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US Won't Say How Many H-1B Workers Are Female (computerworld.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the diversity-in-the-workplace dept.

dcblogs quotes a report from Computerworld: When the U.S. begins accepting applications for new H-1B skilled-worker visas today, we can be certain that tech workers from India will make up a large portion of the requests. While program data shows which job categories, countries and companies are awarded the most visas, the federal government says it is not tracking applicants' gender -- although the question is asked on the visa application form. The U.S. begins accepting H-1B visa applications on April 1 for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) will not release the gender data. It has rejected a Senate request for the information, as well as public records requests from the IEEE-USA and Computerworld. The Anita Borg Institute, which advocates for women in technology, believes "it would be very helpful to have better data on the gender diversity of H-1B visa recipients," said Telle Whitney, the president and CEO of the institute. "Our anecdotal experience is that most H-1B visa recipients are men and that this can have a negative impact on increasing the participation of women in the technical workforce," she said.

6 of 89 comments (clear)

  1. Finally, SJW's might do some good by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

    They might accidentally do a good thing here.

    --
    SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    1. Re:Finally, SJW's might do some good by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Interesting

      If you really want to make SJW heads explode, force them to choose between Indian females and American black males. They'll have to break out an oppression/victimhood chart and do some algebra on that one.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re:Finally, SJW's might do some good by david_thornley · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're talking about H-1Bs here. If there's a qualified American candidate, there is no justification for the H-1B. If the company is cheating, they'll take the Indian. I don't see that gender is going to matter here.

      They're gathering the information, so I don't see why they can't tell us. I'm not particularly interested, but I like data the US government has to be publicly available if possible.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
  2. Sanders and Rubio on H1B by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 3, Informative

    Just to keep people informed, note that Bernie Sanders and Marco Rubio voted to increase H1B visas last round (2013).

    Ted Cruz voted against, and (of course) neither Clinton nor Trump could vote.

    Here's a quote from [Facebook VP] Joel Kaplan:

    "This is a big step forward for jobs, innovation, and the American economy," Facebook's vice president of U.S. policy Joel Kaplan said in a statement e-mailed to CNET. "We've been talking with members for months about what the technology industry needs to remain competitive and this bill shows that they listened and they get it."

    1. Re:Sanders and Rubio on H1B by srichard25 · · Score: 4, Funny

      "Business success requires a skilled workforce, not uneducated unready workers"

      I can tell you haven't worked with many H1B visas.

  3. Microaggressive by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    More worrying is how many of these H1b people exhibit microaggressive behavior? We need to screen them so we can create inclusive safe spaces for our tech workers.