The H-1B Swindle

An anonymous reader writes "A new study shows that companies hire foreign workers for cheap labor, not skill." From the article:"When you look at computer job titles by state, California has one of the biggest differentials between OES salaries and H-1B salaries. The average salary for a programmer in California is $73,960, according to the OES. The average salary paid to an H-1B visa worker for the same job is $53,387; a difference of $20,573 ... H-1B visa workers were also concentrated at the bottom end of the wage scale, with the majority of H-1B visa workers in the 10-24 percentile range. 'That means the largest concentration of H-1B workers make less than [the] highest 75 percent of the U.S. wage earners,' the report notes. "

Comments

Re:Also doesn't account for conversion

[a1englishman]

Most H1B's are folks who've been in the workforce for a relatively shorter period of time. Most H1Bs are actually dual-status, which means they are applying for a Green Card while working as an H1B. Green Card processing typically takes 4-5 years. They are not classified as H1Bs once they get their Green Cards - which coincides with them acquiring additional experience and raises.

This argument overlooks the fact that the H1-B program is designed to allow employers to aquire talent that isn't available within the US. That would mean that these people are valuable. They shouldn't be grunts, they should be people who poses detailed and specific information which wasn't avaible in an American candidate. That being the case, the H1-Bs should be appearing near the top of the pay curve, not the bottom.