H1B.info   Learn how the H-1B visa program is costing jobs, undercutting wages and facilitating offshoring.     Home  |  Bookmarks  |  Job and Salary Database  |  By the Numbers  |  Contact      The H-1B visa program allows American companies and universities to hire foreign scientists, engineers and programmers. Unfortunately, H-1B law lacks adequate safeguards to protect US workers from being displaced and is abused to provide cheap labor. Although requirements say employers must pay the "prevailing wage," numerous loopholes mean there is little real-world wage protection for either US citizens or the H-1B guest workers. Moreover, employers almost never have to certify that no qualified U.S. workers are available before hiring an H-1B. Certification is nearly an automatic rubber stamp. Congress needs to increase domestic worker safeguards, tell the Department of Labor to stop rubberstamping H-1B applications, and resist pressure from corporate lobbyists to double the annual H-1B visa limit. Immediate Calls and Faxes Needed to Help Stop H-1B Increase Posted Sunday Sept. 16, 2007 With press attention focusing on the Iraq and the illegal alien amnesty, some Senators are planning to sneak an H-1B cap increase into the defense appropriations bill this week. This is a well planned attack. Earlier this month, 13 state governors sent a letter to Congress asking for more H-1B visas. Additionally, skilled immigrant groups are scheduled to march on Washington for more H-1Bs and green cards this week. Take action on Sunday Go to NumbersUSA.com and send these faxes: Tell Congress to resist H-1B increases Your governor is pushing for major H-1B increases Take action on Monday Telephone your Senator and make these points: 1.) Tell your Senator NO H-1B INCREASE. Tell him that the H-1B has hurt your professional career with stagnant wages, job-loss and under-employment. 2.) Ask your Senator if he or she remembers the "Jobless Recovery" that lasted until March 2004. That's just 3 years ago! The same companies that are now asking for more H-1B workers were laying off thousands then. Remind him that the Senate's huge H-1B increase in 2001 made a bad recession even worse. Let's not make the same mistake by increasing the H-1B count again. 3.) Warn your Senator that many economists now believe another recession is likely because of the mortgage crisis, and the job market may already be deteriorating. In August 2007 the economy lost 4,000 jobs, yet 160,000 new jobs each month are needed just to keep up with new entrants to the job market. Call the capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 or (877) 762-8762. Who represents me? Background: YouTube: Big Business looking for more H-1B visas U.S. Chamber: hopes dim on immigration bill, but H-1B visas look good Governors throw support behind H-1B increase Should the U.S. increase its H-1B visa program? Wages discredit claims of a labor shortage In case you missed it... Should We Put a Cap on the Number of L-1 Visas? Art Jahnke; CIO Magazine; June 5, 2003 The L-1 visa is more threatening than the H-1B because it lacks even token worker protections. A Mainframe-Size Visa Loophole Business Week; March 6, 2003 L-1 intercompany transfer visas are being exploited to replace Americans with low-wage foreigner workers. Is Your Privacy At Risk? Steven Cooper; WKMG TV Orlando, FL; Feb. 19, 2003 Overseas outsourcinon at risk. Where Did The Jobs Go? Steven Cooper; WKMG TV Orlando, FL; Feb. 17, 2003 Siemens, like many companies, is replacing its domestic employees with H-1B and L-1 foreign workers. IEEE-USA asks for rollback of H-1B visa quotas Margaret Quan; EE Times; Feb. 9, 2003 The IEEE-USA is asking that the H-1B visa program visa cap be lowered. U.S. Economy in Worst Hiring Slump in 20 Years David Leonhardt; New York Times; Feb. 6, 2003 Hiring is unlikely to resume anytime soon. H-1B Visa Count Down, Anger Up Patrick Thibodeau; Computer World; Feb. 3, 2003 A preliminary INS count shows that 79,100 regular H-1B visas, and 215,000 cap exempt and extension H-1B visas were issued in 2002. A short circuit for US engineering careers Terry Costlow; Christian Science Monitor; Dec. 26, 2002 Dissatisfaction caused by layoffs, the influx of foreign workers and offshore outsourcing is causing engineers to seek new professions. Sun broke rules on hiring foreign workers Benjamin Pimentel; San Francisco Chronicle; Oct. 10, 2002 The US Labor Department finds that Sun Microsystems failed to provide proper public-notice before hiring H-1B workers. Tech firms want more for less Joyce Lain Kennedy; Dallas Morning News; Sept. 29, 2002 Syndicated columnist and career expert falts the H-1B program. Tech veterans squeezed out: Overseas hiring, ageism blamed Barbara Rose; Seattle Times; March 14, 2002 Newsletter Subscribe to the H-1B Newsletter to get monthly and special e-mail updates. Blindsided? Has the H-1B blindsided your job search? Find out by searching the H-1B Job and Salary Database. Save American Jobs Petition Watch the video and sign the petition Over 1 Million Visas Issued Source: H-1B Hall of Shame Thank You for Siding with Opportunity During the 108th Congress, Representative DeLauro (D-CT) and 26 cosponsors introduced HR 2702 to provide real L-1 visa reform. Senator Byrd (D-WV) led the fight against Arlen Spector's (R-PA) 2005 sneak attack on American workers hidden deep in the 2006 Federal budget. Unfortunately, in a disastrous sell-out, the Senate rejected the Byrd Amendment 14-85. No Immigrant Bashing Advocating a major reduction in the number of H-1B visas issued and enforcement of our labor laws shouldn't be construed as advocating hostility toward foreign workers. Even those who've violated the terms of their visa should be treated with respect. Ultimately, the excesses and abuses of the H-1B visa program are the fault of the Congress which has bowed to the high-tech industry lobbyists.

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