That is a shameful way to run an immigration program.
I became involved with immigration issues as an IT labor advocate. American software engineers are forced to compete with low cost foreign workers that are not equal participants in the labor market - rather defacto indentured servants. Not to minimize slavery, but I refer to the H-1b and L1 visa programs as "slavery-light" because of the worker's bonds to the employer.
As an American, I don't feel it is right to have any form of involuntary servitude to a company in this nation. As a worker, I don't want to compete with exploited people. Their exploitation hurts me directly.
Currently the top 10 sponsors of H-1b visas are IT outsourcing firms. The top 7 are with companies from India. In essence, the program helps firms offshore American technology jobs.
When I cast my vote in the Democratic primaries I am going to look for a candidate who will oppose indentured servitude like immigration programs, and I am going to support the candidate that will push for immigration policies that consider American labor and immigrants first, not corporations.
If you are that candidate, please let me know.
www.programmersguild.org has some great stuff and Matloff has a summary here.
But when the question of open or closed borders are added, that is talking about illegal immigrants, which is a completely different issue. There I want to exploitors (employers) thrown in jail and the illegals deported.
H1B's and illegal immigrants are entirely two different issues and until the American people and Congress separate the two there will never be a good solution. How employers and American Labor laws separate the two are different issues.
When it comes to fences here is an interesting article written by a Iranian Professor at UVA. Which brings up fences along our border, even though the article is about the "Fences in our Hearts" or should I say in this White House.
My argument isn't specific to the H-1b visa. I see that some immigration reformers are trying to create a whole new class of indentured servants - with ties to employers - for millions instead of tens of thousands. They want to expand the "temporary visa" to include unskilled workers. Because of this the two topics are now intersecting.
The only purpose a "temporary visa" could possibly serve is as a labor subsidy. The entire concept of "temporary visa" defies the belief that immigrants should be coming here to become American citizens or permanent residents. If they benefit our society, they shouldn't be here temporarily.
Because the H-1b is a dual-intent visa it is also an immigration visa. H-1b holders can become permanent residents. However, if they change jobs they lose their place in line and the process starts over. This is a major reason why they eat dirt for their employer - and most quit shortly after getting their greencard.
No matter what side you are on - if you want more restrictions or if you want less restrictions - you must realize that creating temporary visas with ties to the employer as the "solution" to this problem is not a solution at all. It is a pandoras box and will create a whole new class of people to exploit. Only now, it will be legal.
This exploitation will harm immigrant and American workers alike. If we can agree on anything it should be that all workers should have an equal footing in the labor market.
If you are an illegal alien, the last thing you should want right now is a visa designed to bond you to a single employer. Your already low wages are going to get lower. This entire concept is laughable. I can imagine slave holders and corporations in the 1800s making the same arguments to expand the "slavery cap" if one existed. Any immigrant arguing for expanding temporary employer sponsored visas would be like a slave in the 1800s arguing to expand slavery. Don't fall into this trap because you won't be better off.
All workers in our nation should be on an equal footing. Period. If you don't like your job, quitting or negotiating for higher pay should have NO impact on your immigration status or pending immigration requests.
It's clear that Student Visas are being turned into a glorified guest worker program as well as a green card machine that is going to not only overload our educational system, but also become even more exclusive against increasing opportunities for the American people, for whom it is supposed to support. An American cannot easily study abroad, due to the problems of international accreditation to the fact that other nations think their universities and educational systems are for their citizens, first and foremost.
Then, if one looks at the "merit" based green cards, it not only has age discrimination built in (points for being of age 25-39), but seemingly is biased towards anyone from India with even a pretense of any science of technical training.
This is one bad bill and I am frankly sick of the illegals being played like some sort of pawn in order for the Corporate cheap labor lobby to push through their unlimited migration (preferably under their control) agenda.