Slashdot Mirror
H-1B Visa Use Soared Last Year At Major Tech Firms (phys.org)
"Even as the White House began cracking down on U.S. work visas, major Silicon Valley technology firms last year dramatically ramped up hiring of workers under the controversial H-1B visa program," reports the Mercury News.
Menlo Park-based Facebook in 2017 received 720 H-1B approvals, a 53 percent increase over 2016, according to the National Foundation for American Policy, which obtained federal government data. Mountain View's Google received 1,213 H-1B approvals, a 31 percent increase. The number of H-1B approvals at Intel in Santa Clara rose 19 percent and Cupertino-based Apple received 673, a 7 percent increase.... [E]xperts say the data doesn't show how many additional H-1B contractors tech companies may get from staffing agencies or outsourcing companies. In response to this news organization's inquiries, Facebook said it does not publicly discuss its use of H-1B workers or contractors. Google, Apple and Intel did not respond to requests for information about their use of H-1B workers or contractors....
Amazon chalked up the largest increase in H-1B approvals, with 2,515 in 2017, a 78 percent leap. Microsoft received 1,479 approvals, an increase of 29 percent. Neither company responded to a request for comment.
A distinguished fellow at Carnegie Mellon's School of Engineering at Silicon Valley believes that the threat of a U.S. crackdown on H-1B visas may simply have prompted companies to secure as many visas as possible while they could.
Amazon chalked up the largest increase in H-1B approvals, with 2,515 in 2017, a 78 percent leap. Microsoft received 1,479 approvals, an increase of 29 percent. Neither company responded to a request for comment.
A distinguished fellow at Carnegie Mellon's School of Engineering at Silicon Valley believes that the threat of a U.S. crackdown on H-1B visas may simply have prompted companies to secure as many visas as possible while they could.
Because they are self entitled slobs who are often less qualified for the job than h1b applicants.
Truth hurts. BTW I interview developer candidates at a medium size company. I do the tech step of the interview process.
H1B use isn't up: there is an annual cap on H1B visas.
What's changed is that "Major tech firms" are getting the visas which must have reduced the number of H1B visas that were assigned to the outsourcing companies such as Tata, HCL, Infosys, etc..
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
I was always paid the prevailing rate, and the other H-1Bs I've worked with get the same. Put it this way, they're able to get on the housing ladder in Silicon Valley. They're also really smart! Indian, German, Chinese, Canadian, British (like me), they've all been good colleagues. There may well be plenty of poor quality H-1Bs at outsourcing companies, but I've never worked anywhere that used them.
I've given enough job interviews in my time and have always recommended people by merit. If there were more qualified Americans applying for these jobs, they'd be getting hired. I recommended plenty of Americans and they usually worked out well. Sponsoring H-1Bs is expensive and a pain in the ass. Companies don't do that unless they have to. They also have to keep dealing with it because the time to get a green card has grown from about 3 years (when I did it 15 years ago) to over a decade in many cases.
And don't give me that ageism thing. I'm 45 and have no trouble getting hired, and neither did the older candidates I recommended. When you're growing fast you want all kinds of people, and the varied experience and attitudes they bring make everyone more productive.
Graham
Dear person from insignificant country,
I know it sucks living in a insignificant, pissant country. No one takes you seriously. You either never mattered or like most of Europe, your best days are behind you and you have lost your way.
As of this time, the only reason you are typing anything, have enough to eat, or even feel secure enough to bitch is that the US is paying for your security and subsidizing your life in some way. If the US falls, kiss all that niceness goodbye. You probably do not grow enough food. You can't protect yourself from China or Russia, who will gladly show you what REAl imperialism is. So, you better pray your fantasy does not come true.
Oh, unless of course you are Russian or Chinese. In that case, your goal is to shit on others. Part of thinks we should let you do it. Spoiled children do need punished from time to time.