home page for giveaway details and entry forms.