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DHS To Extend OPT To 60 Months, Says Employers, Universities, Students Demand It (natlawreview.com)
theodp writes: In August, Federal Judge Ellen Huvelle called BS on 'emergency' changes made by the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security in 2008 to Optional Practical Training (OPT) that extended the amount of time foreign STEM graduates of U.S. colleges could stay in the country and work ("to alleviate the crisis employers are facing due to the current H-1B visa shortage," as Bill Gates explained it in 2007). "The 17-month duration of the STEM extension appears to have been adopted directly from the unanimous suggestions by Microsoft and similar industry groups," said the Judge in her ruling, which threatened to invalidate STEM OPT extensions in February. But the DHS fired back Monday with a new proposed rule — Improving and Expanding Training Opportunities for F-1 Nonimmigrant Students With STEM Degrees and Cap-Gap Relief for All Eligible F-1 Students — that will extend STEM OPT to as much as 60 months (a standard 12-month OPT period, plus two 24-month extensions). Foreign students demand it, explained the DHS, as do public colleges and universities, who "particularly benefit from the payment of tuition by foreign students, especially in comparison to the tuition paid by in-state students." DHS estimates that the proposed rule will affect 634,464 foreign STEM students over the next 10 years.
Fuck You, DHS.
"tuition is to high"
"grammar is too low!"
The only reason for these ridiculous band aids is that getting a green card takes fucking forever and the standards for work visas are incorrectly set. A BA/BSc/BEng from Harvard and Podunk State are considered equal. It's no secret that American universities attract some of the smartest people on the planet, which is a unique advantage that the US has. Competition for top universities is fierce and pretty much manages to swoop in the top talent on the planet. The problem is then that the immigration system is not at all merit based. Someone with a degree from Harvard is on equal footing with a graduate from a completely unknown school which accepts everyone who can send them a check.
The problem is that one should keep out people that are no better than what can be sourced among the local population. At the same time the immigration system needs to guarantee continuity for top students while quickly getting them to the point where they can stay permanently, which allow them to do things like start a family, buy a house etc. If the immigration system forces someone to move abroad even for a month there's a high chance they're not coming back.
i imagine the problem of "employee shortage" could be fixed in the private market (via higher salaries) rather than by passing laws to bring in outside people to work for less...
where are all the "tuition is to high" americans at??? they need to stand up and say enough is enough
In theory, the high tuitions that foreign students pay keeps tuition lower for domestic students.
99% of the H-1B circus is bullshit.
Are you really telling me that in this entire country there isn't anyone with the skills to fill that job? BULLSHIT.
This is probably even true at a state level, and also probably true at a local level as well.
Maybe if you're looking for something really esoteric, but a programming job or skill? Sorry, I call BULLSHIT.
It's nothing more than a way to get cheap, compliant labor while simultaneously driving down wages and sucking up tax breaks. I live a few miles from Microsofts Redmond campus, trust me when I say that I know what I'm talking about.
The entire H-1B program should junked and redone so that only TRULY "unfindable" skills or candidates would qualify.
Just cruising through this digital world at 33 1/3 rpm...
dont blame reganomics for the high cost of school. blame salle mae and guaranteed student loans
look at the charts, as soon as the feds guaranteed they would pick up the tab, prices started going up and up and up. The schools have no reason to care how you do when you get there because YOU arent paying them, the government does. They dont care that you get stuck paying the government back for years afterwards.
if you are going to go off on "right wingers" at least go after them for legit reasons, this one has nothing to do with them
have you seen my sig? there are many others like it but none that are the same
In theory, the high tuitions that foreign students pay keeps tuition lower for domestic students.
BS. It doesn't work that way. Because of regulations, they can only charge state residents so much. So they charge others more. You're imagining some kind of "This is our total budget, so if others pay more, they pay less" scheme. Hahahaha. What world do you live in?
It's just exactly greed, nothing more.
H1B and similar laws such as this one are not about immigration. They are about importing what is effectively slave labor that have to work long hours for little money, for the same company, or risk getting deported.