RELAX 'ARBITRARY' H-1B VISA CAP: BILL GATES
and/or www.mantra.com/jai
By Sridhar Krishnaswami in Washington
PTI Report
Rediff
Thursday, March 13, 2008
The 'counterproductive' US immigration policies should be
revamped to allow more people to get into the country on H-
1B visas aimed at highly-skilled professionals, Microsoft
Chairman Bill Gates has said, arguing that hiring an 'A'-
grade student from India creates spin-off employment for
'B' and 'C' American students.
The current base cap of 65,000 H-1B visas is 'arbitrarily
set' and bears no relation to the US economy's demand for
skilled professionals, Gates told a House of
Representatives Panel on Science and Technology.
Appearing before the panel at a time when US lawmakers
cutting across party lines are hammering away at the
'abuses' in the H-1B visas and outsourcing in general,
Gates took on Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of
California who said there is 'no excuse' for keeping out
'B' and 'C' American students just because there was an A
student from India".
Gates said when companies like Microsoft hire top foreign
engineers, they create jobs for 'B and C American students'
around them.
The Microsoft founder told lawmakers that the immigration
system would have to be revamped in such a fashion so as to
allow more number of people to get into America on H-1B
visas and it did not make sense for a bright foreign
student to be educated using American tax-payers money and
then sent home on some immigration requirement.
"It makes no sense to educate people in our universities,
often subsidised by US taxpayers, and then insist they
return home," Gates said.
In his formal statement to the Committee, Gates made the
point that Microsoft was unable to hire one-third of the
foreign-born candidates it wished to hire because of too
few H-1B visas.
"Today, knowledge and expertise are the essential raw
materials that companies and countries need in order to be
competitive. We live in an economy that depends on the
ability of innovative companies to attract and retain the
very best talent, regardless of nationality or citizenship.
"Unfortunately, the US immigration system makes attracting
and retaining high-skilled immigrants exceptionally
challenging for US firms," Gates said.
He said Congress's failure to pass high-skilled immigration
reform has exacerbated an "already grave" situation.
"For example, the current base cap of 65,000 H-1B visas is
arbitrarily set and bears no relation to the US economy's
demand for skilled professionals. This situation has caused
a serious disruption in the flow of talented graduates to
US companies."
Because an H-1B petition generally can be filed only for a
person who holds a degree, when May-June 2007 graduates
received their degrees, the visa cap for fiscal year 2008
had already been reached, he pointed out.
Accordingly, US firms will be unable to hire those
graduates on an H-1B visa until the beginning of fiscal
year 2009, or October 2008.
"As a result, many US firms, including Microsoft, have been
forced to locate staff in countries that welcome skilled
foreign workers to do work that could otherwise have been
done in the United States, if it were not for our
counterproductive immigration policies," Gates said.
"Microsoft has found that for every H-1B hire we make, we
add on average four additional employees to support them in
various capacities. Our experience is not unique. A recent
study of technology companies in the S&P 500 found that,
for every H-1B visa requested, these leading US technology
companies increased their overall employment by five
workers," Gates maintained.
As Gates is pushing lawmakers to relax the numbers on the
H-1B visas, top Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa
has asked Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff what
progress has been made toward the Department's reform of
the H-1B visa programme.
"The H-1B visa programme was created to serve American
employers who need high-tech workers. It was created to
fill a void in the labour force. The visa holders were
intended to fill jobs for a temporary amount of time while
the country invested in American workers to pick up the
skills needed," he said.
"The programme may be beneficial to some businesses, but
it's even better for companies based outside. The fact is
most H-1B visas are going to foreign-based companies,"
Grassley said in a letter.
More at:
http://www.rediff.com/money/2008/mar/13gates.htm
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Straydog
I saw a different version of this speech in a different medium.
What Bill Gates wants will benefit Bill Gates and Indians (helps their
resume get bigger) but not the people in the USA who buy BG's
products.
More below....
Dr. Jai Maharaj wrote:
> Relax 'arbitrary' H-1B visa cap: Bill Gates
>
> By Sridhar Krishnaswami in Washington
> PTI Report
> Rediff
> Thursday, March 13, 2008
>
> The 'counterproductive' US immigration policies should be
> revamped to allow more people to get into the country on H-
> 1B visas aimed at highly-skilled professionals, Microsoft
> Chairman Bill Gates has said, arguing that hiring an 'A'-
^^^
> grade student from India creates spin-off employment for
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
> 'B' and 'C' American students.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Why don't we help B and C Indian students in India?
For an Indian to get work experience in the USA on his resume is a big
plus for the Indian. All at the expense of the rest of US society.
> The current base cap of 65,000 H-1B visas is 'arbitrarily
> set' and bears no relation to the US economy's demand for
> skilled professionals, Gates told a House of
> Representatives Panel on Science and Technology.
Mostly because BG wants to help hire guys at less than normal salary
and wage.
> Appearing before the panel at a time when US lawmakers
> cutting across party lines are hammering away at the
> 'abuses' in the H-1B visas
Yes, I think we need to hear more about these abuses. They are quite
widespread.
>and outsourcing in general,
Helps the rich at the expense of the poor.
> Gates took on Republican Congressman Dana Rohrabacher of
> California who said there is 'no excuse' for keeping out
> 'B' and 'C' American students just because there was an A
> student from India".
And, what about the A student from the USA?
> Gates said when companies like Microsoft hire top foreign
> engineers, they create jobs for 'B and C American students'
> around them.
You will never get the data showing that there are a ton of US guys
making applications for these jobs but the employers just love to pay
10,000 to 20,000 less.
> The Microsoft founder told lawmakers that the immigration
> system would have to be revamped in such a fashion so as to
> allow more number of people to get into America on H-1B
> visas and it did not make sense for a bright foreign
> student to be educated using American tax-payers money and
> then sent home on some immigration requirement.
Oh, but here is the trick: get US taxpayers to pay for the immigrant's
education. And, the parents of US kids paying all of the US kid's
education.
> "It makes no sense to educate people in our universities,
> often subsidised by US taxpayers, and then insist they
> return home," Gates said.
Some of them go home anyway and then compete against us.
> In his formal statement to the Committee, Gates made the
> point that Microsoft was unable to hire one-third of the
> foreign-born candidates it wished to hire because of too
> few H-1B visas.
Oh, maybe BG should just subcontract to Tata, Infosys, Wipro?
> "Today, knowledge and expertise are the essential raw
> materials that companies and countries need in order to be
> competitive. We live in an economy that depends on the
> ability of innovative companies to attract and retain the
> very best talent, regardless of nationality or citizenship.
All part of the "cheap labor" push by our corporations where the CEO
wants more money in his pocket.
> "Unfortunately, the US immigration system makes attracting
> and retaining high-skilled immigrants exceptionally
> challenging for US firms," Gates said.
There are already lots of illegals in the country.
The rest of this post is a bunch of crap.