QOTD #34: If all work visas were approved, what would happen?

This is probably a field by field thng.
In my profession, H1B visa holders are displacing skilled US citizens. "We need them for their unique skills" seems to mean "We want to pay 50% of the prevailing rate".

Sorry; but it's a sore point. I've seen a lot of highly skilled people laid off and replaced with H1B visa holders that will work for less. I've been one of them twice, now.

 

What would happen if labour was truly free to flow where it was needed?

In the short term, there would be a flood of people seeking jobs in places where their civil rights would protected. There are people in dangerous parts of the world that would immediately up stakes and move to various liberal societies around the world.

This could cause a shortage of cheaper labour in these parts of the world, as nobody chooses to live and work in places where the living is hard and the pay is low.

In the mid-term, we would see a lowering of wages in these liberal nations as there is a glut of employees. Unions would become a thing with strength again as the labour market shifts to more liberal places where collective bargaining is allowed. We would also likely see some of the more repressive places start to come around to better wages and living conditions (as compared to what they previously had). Anything to keep labour where it is.

In the long term, we would have a level playing field. Where those nations that weren't conducive to the labour market, do without labour because people left for better conditions or, their states become even more repressive and essentially have slave labour.

Skilled labour - truly skilled labour will go where the money is in the short, mid and long term.

 

I guess there's a good and bad to all things. I could see a significant increase in tax revenues.

 

The ageism in the tech field is a big issue and partly caused by H1B visa holders competing for the same jobs. But, that is only half of it. I think that the Asian and Indian educational system educates engineers better than the American system. They might not be well rounded in studying other areas, but they have experience already in the areas that count. And they are willing to put in the extra hours week after week to get big jobs done.

Now, I would like to do some work overseas. I have done a few months already, and it feels like a totally different job.

 

Speaking as a hiring manager who has hired workers on the H1B program, my $.02.

I posted a position. 3 people submitted resumes. 2 US citizens and 1 person who would need H1B sponsorship. One of the US citizens didn't respond to multiple messages requesting he contact us to set up an interview. Not "Sorry, changed my mind." Just never responded. The other U.S. citizen declined to interview because he felt the commute would be more than he wanted on a daily basis. The 3rd wanted the job and fortunatley was qualified for it.

In order to sponsor the H1B, we had to show proof that the position was advertised, that we could find no U.S. worker to fill the role (we also had to advertise through the state department of economic security's jobs board), and we had to show that the offer to the H1B worker was at the prevailing market rate for our industry and geographic area.

I keep hearing that companies are paying H1B workers 1/2 of market, but I don't see how this is possible, because the DOL makes you prove you are paying market.

 

I've been laid off twice now and have had to train my H1B replacement. I couldn't speak to the paperwork or legality; but in both cases, my lay off was delayed when my H1B replacement didn't pick up things fast enough. It wouldn't seem to be a skill issue. In both cases, my severance package was used to insure my cooperation.

I'm presently working as a contractor for 80% of my former salary. This would be a difficult comparison financially. salaried vs hourly and benefits vs none. I get benefits through my wife and have no interest in 70+ hr weeks.

 

I found this article. Evidently you can legally do this. This sucks! I'm writing my congressman, for all the good it will do.

 

Amazing, I am consistently impressed at the ways companies have helped our government craft laws to screw over workers.