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Ted Cruz Wants Minimum H-1B Wage of $110,000 (computerworld.com)
dcblogs writes: U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is seeking the Republican presidential nomination, has morphed from a vocal supporter of the H-1B program to a leading critic of it. He has done so in a new H-1B reform bill (PDF) that sets a minimum wage of $110,000 for H-1B workers. By raising the cost of temporary visa workers, Cruz is hoping to discourage their use. Cruz also wants to eliminate Optional Practical Training Program (OPT). The co-sponsor of this bill, The American Jobs First Act of 2015, is U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), who called the OPT program "a backdoor method for replacing American workers."
And then those companies will realize that it's actually a bargain to pay labor costs here and get an actual working product. Every single product I've seen shipped offshore for "cheaper" labor has ultimately resulted in massive cost overruns and a product that doesn't meet expectations (at best) and frequently just doesn't work. There's a lot to be said about being able to work with your business face to face or at least in the same daylight hours when you're both awake.
Umm you do realize that if H1-Bs are paid more than American workers it would be cheaper to employ Americans, right?
When you cant win, ad hominem.
The H-1B program definitely needs to be massively overhauled. I wouldn't say it needs to be permanent residency, but it certainly needs to entitle the holder to freely move to another job, just like any other worker.
What do you mean? H1B workers are perfectly capable of getting another job... they just have to get their new employer to file a petition for a new H1B visa... which includes (I'm sure this won't scare off any hiring managers):
Initiating a new H1B visa application including
Two or three most recent pay stubs. (Not required if the existing H-1B was never used and the transfer is applied from outside the U.S.)
Copy of your most recent H1-B approval notice, Form I-797[1]
Copy of all pages of your passport[2] (including blank ones), which is valid for your entire requested period of stay in the U.S.
Photocopy of Form I-94[3]. Do NOT send the original. You are not required to send the original. If you sent the original by mistake, and if you need it back, you can file form G-884 with USCIS. G-884 is not available online. You have to request it by mail.
More details[4].
Copy of the most current visa stamp[5]. Visa stamp does not have to be unexpired.
Latest resume.
Copy of social security card[6].
All previous approval notices.
Copy of all degrees, diplomas, transcripts and mark sheets.
Copy of work experience letters, offer letters and relieving letters.
W-2's and tax returns, if applicable.
-http://www.immihelp.com/visas/h1b/h1-transfer.html
Best part is that you can start your new job right away... only drawback being that if the application gets rejected by the government then you need to immediately stop working and leave the country... but no biggie. Easy right!
I am a H1-B holder and as far as I know I pay tax exactly the same as everyone else.
You're figures are fine except that Hr1B visa holders DO NOT pay
federal income tax (I'm not sure of the particulars, but it's true).
So their effective salary is significantly higher than the stated values.
CAP === 'accord'
I have no idea where you get your information, but H1B visa holder are required to pay all federal, state, local taxes including FICA (Social Security) and Medicare.
The only exception I am aware of is that if you by some circumstances become a non-resident-alien of the US for part of the year (hired mid-year, or terminated mid-year), you can dual-status and only pay US taxes on your US based income and a flat 30% on non-US connected income (normally you have to pay US taxes on your worldwide income although you can claim an exemption for taxes you paid to another country).
Your confusion might be that those on OPT (practical training) temporary visas which often are used by college graduates before they get H1Bs are exempt from FICA and medicare, but are still not exempt from other state and federal income taxes. OPT used to be a max of 1 year, but now it is 2 years.
That's not what we're talking about silly H1-B.
What we're talking about, is that the jobs us Americans are working, for $75,000 would pay over $100,000. Except rather than pay what the market demands, the companies import workers on H1B visas. They claim, they can't find the talent. Utter BS, often they replaced trained with untrained workers, and have the trained workers train their replacements.
But you see, if you can hire imported workers for $60K-$70K, then you never have to pay the market value. And you can force Americans into lower pay. It's basic economics of supply and demand.
And GUESS WHY that pay average is around $60K-$70K, because that was the $110K of yesteryear. That was the amount that if the salary exceeded, they never get investigated for wage sinking. And guess what, $60K in 1990 when H1B visas went into effect, if adjusted for inflation would now be $110K. So all Ted Cruz is asking for is the originally minimum salary cap being put back in effect. All laws passed should be inflation adjusted, if so, then it would already be $110K