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Senator Prods Microsoft On H-1B Visas After Layoff Plans

Posted by Soulskill on from the checking-their-priorities dept.

CWmike writes "US Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) told Microsoft this week that US citizens should get priority over H-1B visa holders as the software vendor moves forward on its plan to cut 5,000 jobs. 'These work visa programs were never intended to allow a company to retain foreign guest workers rather than similarly qualified American workers, when that company cuts jobs during an economic downturn,' Grassley wrote in a letter sent Thursday to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. The letter asked Microsoft to detail the types of jobs that will be eliminated and how those cuts will affect the company's H-1B workers." Reader theodp adds, "On Friday, Microsoft coincidentally announced it would postpone construction of a planned $500 million data center in Grassley's home state of Iowa, although work on data centers in Chicago and Dublin will continue."

7 of 574 comments (clear)

  1. Re:...because H1Bs are forms, not people by matt4077 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    These H1B holders are well-educated. They'd be able to take of themselves. They'll return home and be a huge benefit to their home country. The US, meanwhile, will lose these talents after probably having spent lots of money in educating them.

    Remember: the number of jobs is not fixed. A million unemployed but well-educated nerds will probably lead to the next google, Apple or whatever. If you throw these people out of the country, those companies and their jobs are just created elsewhere.

    --
    Fleur de Sel
  2. This is Major Tom to ground control. . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I was laid off from my programming job and I have been looking for a job for a year now, and I keep getting passed on. I've even lowered my wage expectations and my references, former managers and coworkers, have a lot of good things to say about me. I am constantly applying through newspapers, monster.com, dice.com, etc. Why is a H1-B holder getting precedence over me? And, why are these companies laying off Americans in favor of keeping the H1-Bs? We have a problem, Houston.

    1. Re:This is Major Tom to ground control. . . by SerpentMage · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Have you actually thought about WHY you are not getting hired? And fixing those issues?

      My wife is a manager and I get to see the other side of things. They don't explicitly go out with the notion, "oh let's not hire X, but hire Y."

      They are just thankful that they can get anybody with skills.

      Right now there is a REALLY big problem, and a friend of mine says it best.

      "Those that you want to hire are not hirable, but those that are hirable you don't want."

      He said this because he noticed that there are many who calls themselves programmers, but are 2000 leftovers who got into it because you could make "lots and lots" of money. Hiring a programmer that you want to keep is these days very difficult.

      --

      "You can't make a race horse of a pig"
      "No," said Samuel, "but you can make very fast pig"
  3. Re:...because H1Bs are forms, not people by bahbar · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Having been in this situation a while back, no, there is officially no grace period. As far as I know, it just happens that the administration lets people transfer anyways. I have heard 10 days, 2 months, nothing... I personally had my H1b transfer initiated in the couple of days after my company closed. Technically, you can apply for transfer, start at your new job, and have your transfer denied (or so they say, I never actually heard about a denied transfer). fun stuff!

  4. Re:...because H1Bs are forms, not people by bsane · · Score: 4, Interesting

    These H1B holders are well-educated.

    Except for the ones that lied about their education and experience: http://www.businessweek.com/print/bwdaily/dnflash/content/oct2008/db2008108_844949.htm

    When I worked for FNMA I wondered how most of my H1 coworkers had no previous knowledge of computers, and why even though they supposedly had degrees in EE they had no knowledge of any basic principles of that field. They were very popular with management because they always said yes, and were continually afraid of 'causing problems'. The ones I talked to also made 20-30% less than I did.

    Certainly not the case everywhere, but I'd say H1B1 visa holder = undereducated indentured servant in far too many places.

  5. Re:Republican? by commodore64_love · · Score: 4, Interesting

    >>>Actually, it's none of the senator's business.

    I agree. Therefore the government should immediately revoke all foreign VISAs, and assume a role of non-interference when it comes to labor: "You say you want to hire foreigners?" Bill Gates: "Yes." Congress: "Too bad. We won't help you import non-americans; find a different solution to your labor shortage."

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
  6. Re:Republican? by sweetooth · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Microsoft just let 1400 workers go from their Licensing division in Reno, NV. Those are almost entirely non technical staff and would fall into the "financial services" folks they said they would lay off. It's also extremely unlikely there were any workers in that portion of the layoffs that had an H1-B.

    Now, I would agree with the senator that if two people are being considered for a layoff and one has an H1-B and the other is a citizen, the H1-B should be let go. The reason being that Microsoft and the other tech companies argued that they desperately needed the cap on H1-B's to be increased as they couldn't find skilled workers in the US to fill the positions. At a time of layoffs, in the situation I described, that would obviously not be true any more.